The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-04
mo DITCH" SAYS BROADWAY.
nrsINESS MEN GET TOGETHER
FOR A FIGHT.

Against inc MApnu aE@ns't NVmN"ct"
ara, scReme--won't Listen to SUCCESS
dian OF COMPENSATE committee
Named TO Draft Protcst-speeches.
~.a merchants Of Broadway have swung
;,,o line and taken up the fight, begun In
,hsir behalf by The Sun, against digging
d,ch in Broadway for the Rapid Transit
.,,h,yav extension instead of tunnelling
though the rock 30 far below the surface
,hat business will not be hampered and
,raric diverted by the tearing up Of the
street
M all the street and neighborhood organi-
z.tions started in this town by citizens and
,a,payers to protest against something or
10 advocate something, none ever under
stood more clearly what it wanted or was
more determined to get it than the gath
airing Of Broadway merchants in the Fifth
Avenue Hotel yesterday afternoon. With
reference to this organization, nameless
"A vet, it would be nearer the mark to
sneak Of its understanding Of what it doesn't
want and ia determination not to have it.
NO ditch, is the issue and the only issue.
The merchants who have joined together
for the fight against the destruction Of
Broadway are not at the present time even
asking for a tunnel in Broadway. although
most Of them want it. They want first to
he assured that there will be no open ex-
cayaion, and will talk tunnel later on.
The temper Of the meeting was shown
when a lawyer offered a petition and set
of resolutions to the effect that there should
I've no "cut and cover" excavation because
abuttng owners could get no money COM
pensation for damages to business. The
>esart iopswsrs not exep, asSQpded, They
werc turned down hard and then ignored
because of their suggestion Of compensa-
lion for damages on side issue which might
lnfog the one issue OF mo ditch" damages
or no damages.
The whole stretch Of Broadway between
Forty-second and Fourteenth streets,
through which the Rapid Transit engineers
and contractors think they should run an
open cut, was represented by merchants,
hotel men and theatre managers. Pro-
pretors OF business houses and places Of
entertainment that have worldwide
reputation and have made Broadway one
Of the famous streets OF the world were
there to protest and TO enlist for fight.
It was at first proposed that the pre-
liminsry meeting for organization should be
n secret one, but that notion didn't meet
with much favor.
THE SUN began the fight" said one
merchant, -and all the newspapers in New
York have taken it up in our behalf. II
is to he largely a fight Of sentiment.
The is no question but what the Rapid
TRANSIT Commissioners have the legal
right to ditch Broadway. The only thing
that will stop them Is public opinion, and
ve must depend on the newspapers and
the public to win. For heavens sake.
\ don't begin by shutting the newspapers
out and leaving the public In ignorance
Of what We hope to accomplish.
This argument prevailed, and the first
meeting was an open one
No time was lost over constitution and
bylaws. Il didn't even occur to anybody
to suggest a name for the organization
The Broadway men simply elected a chair
man and q secretary and then got down
10 business.
W. r. a. Martin, owner OF the Martinique
apartment house in Thirty-third street.
Just one door from Broadway, and a men,
her Of the Arm OF Rogers. Peet Il Co. which
has three stores on Broadway, was elected
chairman. Alexander Shaw, optician, OF
llis Broadway was elected secretary.
After an hour OF earnest discussion
the meeting appointed the following Ex-
ecutve COMMITTEES;
Al HAyMAN, tho theatrical manager.
JAMES SLATER Of the shoe arm OF J. J. Slater.
1921 Broadway, which has done business on Broad
way for forSy-n years
r. J. DONOVAN, lawyer representing several
Broadway hrm5.
GEORGE T. SroCKHAM Of the Criterion Hotel.
NATHAN sTRAUs OF R. H. Macy & Co.
w.R. H. MARTIN OF Rogers. Peet % Co.
Mr. Stratus Is out Of town, but will be
homo within q week. All the other men,
bers Of the committee were present yester-
day.
The committee was directed to frame
petition and set Of resolutions protesting
against the ditch and submit them to the
meeting on Thursday afternoon.
After the petition has been approved
the committee will make a store-to-store
canvass on both sides OF Broadway, from
Forty second street to Union Square,
10 get signatures. Then the petition,
with the names Of all the Broadway bust
ness men affixed, will be sent to tho Mayor
and the Rapid Transit Commissioners.
The committee will meet to-day in Al
Havman's Office.
In opening the meeting yesterday, Chair
man Martin said:
We are to organize to fight in a proper
manner against an open Icavation in Broad
way. In this fght the interests OF the prop
erty owners and their tenants are identical.
The question is not whether We shall have
an underground road or not. 1t IL, Can we
avoid the calamity Of ditch?
Al Hayman opened the discussion, say
ing:
am here for myself as the representative
Of my associates In the theatrical business,
Charles and Daniel Frohman and klaw II
Erunger. Between us We have twelve
theatres on Broad way and We wish to utter
our protest against what We consider crime.
We believe in subway. We believe that
The people should have every facility for
moving about with ease and comfort. but
we protest against ditch
The contracting company Is a big corpora
ilon powerful enough to not only build tho
subway. but to lease IT, and they are hgur-
lng on saving few dollars at the expense
OF the prosperity Of nearly two miles OF the
greatest thoroughfare In America.
They can tunnel under the North River
they can certainly tunnel under Broadway.
The theatres are licensed by the city to do
business. The Mayor may as well cancel
our Licenses and be done with 1t as to ruin