New-York tribune., 1903-02-02
LONDON TRANSIT.
Contest for Supremacy Underground,
7Cifh YerLrs'S Chances.

taupts TO solve it by means OF model lodging
houses and teneT rents; and sanitary reformers
have sought 10 aid them by the condemnation
and enforced clearance OF slums. The only prac-
tcal solution is a system OF underground electric
transit by which the six millions in Greater
London destined in the course OF thirty years
to be twelve millions can he brought into the
inner circle of traffic and business and carried
back t. remote subur - where they be
cheapIy housed That is the problem which the
London County Council ought 20 have taken up
long ago and worked out by the adoption Of a
comprehensive. symmetrical plan and the con-
struction o. a hundred miles Of electric railway
underground 1t might have done this if it
had possessed the centralized administration OF
the great EngIs, and Scotch municipalities. for
The reserves of capital required could have been
obtained at the lowest possible rates and the
cost of the work greatly cheapened. It has
restricted its energies 10 the control OF the
suburban tram lines and neglected its opportuni-
ii : until private corporations and syndlcates OF
capitalists are in complete possession OF the clay
beds underlying the metropolis Recently there
has been an exhibition of belated energy and
the London County Council has been debating
the expediency of appealing TO Parliament for
authority to undertake the construction OF cleo
tric railways at deep levels, but IL IS not prob
able that there will be municipal competition OF
interference with private enterprise when I'M
mense masses of capital are available for the
lines already in progress.
While there are many electric railway projects
awaiting legislative sanction. the appointment Of
a royal commission to investigate and report
upon metropolitan transit is strongly favored
bv r,ennbers of both parties in Parliament The
coIIanse of the deep level scheme from Hammer
smith to the city after committee nad de'olel
much time to the subject caused nuch Hrl'd-
tfou last year. and has diminished the chan'ea
of prompt action upon new schemeS anu eAOe"-
sfors The appointn1ent of a commission Of
inquiry will involve the suspension OF heaiiS
all fresh projects for two or three years. An
i,r,arse mass Of expert testimony will be taken.
and MANY saIutary reflections will be based
unon H. Meanwhile the various interests "hl'H
have secured legislative authority VIII pIoceel
with their undertakings and strengthen theH p'-
sftions This policy of Parliamentary lhaetl'H
will tend to promote the survival OF the pt'es''
The group which has the best equipment 'ne
largest reserves of capital and the most com
nrebensive scheme of local and SUBURBAN COM
municatfon will have pre-eminent adVah'aseS
for securing legislation required for completing
its work.
In this contest for supremacy the Waterloo
and CITY Railway does not need TO be seriously
considered 1t was designed for the sPecId-
nurpGse of facilitating the delivery of the Lon
don and South Western passengers IIoth Ih7
suburbs to the hub of the City; and since thdI
object has been secured, the directors OF the
trunk line have no ulterior aim The city ana
South London Railway was planned for the
relief of popuIous suburbs. and it has clearly
defined base of operations outside the over
crowded central belt of the metropolis, where
facilities for intercommuntcatlon are most uI
gently needed. Neither of these companies Is
IN q position TO compete with either the Central
London or the Yerkes group for supremacy III
the district, about five miles long and TWO ana
a half miles broad, where the congestion Of
traffic is densest. The Central London, con-
Meeting the outer edge of the West End with the
heart Of the City pierces this inner belt alonS
one side and at Shepherds Bush it has I'M
nortant connections with suburban tramWay5
and a generating station covering twenty acres
1t is seeking authority for the construction OF
a similar underground electric line from SheP-
herds Bush to Hammersmith, and thence
through Kensington, Knightshridge, PlccadliIy'
Charing Cross, the Strand and Fleet-st TO the
Royal Exchange and Lfverpool-st- This exten-
sion would convert the railway into loop line
with continuous circuit. The mileage WouId
be more than doubled. and there would ne
largely Increased facilities for rapid and com
Portable transit from Hammersmith TO the CITY
The Central London will be a formidable COM
petitor il it obtains full legislative sanction fo
CARRYING out this scheme; but action upon 1t Will
probabIv be suspended until the royal COM
mission completes a protracted investigation OF
the conditions of metropolitan transit
The Yerkes group includes five large en-
terprises. with d mileage of sixty-three under
ground or on paper. There is the Metropolitan
District Railway, with its inner circle and IFS
suburban connections with Wimbledon, Rich
mond, HounsIow Barracks. Ealing and South
Harrow in the west and north, and with Sow
Road and New Cross in the east The substltu-
ton of electric power for steam will be begun
experImentally in the course Of few weeks
on suburban section between Ealing and
South Harrow, and ultimately there will be
forty miles of electric line In operation In
addition the Metropolitan District system
which is to be supplied with electric power from
a new generating station in Chelsea. there are
four railways under construction. The Baker
Street and Waterloo Line which is about three
quarters finished. will connect South London
with the Regents Park district. The CharinS
Cross Euston and Hampstead and the Edgware
and Hampstead, on which work has barely been
begun, are lateral lines. leading northward 20
Hampstead and Highgate. The Great Northern.
Piccadiy and BromptOn Railway will connect
FinSbury Park and populous northern district
with HolbOrn and the Strand, and will be con-
tnued to Piccadilly Circus. Hyde Park Corner
and Sloane-st., and thence by Brompton Road
and South Kensington 20 Earl's Court Shafts
have been sunk at Finsbury Park and Kings
Cross and contracts have been made for drtv-
ing the tunnels on each section of the analga-
mated railway for a distance of nearly eight
miles. The Yerkes group not only enCircles the
inner belt of densest traffic from Aldgate 20
Noting Hill. but it also provides three lateral
lines and continuous service from Fnsbury