New-York tribune., 1903-01-30
PLEAD FOR FOUR TRACKS.
Harlemites Want Two for Express and Two
for Local Trains in Lenox-ave.

The Rapid Transit Commissioners heard lot of
arguments at their meeting yesterday in favor of
four-track system the Lenox-ave. division OF
the subway. AS planned, the system provides
for only two tracks. The speakers. who pleaded
for two tracks for local and two for express ser
vice represented the Harlem Board of Commerce.
the Central Republican Club the Harlem Demo-
cratic Club. the Harlem Club. the Harlem Y. NJ.
C a and the Real Estate Protective Association.
Aldermen Goodman and Meyer and Tax Commits
sioner Strasbourger marshalied the appealing
forces.
Henry Martin presented petition which, he said,
held the signatures of nearly every adult resident
OF the Twelfth Ward. William H Sage, OF ST.
Andrews Church urged the express service be
cause Harlem IS almost entirely occupied by con-
fidential clerks and typewriters who have TO re
port TO business early in the day and to whom
few minutes delay may reprimand dis
rnIssal He spoke Of the crowds who are unable TO
find accommodations the elevated road trains,
and declared that the twenty
ffth-st stations the East and West sides
ce1ved more passengers than any other two sta
mons in the residential part of the city.
William Barclay Parsons, chief engineer of the
eupe-ay in replying TO the arguments, said that
adequate express service has been projected for
Harlem and that the delegations were laboring
der a mistake The trains the Lenox division.
which has its terminus in Lenox-ave-. will stop
at ndred-and- th;Ity-fifth. One-hundred-and
fHenty-ffth. ne-hundred-and-sixteenth and One
lundred-and-tenth sts. Leaving One-hundred-and-
there viii he expresses. stopping only at
Fortv-second and Fourteenth SIS. and City Hall.
Without going into Details" said Mr. Parsons,
- may tell you I preparing. under instructions
from the commission, a comprehensive plan of rapid
transit for the entire city. The plan is nearly
pleted and may be presented to this board very
shortly. In that plan provision is made for six
additional tracks north of e-hundred-and-tenth-
81 in the Harlem territory
The board heard John B. McDonald's complaint
that President Cantor of the borough had stopped
the work Of pulling down the old Hall Of Records,
and thereby impeded the subway contractor. The
board voted that the Corporation Counsel he in
etructed 10 take immediate measures to enforce
the ruling of the Supreme Court. which authorized
the contractor 10 take the building down.
President Cantor has a scheme to have the old
building re-erected in the Battery Park, and
Tuesday ne asked the Board of Aldermen to author
ize an appropriation of 5000 for that purpose The
motion failed to pass and Mr. Cantor promised the
1atriotic societies interested to stop the further
obstruction of the building. until the aldermen
could reconsider their vote next Tuesday
Controller Grout brought up the proposed station
at Wanamaker's department store and Edward NJ
Albert B. Boardman. that there was nothing in the
Rapid Transit contract TO prevent the contractor
from making any arrangement he fit with the
of private property adjoining Mt Grout
wanted know whether if an inch of public prop
erty intervened II would alter conditions. When he
Was told that il would he suggested that the route
be changed one inch that the city could obtain
compensation for the privilege MI w anaInaher
The board tabled the subject.