New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-20
FyH-ST. ~ DINGER.

An iruDortaut legislative measure Whlch uoes
moi make ITS meaning clear Is deserving OF sus-
n{cion. 10 say the least. When il is known 10 De
hacked bv interests which have not dealt IN a
trairhtforvvard manner with the public on tor-
NOR occasions. and especially when those IN
charge Of it refuse TO have II so AMENDED tlla'
q cannon possibly serve purposes which they
sav il was never intended TO serve. the sooner
- IS nut to death the better. Last winter there
was a eroup OF railroad bills before the legis-
latura which answered to this description. For
q time they fourished in obscurity, but they
wore all gradually exposed TO destructive crit
cis-l. and the only one that passed failed TO re-
cpive the Governors approval Five railroad
hills have been introduced al the present ses-
sion. OF which at least two bear a strong re
semblance 10 their disreputable predecessors OF
last year I'm more than one respect though
their promoters have adopted new tacucs In
this case the familiar and generally futile pol
3cv Of sccrctfveness has been abandoned The
legislature and the public are officially invited
10 take notice that the bills have been intro
duced. and 10 accept official assurances that
they conceal no mysterious or questionable de-
sign. but are altogether innocent and laudaole.
Perhaps they are but experience suggests the
wisdom Of not taking the company's word for
il especially since antecedent facts and fair
10 support q contrary opinion. One Of them
provides that subject TO certain conditions
which Il might not be difficult to fulfil
Any street surface railroad company owning
a railroad a railroad route In the streets or
highways IN any city may remove Its road or
route or a portion thereof 10 and relocate such
road route part thereof in other streets or
highways provided that the relocated road or
route or part thereof shall run in the same gen
eral direction the road or route or part there
OF which shall be 50 removed, and in such case
may construct and operate its road IN Sucn
other streets or highways under the terms OF
the grant franchise or municipal consent unoer
which the road is authorized.
Now. It would infallibly occur 70 anybody
familiar with the transportation system OF this
city that the foregoing provision might prove
extremely convenient 20 street railroad com
many operating congested lines in Broadway
Centre-st and the Bowery, inasmuch as there
happens 10 be nearing completion about half
way between those routes n parallel thorough
fare on which no streetcar rights have yet been
granted. AS a matter Of fact. there is such
company, 10 wit. the New-YOrk City Railway.
successor Of the Interurban and the Metropoh
tan. That company, moreover, is well known
to have fixed cOvetous eyes on Elm-st The
ever alert and interchangeable Mr.. Nreeland con
fessed more than a year ago that he could use
he can hardly be surprised, therefore, at the
promptness with which observers in Albany
and elsewhere have attributed 10 the bin under
consideration a purpose which it does not de-
clare.
1t is fair to say that an officer Of the New
York City Railway Company has professed 10
explain why a bill for the relocation OF existing
routes cannot possibly endanger Elm-st, but II
is necessary 10 remind him that explanations
designed TO allay public anxiety in similar cases
heretofore have sometimes proved entirely IN
satisfactory. There is, however one way in
which all suspicion can be readily removed.
Transportation managers and lawyers IN their
employ, as everybody must admit, are skilful
IN the work Of drafting bills which are not Ill
tended 10 tell all that they mean. Now. II the
managers and legal advisers Of the New York
City Railway should resolve so 10 recast the
present measure as 10 make IL perfectly harm
less so FAR as Elm-st- is concerned. we are sure
they would succeed. II IS absurd 10 suppose
that their ingenuity would suddenly fail them
Moreover, 1t is essential TO the purpose they
proclaim that they should do so. After mex
cuSable delays there is a remote prospect that
Elm-st viii be finished before very long and
begin 10 serve its legitimate purpose Of reliev-
ing the congestion OF traffic I'm Broadway and
Centre-st II has been a tedious and costly
process, and the public viii never consent to be
cheated in the end for the benefit Of rapa-
cious corporation.