New-York tribune., 1904-10-24


routethat is impossible to secure adequate rapid
transit by overhead system. The improvements
ventilation and motive power in the last six years
nave been so great that / think am luStaed 1 IN
TEN which were of so strong nature originally
Now. it has been objected TO the undertaking of
this work by the city and on account of the city
OF this large the OF ny fRe
Of such work by the city authorities.
after It constructed. would result in an
he 3 Of to the
and their followers. This objection would be an
pose to the mind Of everybody else. if it were
ministration Of the work should remain in the
hands of the city officials. There is no such neces-
nnb1in uction ~ the bigbesf 6idder mon the sim
pie condition that the bidder shall be responsible.
and secondly, that it shall pay the interest upon
ability to do so. and thirdly such further sum as
in composition it may bid in addition to the rate
on this occasion is the fruit Of the most careful
secure this inestimable boon for this city but Of
other principles which underlie the constitution of
ana the principles upon which the Credit of organ
lied communities should be used.
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BILL.
fortnight after Mr.. Hewitt's plan had been
adopted. a special committee OF the Chamber Of
Commerce to the legislature bill which
bodied Mr.. Hewitts ideas in every particular. The
bill called for the creation of new Rapid Transit
Commission TO be composed at the start of the
Mayor and Controller of the city and the president
Of the Chamber of Commerce as ex-Oicio mem
bers. and Samuel D. Babcock. Seth Low. John
Cahin and Alexander E. Orr. All the existing
powers of the Rapid Transit Commission appointed
by the Mayor to lay out routes and determine fran
chises we're to be continued in the commits
sion with the additional power to sell to the high
est bidder a franchise for road 10 be constructed
with the City's credit
A provision of the bill limited the bonds to be
issued by the city for the road to S50000GO0. Other
provisions were that the contractor for the road
should give adequate bonds to the commission and
a bond for 81 100000 the Controller of the city
the faithful performance of the work, and that
the fare on the road should not exceed five cents.
In an attempt prevent the passage of the
Chamber of Commerce bill there sent to the
legislature bill which declared to be directly
in the interest of the Manhattan Railway Com
pany. II prohibited the building of any elevated
railroad in addition to existing roads south of One
hundred and twenty -giuth-st. in the city and pro-
vided that the city should build underground
road provided the people of the city adopted the
plan by a majority vote at special election. This
bill passed the Assembly and was being fathered
in the Senate by Mr.. LeXow when Mr.. Hewitt
headed delegation of the Chamber of Commerce.
went to Albany and denounced the bill at hear
ing in the Senate Chamber on April 5, 1894 In ex-
posing the character of the Lexow bin Mr. Hewitt
said:
1t will not be safe to intrust the building of the
would have to be expended upon the orders OF
political leaders This is bill to enable the Man
perpetuate the monopoly of the present elevated
railroad shall be built south OF One-hundred- -and-
twenty -ninth-st. That turns over the city of New
The Lexow bill is wholly in the interest of the ee-
yated railroads 1 and OF the present city govern
would be willing 10 go without rapid transit for a
generation rather than have this LeXow bill. is
7 Of he
elevated railway.
The Lexow bill was killed. and on the night ~
April o5 following, the Chamber of Commerce bill
was passed with two amendments One of the
amendments TO Governor Flower the prfvi-
lege of naming four ropid transit commissioners
two Republicans and two Democrats. instead of
having the commissioners named in the bill and
one reason for the amendment the belief OF
some of the legislators that the Governor might
veto the bill IL it named the commissioners The
other amendment provided for u referendum vote
at the election in November the question: "Shau
the CITY Of New-York itself construct rapid tran
sit road?'
NEW COMMISSION ORGANIZED
Governor Flower signed the bill and also appoint
ed Alexander f orr. Seth Low and john CIa41in
three of the men named in the original buI no.
gether with William Steinway and John II starfn
OF the former Rapid Transit Commission az roer,-
bers of the new commission. When the new, com
mission met for organization on June 1891 how
ever. Mr.. Orr had succeeded Charles Stewart Smith
as president Of the chamber of Commerce and
therefore was both regular ex-oficio r1er1ber
of the commission. He resigned as a rerular new
ber when the commission was Orpani1a5 oI5
moved the election of Mr.. Smith as the TegTIa- [
member in his place. Mr.. Starn moved for The
election of John Fl. Inman, of the former commis-
sion Mayor Groy and Controller Fitch voted with
commissioners Steinway and Starin for Mr Trr.ar
while commissioners orr, Low and Claim ,ntej
for Mr. smith After the election of Mr. T,ros,,
Mr.. Orr was elected chairman Of the com rniss,oD
Later i'm the month the commission elected eTis
Z. Deaield as its secretary and Henry r Ba"lr. I
man and A. r. BOardman counsel Mr. teeE
man being succeeded later by Edward NJ sbeDard
The commission also appointed William ForrcIs,,
Parsons as chief engineer. Mr.. Parsons haI ba,
the chief engineer OF the former commission oTt
had prepared the plan for underground rogd
In Broadway for which that commission failed ~
get bid Mr. Parsons was appointed on the mo-
tion Of NT. SteinWay. For time after its orsani-