New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-30
DELAYS RAPID TRANSIT.
says OLCOTT or c. Z.
Er-Judge Thinks additions TO Bal
DO Tt-Lrely Hearing.
ny -r1ran.ru 10 rHE -RmUNE.'

Try rKIE8nkPH TO TIE tribune
.fb.r,, March oq-Friends OF the Elsberg
psoid Transit I'm as amended 10 contain al
she r,tnlcipal ownership projects o. the Citizens
Union and other organizations were somewhat
disturbed nt a public hearing before the As
fer7bly committee to-day, when eX-Juase
olcott. who appeared on behalf OF the White
Burnett measures. introduced for the RAPID
Transit Commission ana allowing an extension
bf the deht linit declared frankly that II was
de Citizens Union and ils allies who were play
fng the delaying game q The Consolidated Gas
Company and the Metropolitan Street Railway
COMPANY by lacking on 10 q simple rapid transit
proposition so many additions.
at IS these same gentlemen, who are urging
pipe galleries and municipal ownership who are
really delaying rapid transit. ana the corpora
tions are laughing IN their sleeves" he declared
''I am certain IN the knowledge that taclNing on
20 the bin these additions VIII defeat what We
most need"
Az this point Assemblyuan Newcomb inter
rupted 70 inquire the basis Of the speakers
knowledge. 7 DO not believe that there is any
lhing that has come 10 my mind about this
thnt would give any enlightenment TO yours
was the sarcastic reply. You don't mean 10
nav" persisted Mr. Newcomb. that the legis-
lature would not take action f Il were con
WINGED that such action was right and proper
well. the legislature might not be quickly
convinced II Il ran up against certain Interests
such rs the Consolidated Cas- Company the
Peoples Gas Company. or the metropolitan
street Railway Company. The opposition OF
fuoh corporations could not he provoked with
out lengthening the period o. celay py oIe"''ls
70 much controversy"
Tx-Judge Olcott dwelt on the present rapid
srans't conditions. declaring that the present
.orow6ing OF women In streetcars. particularly
an the case OF shop girls during rush hours,
was Indecent. and resembled the packing OF
cattle. Said he:
II ever there WIS a tine when the quotation
ABOUT eo,eO ~ 80 NJ We 5o-,t Want a wears
dolay II you can pass all these DIS tose.lg.,
gen. - .,5se - Lad fo~ lie zeal az these gentle
men Ike M-. Warner. who arc agl'a.ing Lhese lNo
bills? Not the taxpavcrs not ire pupI.r Nal lAtse
very belmont interests which these gentlemen are
deHouncng. They are laughing m Their sleeves az
every one OF these theories they know Jnet Ii,'
Past side west side, al around the town IS
.clamo-ing oor rapid transit
James l. Wells. OF the Fordham Club, ap-
peared for The Bronx 10 protest against the
delay in combining ali rapid transit legislation
IN the Elsberg bill lie said: 1T IS poor COM
forz 70 the working girl. hanging on q strap
from City Hall 10 Fordham every day TO be
TOLD TO be calm. that by ana 10y we shall have
municipal ownership and pipe galleries
Ex-senator Guy appeared Tor the city 10 urge
that the administration desired an amendment
providing that no contract should he entered into
by the Rapid Transit Commission without the
consent OF the Board OF Estimate and -Appor-
tionment. This amendment was aimed at the
White Burnett Rapid Transit bin. and 20 this
the opponents OF the Elsberg bil sssented.
John DE Witt Warner spoke IN favor OF the I
J5lsberg bin He also proposed the alternate bills
as separate measures. though advocating them /
when Joined TO the Elsberg bin. He g. lruled 4
that the existing law had long become obsolete, 1
doing so many things that ought not 10 be done
and leaving many things undone that ought
% be done. and that il had no grace IN It." lie
argued that under the present law the city was 4
left entirely at the mercy Of the Belmont inter
,sts the Metropolitan interests and the Brook /
Ign Rapid Transit, since the law provided that I
construction and operation should be by the 1
same contractors and practically at the mercy /
OF only one. the Belmonts. This. he asserted. /
was Que 10 the fact that when the first tunnel .
was built the people were afraid no one wanted 4
10 run cars in it. ana therefore the provision /
was made that the builder might operate FOR /
thirty-hve years. At present, he maintained, /
there would be eager competition for any one |
the Rapid Transit Commission should decide !
ought to be built on the subject Of pipe gal |
lcTies he declared that the Rapid Transit Com
mission did not possess the authority TO con-
Etruct these under the present law. IIe argued /
also on the inclusion OF the new bridges IN the /
rapid transit law.
. John J. Murphy, secretary Of the Citizens /
Union, also spoke for the Elsberg bin and /
against The Mnte-Burnett measure. lie said /
shat an attempt had been made TO reach an
agreenlent with The Rapid transit Commission
10y his organization, declaring that the Citizens
Union did not want 10 be put in "a position OF
appearing 20 obstruct rapid transit legislation
To this end 81 had offered 10 agree al
amendment granting % the Rapid Transit Com
mission the option OF letting contracts for new
Hubways, both for construction and operation,
either together or separately, thus placing The
responsibility on the commission but this offer
had been rejected. He submitted resolutions
adopted by tho Citizens Union city committee
Hast night favoring the Elsberg bin