New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-03
PRESIDENT AHEARY AND OTHERS.


1t is easy to imagine the vlrtuous emotion
with which the President Of Manhattan Borough
OH Wednesday addressed to the Rapid Transit
Commission an official letter requesting to be
Informed at its earliest convenience when its
work in Elm-st would be completed and con-
troll Of the street restored TO his department
Nor is it difficult to conceive how his sense Of
satisfaction on account Of the energy he had
displayed must have oozed away when the
commission told him through its secretary that
the subway work in Elm-st. was completed
long ago. and that lie had better look elsewhere
presumably in his own ofice-for the causes
of the needless chaos which had aroused his
indignation.
1t is not altogether certain, however, that
President Ahearn Is without an excuse for his
ignorance Two weeks ago to-day the papers
had the pleasure Of reporting that at a meet
ing of the Rapid Transit Commission the day
before it had been voted, on motion Of Mr..
Clafiin, 10 order the Consolidated Gas Company
TO connect its mains at once, so that the work
Of paving might begin. Some doubt as TO the
commissions power to enforce that order was
expressed but the statement was emphatically
made that so far as the subway was concerned
the street had been ready for the PAYERS since
early March at the latest. Mr.. Ahearn we
fear, is not diligent reader Of the papers, for
they all published the facts Of which he ex-
posed his ignorance day before yesterday; but
it would be interesting to know whether or not
the commission ever brought them to his at
tention officially as the president Of the boz
ough he was unquestionably entitled to a copy
OF the chief engineers letter OF March 10 an
nouncing that '-the responsibility for the paving
''of Elm-st. rests, not with the contractor Of
1.-The Rapid Transit Board, but with the city"
On the face Of it the incident looks ike another
Illustration Of the way in which public inter
ests have been left TO take care of themselves
in some parts Of the city occupied by the sub
way builders.
The appearance Of Elm-st. has certainly not
been such as to lead the city authorities to
conclude that the subway contractors were
through with it, For example: Mr.. Degnon told
Tribune reporter on Tuesday that he was
keeping several hundred tons OF junk IN the
lower part Of the street because he had not
been ordered to carry it away. Yet the com
mission must have known since March 10,
when its chief engineers letter was received,
that there was no reason or excuse for permit
ting such stuff to be kept there. Again, the pro-
prietor Of tho HiIlebrand Hotel. at Pearl and
Elm SITS, said to our reporter on Wednesday:
do you see that pile Of timber outside that
window? That was put there three years
"ago by the Degnon company, and it has been
there ever since. The tmbers are part Of the
Foundation Of the old TOmbs They are Of
little value. The Degnon company piled them
"up outside my window on a speculation, and
they have been there ever since" There is
the highest Official authority for saying that the
pile Of timber referred to ought to have been
removed at least as long ago as March 10 and
we are amazed that It should nave been allowed
to remain since May 49, when the commission
deliberately reminded itself OF its duty with re-
spect TO such cases.