New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-29
MASS MEETING BATTERS GRABS
BEDELLUILCOX STREET R1ILWl4I' And R1lNlPO And
NIAGARA BILLS DENOUNCED BY SPEAKERS.
Big Cooper Union udnce Cheers Demand for Justice from Legislature
To0fs and Railroad Defender.

rest the final responsibility tor these bills is
also member" The letter ran
Il seems impossible TO believe that the people O;
this city viii by indifference or supineueSS permit
terests. or that Republican legislature viii know
tngiy enact into law measures which are in such
charte- cr greater Nev-Yo-k formulated by
the Eapl lbIirsr leeisIatrIra OF 1897 and 1GJ! and
which. II So enacted VIII subject the Republican
party in the coming campaign TO such serious crit
Tho bill which provides among othe- things for
the relocation by any street railroad company oi
its tracks n parallel street or ON street run
In the extreme. because il grants rights OF yaSue
nrove in tho euS to he more valuable and far
reaching than even tho opponents OF me p.l @ L""
'orsee or suspect because h gives "NaN lL -, -,
petuity additional franchises or privileges whereas
enliEhtened public opinion TO-DAY ,s "te- VI
terms only. because IL extends aud cnIarScS by
companies and gives them additional rights which
presuma biz they could not get. n they sought l't
are conveyed without ADEQUATE compensation or
sufficient guarantee Of compensation 10 the pubic
operate FOR three blocks I'm one street might shirt
70 parallel street without getting any nc% grant
posed bill extend its tracks for three-quariers OF
Nov--yorb has IN the past suffered iucacuiabIs
loss from granting such rights in pNrpetuity. m
other loot OF the streets Of Nev-York should be
given away 20 any individual or company for al
Of itself is worthy ~ all condemnation.
IT can safely he assumed that the railroad COM
panes back II this biz have some speGIlc rihat-
they wish TO secure in Em-st. or eisrwwh here
by 90 trey n9' ,.a ASK e7'G' e 5-7 80 fbny Gould
rot secure in n direct manner the privileges tney
want upon equally advantageous terms that they
seek TO get them by this indirect or oackhanded
may abolish transfers IN certain cases seems 10
me unnecessary and unwisc- TIL" other provision
transfers action must be brought by the Attorney
Il hon hgYTrT l1n IN
Isra, 1,acIfrcr- Of the state and when tho cour,
- d-,3o5 @ ir ri5 f.,-cr the iIJrr7o7t Is rad not
20 him hut ~ some one else. This is adding in
suit to injury.
J. s. LEHMAIER'S SPEECH.
Thea came James s. Lehmaier chairman Of
tho executive and law committee Of the Citi-
zeus Transit Reform Committee % One Hun
dred. He told of the long 1ght which that or
Eanization and others had made to obtain trans
fers mt disputed points, notably Twenty-thrd-
st. and Broadway. Finally this was accom-
pshed on Lincoln's Birthday. But. said Mr.
Lehmaer tho railroad company did not want
10 give these transfers. and It was costing them
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars to refuse Sc
the comuauy went calmly over the head OF the
courts TO the legislature. He continued:
The BedoI-wiIcox Transfer bill Is a hill IN the
interest ~ the raiiroad corporation Us features
corporation is now called upon to paw 70 each iud
vidual IS so the bill apparently increases that pen
atty 10 500. but while the action may now be
brought 10y the individual for his own benefit. the
. hiN provides that hereafter such sui,s shall b.
brought by the Attorney General for the benefit n:
the State-in other words. it will be necessary FOR
each person refused transfer 20 go TO Albany "a
present his evidence 10 the Attorney General and
induce him 90 bring n suit. the profits 0T which viii
20 into the State treasury. Imagine the long pro-
c"ssou of aggrieye5 citizens who al their own
expense. will take the long trip to Albany under
such circumstance, where not they. but the state
will be the beuefciarieS.
This feature Of the bill. n So becomes law
. cunhle Z
refuse transfers at points where they have not
iii recently given them. bat at all points where
they have heretofore AZ any time given them
Another feature Of this bill permits the state
. Railroad Commission o. body located AZ Albany. On
/ absolutely exempt the railroad corporations from
. giving transfers at such points Hs Jhe board may
Heem advisable Under this provision a State
. board, not familiar with the requirements Of any
particular locality. and which has not shown abil
I ify to overcome the transit problems with which
the people Of this city are struggling may actually
/ Continued o second paEs