New-York tribune., 1905-04-20
DAY FOR GRAB BILLS.
Continued from FIRST page.

namely the Interborough company. the right
10 abandon, without local consent, such OF its
Bronx trolley lines as do not pay.
OF course, neither Of these bills specifically
mentions the purposes above named but these
purposes are we'll understood. and were pointed
out to the committee to-day by various repre-
sentatives of New-York City. The only result
was that the bills were reported long before
these representatives reached the railroad sta
ton on their way to New York. by Assembly
man BedelIs committee The whole incident n
tlrely justihes the statement. made in The Trib-
une this morning. that the granting Of hear
ing was merely general concession to appear
ances' the arrangements for passing both bills
having already been made
Inc argument against the latter measure was
opened by Charles Sprague Smith, speaking
Dehalf Of the Peoples Institute He declared shat
great social unrest was growing up a result
Of legislative neglect Of the rights of the people
IN similar matters Mr.. Smith continued:
Sow not the wind If you would not reap the
MhlTiwlnd Have you not heard the bugle call
IN chicago? When Mayor Dunno was received
IN New York a few days ago he was welcomed
as the bearer of message from the people.
You were not sent her; to represent corpora
uohs and you are not here to safeguard cor-
Poratlons In an improper way. Consider care
LuIiy the responsibility that rests upon you.
Inc dream OF the country since the beginning
mas mas neen government for the people by the
people; but such legislation as this i9 contrary
TO that principle.
John Ford declared:
If you pass this bill permitting the railroad
companies to abandon routes you will allow rail-
ROAD corporations To 'buEco' any community in
the state. This bill will allow the Belmont SYM
dlcate to abandon Improbable routes which they
chiseS.
The Steinway Tunnel bill would give for moth
ing franchise of inestimable value. The COM
pany says 1t already has franchise Why
doesn't 1t use It. thea? Under the charter the
company could get tunnel franchise for fifty
years by paying for 1t, but this bill would give
II perpetual franchise for nothing. Let them
go to the city and pay for what they get. We
don't want to give this company franchise
worth millions for nothing.
Representing Mayor Mcclellan, Charles L. Guy
opposed both bills, saying they were wrong in
principle.
mo franchise is given" he said. unless 1t is
to meet great public necessity. This abandon
ment bill would virtually allow the railroad
company to reverse the decision Of the Railroad
Commission by abandoning its franchise Good
faith demands that the company shall do what
1t has undertaken to do, and for which fran
chise has been granted. The tunnel bill is Op-
posed because it ignores the city authorities.
and the constitution practically guarantees to
the city the right to say whether or not it's
property shall be taken"
Charles P. Blaney warned the Republican
members OF the committee that the passage OF
the GoodseI bills will be damaging to the Re
publican party in New-York City.
THE Republican party is standing for what
the people are crying for" Mr.. Blaney asserted
And whatever is done for the people will help
us next fall. These bills are in the interest OF
the Interborough Railway. 1t took a franchise
from the city on the representation that certain
lines will be built and now it sneaks into the
legislature and asks permission to abandon un-
profitable lines"
The old saying was. take the fat with the
lean. an Assemblyman remarked "and now
they want to get rid Of the lean, don't they?'
That's It," Mr.. Blaney said.
Julius Henry Cohen, of the Citizens Union. re-
ferred to the defeat Of similar bills In the AS
sembly last year.
IF corporations can come here and break con-
tracts with the consent Of the legislature" he
said. lit is only a question Of time when New
York will follow Chicago's example and declare
for municipal ownership. Franchises must be
granted suitable terms and must be limited
to time"
Arguments in favor Of the bills were made by
Albert A Gardner representing the New-YOrk
and Long Island Railroad Company. and Jo-
sepn Fitch and William Hamilton of the BOr-
ough of Queens, who said the bills merely
to facilitate rapid transit in Queens. Mr.. Card
ner said that the routes to be abandoned were
old ones and were not needed in connection with
the tunnel system. Ir executive session the
committee promptly voted favorably on both
measures.