New-York tribune., 1905-06-02
NAP FOR THIRD Il" TRACK
THE OPPOSITION WIN5.
Ramd Transit Board GiUes Them
Rim Pan WinIcIe Opate.

THE peterborough company failed yesterday 10
get the consent of the Rapid Transit Corninis
sion for additional elevated tracks IN "a anu oN
aves. Controller Grout and Commissioner o'ai ~
are unqualiiedly opposed to additionai eieN
tracks. Without the cooperation of one OF 'hef'
there will not be six votes in favor OF more
tracks. as the Mayor will not vote. ana tn"'
,as only FIVE who might vote in favor or the
application ,,o....,,;s-
n is the habit of the Rapid Transit comr''ls
sio, TO listen patiently and look sweet "iiie
floods of oratory loosed Ihls 'ne oo
mission did yesterday. Four houis oA '
hristling with threats cajolery, graho Pfoi'
;ses patriotism prophesy and statls'lcS' lei' 'ie
situation as 1t has been for months-'hal 10
with not enough votes for the aool'oiiai ei
x-ated tracks The spenbnders could have saved
themselves lung energy yesterday oy couh'ins
noses in advance and discovering that Messrs'
c-or+ and Starfn were against the INTERIOR
oueb,s application All the commissioners knew
the situation.
To let things down easy. the commission Vo'eo
70 defer action on the application until the
J,enox-ave.-Bronx section of the subway Is IN
full operation. This is promised Tor july l. -
,,es charged bv some of the speakers that the
Tnterborough purposely delayed the compieOoh
az the connection under the Harlem oet"eeh
7s5+7, end 14oth SIS to divert the upper Bronx
Thus afford an object lesson TO the Rapid Transit
Commission Of the great need Of more elevated
+-acts This is denied by Mr.. Belmont's rep
rasentatfves who say that the commission Itself
&c tn blame for not giving the necessary con-
sent for various things on this particular INK
its the opinion of some of the commissioners
that as soon as the connection is made unoer
the Harlem and the subway trains are running
through from the upper Brony the consestio'l
on the elevated lines will be materially lesseneu.
Commissioner Orr sails on Thursday next loF
Europe, to be gone until late in August ana
Commissioner Jesup win sail for Europe on
Saturday This means that things VIII remain
in statu quo till early fall.
C,onon,issjoner starin was for Immediate
tion and put himself record by the follo"-
ing statement:
In 1891 and 1892 the Manhattan Railway
Company made earnest efforts to obtain from
the predecessor of the present board many eS-
Iensive and valuable concessions IN perpetults,
covering additions TO its lines ana new Imes
in all parts of Manhattan and The Bronx Inc
pressure that was then brought TO bear on @ lne
commissioners TO favor these large grants Was
very great and June 1, 1893, by peculiar
coincidence. exactly twelve years ago to-day
the board voted unanimously, with one eXcep-
lion 10 give to, the Manhattan company theSe
priceless concessions.
That one exception was myself. I voted no.
and the resolutions were defeated. All the
other commissioners except myself, thereupon
resigned from the board. but subsequently were
reappointed- I refer to these old transactions
merely to recall the fact that my attitude was
then strongly opposed to additional elevated
structures. and l assumed this attitude because
I believed then in the subway as permanent
solution of our transit ills and the point L
want TO make now is that if there doubt
then as to the greater deSirabflity of SubWays
there certainly ought TO be none now, when the
success of the first municipal rapid transit rail-
road is still fresh in minds. and when we
are from day to day laying out additional SUBJ
way lines to be owned by the city of New
York
franchises acted on by the commission be sent
to the Board of Aldermen as we'll as TO the
Board of Estimate and Apportionment.
Il offer this motion" said the Controller. be
cause OF published threats that the aldermen, as
soon as an opportunity offers will take action TO
test the constitutionality of the law passed at
the last session Of the legislature curtang their
powers. I think that sending franchises the
aldermen viii not do any hurt under the crcum-
stances. and if they, as we'll as the Board of
Estimate. approve them, there would be ques-
lion with reference to the validity of the fran
chises"
Mr.. Rives said there was no occasion for send
ing franchises TO the aldermen as every law was
presumed to be constitutional unless it was
found otherwise. Mr. Grout's motion was not
seconded.
Some of those who favored granting the ap-
plication Of the company for additional elevated
tracks were E P. Bryan, vice president of the
Interborough William Barclay Parsons ex-
chief engineer of the Rapid Transit Commits
sion; De Lancey Nicoll, Mr.. Bucku, represent
ing the NewHaYen company; w. c. Gotshall
president Of the Port Chester company: William
/ Bull president of the New York West
chester and Boston company. and E w. Bloom
ingdale, the drygoods merchant. Those in favor
OF granting the application used an hour and a
.- half.
The speakers for the opposition included Cal
win Tomkins. of the Municipal Art Society:
Lawrence WELLER, secretary of the City Club;
Albert E. Davis, representing the North Side
Board Of Trade: Otto Rosasky Frederic W
Hinrichs. Mrs Florence Kelley, who made a
telling speech. sharply crticising the City Rail
way Company for its horsecar service the
East Side and the Interborough company for
maintaining Illegally elevated structure n
Allen-st.; William +. King of the Merchants
Association. and ]. AspinWall Hodge.
At the close of the hearing the board took VI
routine business. and approved various minor
routes in Manhattan and The Bronx, and In
. Brooklyn for subways and elevated lines. The
Tribune published these routes several weeks
ago.
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