New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-31
TINE FOR SETTLEMENT.

II is high time for the city officials TO adopt
a different policy in respect TO the Connecting
Railway question, and some of them are appar
emily beginning to realize it. Mr.. McGowan
having been partly over the ground, is inn
pressed with the ''stupendous' character of the
work and begins to talk sense about it. AS for
the Mayor he still preserves in silence his diff
cult attitude The course of some of the officials
in basng their demands on the vagaries of
subordinate in the Finance Department has
been such as fully to Justify Mr. Shepard's re
mark that if they would tell him what terms
they took seriously he would enter upon the
discussion of them. Too much of a disposition
has been shown TO load down this franchise
with fantastic riders. When a great corpora
ton asks for something there are always Ger
tain number of Cranks intent upon forcing its
agreement TO all sorts of conditions having no
proper relation to the matter in hand. When
the Pennsylvania tunnel plan was under con-
sideration the company had to resist efforts TO
prescribe whom it might employ. what it should
pay for labor. how II should or should not do
business a hundred miles from the city. Such
tactics were then confined largely TO rrespOn-
sible blathersktes and TO aldermen seeking their
favor. Now they seem TO have been adopted
by persons from whom saner judgI.. lent is
expected
The Connecting Railway is an enterprise
which promises the greatest benefit to Brook
Ign and Queens and consequently to the city
IN general. 1t needs 10 argument to show that
the linking Of Long Island to the rest of the
continent means the utilization Of vast areas of
low priced and undcveloped land for manu-
featuring purposes and an enormous growth in
the wealth and population of the outlying sec
tons Of the eastern bOrOughs. 1t is the duty
Of the officials to seize the opportunity TO Sc
cure this boon on fair terms, and not to let
prejudice or fear 10 offend the thOughtless or
reckless corporation baiters interfere with a
reasonable adjustment The people want this
improvement and do not wish It TO be lost
! through any nonsense. They are Just as much
4 interested the railroad company in the build
! ing Of the line. and ask only that the company
pay the reasonable value OF what Is granted
What that reasonable value is may Of course
! be matter about which men will honestly
/ differ. The money payment 10 he exncted can
! perhaps only be fixed by compromise after ne
/ gotiatiOns in which each side will stick for
/ the best bargain possible and the problem for
each will be TO find the point beyond which
/ The other will not 90. Yet there are certain
J plain principles 10 guide in reaching n fair
! conclusion on This point The railroad owns the
/ greater part Of its proposed line. and asks no
+. grant from the city TO operate upon its own
land Ii merely asks permission to cross Ger
I tain streets which intersect its holdings. The
! city has 70 right 10 ask the company 10 nav II
1 anything for the privilege Of using the lands
which the railroad buys ana pays for. The city
may aud should exact the fun value OF the troD
erty which it grants. Circumstances tempt II
to exact more, for, as the company cannot use