New-York tribune., 1906-06-29
VOTE DOWN Sd TRACK,
r. T. COMMISSIONERS ACT.
Belmont Scheme for Second and
Third AUe. Roads SqueIched.


The Rapid Transit Commission yesterday "a
ter listening TO oratory and argument Iot '"o "a
three hours in executive session after the pun
lie hearing unanimously decided 10 REJECT 'ie
proposition of the Interborough Rapid TRANSIT
Railway Company to build elevated 'i'ii" ''
in Second and Third avenues
Charles Stewart Smith made the motion 10
reject the company's application, and after oriei
debate in which Controller Metz expressed 'he
belief that the company could De lhuu0eu ~
build its tracks so as TO provide loop De
tween the bridges, the motion was aPproNeu
without opposition. Commissioners Smith,
Starin and Ledyard expressed the opinion af-
terward that the proposition is dead, and that II
will not come up again for many years.
At the public hearing Mr.. Bryan, vice-presi-
dent of the Interborough, in urging the board to
grant the companys request for adcltlohai
tracks in Second and Third avenues, SAID tha'
during the months of March, April ana May Vi
this year the Third avenue line had carFleu
four million more passengers than during the
corresponding months of last year J. III. hol-
dreth of The Bronx representing the Bronx
Civic Association spoke in favor of the third
track. He said ii was an immediate necessity
The people of The Bronx were unit in favor
of the proposition. Ex-Justice Ernest Hail
smoke in a similar vein He represented the
North Side Board of Trade.
Calvin Tomkins. the chairman of the city plan
committee Of the Municipal Art Society, sent a
communication in opposition to the plan He
said in part:
Since the practicability of subways has been
fully demonstrated the state and city authorl-
ties have acted too slowly in the matter OF their
extension: otherwise the present situation would
not have arisen: q situation where a great pup
lie transportation exigency Is being selnsnly
utilized to fix still more firmly on the com,
munity out of date monopoly. The elevated
railway privileges asked for should not be al
lowed; and the through East Side subways pro-
posed by you, with extensions TO The Bronx
Brooklyn and Queens, should be at once begun
Such system running north and south through
Manhattan and The Bronx, and east and west
through the principal transverse streets OF
Manhattan and the Long Island boroughs, if
now wisely contracted for under policy OF
municipal control, will establish the cltys con-
troll over its own transit, while elevated railway
extensions will so surely forestall this in favor
OF private monopoly that such must be assumed
to be the object of officials who may permit IL.
Captain Charles H. Baxter, chairman of the
Rapid Transit Taxpayers Alliance spoke in
favor of the third track. Health Commissioner
Darlington said he wished TO protest on gen.
eral principles against the further shutting out
Of light and air He said that the increased
noise would also be bad. ]. Aspinwal Hodge
said he favored the third tracking under GER
tain conditions. among them that the COM
pany improve its present system. c. B. Slower,
of the East Side Civic Club, spoke against the
scheme
Miss Lillian Wald, Settlement worker said
that vice centred in Allen street as a result of
the deprivation of light and air and the con-
slant noise She accordingly protested against
the plan Isaac Weinstein, in speaking against
the plan, said that the railroad companies were
giving poor service to The Bronx so as TO force
the people into a clamor for the third tracking.
JaNleS : I.phT12iar ha al
ready without authority had built a third track.
and that the act should not be authorized
Lawrence WELLER presented a long statement
against the plan, including figures of the num-
Der Of empty seats, headway and other statis-
tics Of Bronx trains. Investigators We're sta
toned on both elevated road and subway plat
forms who timed the arrival and departure of
trains and also, the best of their ability made
a quick calculation Of the number of empty seats
in the several cars of each train. The following
conclusion was reached:
It is apparent that there is no serious condi-
ton Of congestion either in the subway or on
the elevated trains in The Bronx during the
morning rush hours, from 10 9 o'clock. Only
during a Very short period, namely from To
Z: 80, Is there any condition of crowding, and
this condition can be easily remedied by the
lnterborough company at any time. This in
specuon also points TO certain methods by which
any condluons or congestion which now exist
and those which may arise between now and
the time Of the construction or the future East
Side subways can be remedied.
Controller Metz got extremely angry at the
close Of Mr. Veil!er's address. He said:
Who is here that lives along the line Of the
elevated? l have lived along the elevated. and
I know this cry about noise is all rot. You get
used TO it,
A woman arose. without giving her name, and
said she lived along the elevated and did not
like II. Mr., Bryan. in answer TO the Con-
trollers question said there third track
now on the Ninth avenue elevated as far south
as Christopher street. He said the property
values had not been decreased by the third
tracking. Mr. Bryan said that he wished TO
third track both the Second and the Third ave
nue. roads down as far Chatham Square, and
from that point south TO have a double decked
structure.
Charles Stewart Smith moved that the appl-
cation be denied and Acting Mayor MCGOWAN
seconded the motion. The latter said:
If this corporation wants a favor from US it
ought TO come before us with clean hands and
until il does so we should refuse its applica-
ton
This remark was greeted with applause
President Orr did not put the question but de-
clared the hearing closed, and the commission
then went into executive session.
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