New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-25
COMPETITION.

Connection, which Mr.. Whitridge. receiver
of the Third Avenue Railway system, declares
TO he the object of his management, hardl!
awakens a thrill OF the liveliest expectation III
the public mind. The public has had Its e1-
perience of competition and has learned not 10
expect too much 1t had competition between
the old Third Avenue Railway Company ana
the Metropolitan which ended, as compeutloH
ALWAYS has ended. in a union of the comped-
tors for the completer exploitation of the com
nunitv. We had our last taste OF compeuuoh
hetveen the Metropolitan system and Mr.. Bel
monts marlborough company. Great Things
were promised by the competitors. The versa
file Mr. Ouigg was busy acceeraung publc
opinion Both sides promised TO lay out net
work of subways all over the city Inere were
IN he free transfers between everything ana
o,-arv+hinq else And ii all ended by the con-
vic+ion on both sides that it would be better to
come to an agreement and not build anything
than go to the extravaganza of provldlng au-
ditionaI service. So all the public got out OF 1t
WAS q lot of worthless securities in lieu of the
benefits of competition
The competition that Mr.. Whitridge's line
could give would necessarily be rather limited
In the old DAYS. when faith in competition had
not been so badly damaged as 1t is now, cities
were granting new franchises, and II was de-
sirable 10 have competitors In the field for these
franchises so that the public could make the
best possible terms But in respect 10 surface
traction in this city that reason for compeutloh
no longer exists The only competition now
nossihle is between parallel lines near together
in The quality of service they offer. AS me
Third Avenue company has only one norJh anu
south line throughout the greater part OF the
city its competition in this regard could not ne
highly important. The Third avenue line by Of
+Iv-c unertor service might attract
natrons from the Second avenue line or the
lexington avenue line and perhaps II the IN
dncenents were very great, few from the
Madison avenue line Similarly the upper
Broadway cars might compete to limited e1'
tent with some of the upper west Slue hhes'
Petween crosstown lines competition "oulh pe
impossible Competition would be desiraple II
il were possible TO maintain. but nothing IN the
history Of our street railway operation makes
the outlook hopeful Who would guarantee
tbat If il were once established it would not
ond in most ungentlemanly "gentleman's
agreement TO take the benefits Of competition
awav from the public and put them into the
,,ocla+s of the erstwhile competitors? History
z,ould probably be under strong temptat tons TO
repeat itself l.
Tho nresent tendency Is TO recognize the in
evitshIeness of combination. Recent leglslatloh
accents II as a fact The public trusts no longer
% comnetition as stimulus TO good service.
but appoints public service commissions with
authority to insist on such service Without
discourtesy or condemnation, ii may be SAID
that Mr.. whitridge's is an interesting attempt
to restore the past, like Ruskin's attempt TO
get humanity back TO the simple conditions thar
nreceded the railroad and the factory. And
the past is fine thing. too. in It's place, ard II
has most obstinate way Of staying IN It's
place Perhaps Mr.. Whitridge can coax It OUT
of Its retirement