The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-03-07

NEW ioNN, Mais ". 4NoW tHat
Manhattan Island has been joined to
the rest OF the continent by the newly
opened tunnel to Hoboken, following
by few weeks the establishment Of
similar connections with Brooklyn,
the city seems to have gone tunnel
mad. Certainly there is more inter
est and enthusiasm over the subject
Of underground and underwater travel
than has been displayed by the blase
metropolis for any event since the
opening Of the first Brooklyn bridge
more than twenty-five years ago,
Both the new under-rivcr passages
haev been crowded ever since they
were first opened and now there are
insistent demands from all other d.
rections for the establishment OF SINH
lar facilities. The second McAdoo
tunnel which will unite Manhattan to
Jersey City is soon to be ready for
traffic and the bores Of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad tubes under the North
and East river are practically tcom-
pleted, although their opening to
public use will be delayed by the slow
progress OF the railroads huge city
terminal Residents OF Long Island.
especially the owners OF real estate,
alarmed lest the new tunnels turn the
tide Of suburban population toward
Jersey, are clamoring to have the city
buy the Steinway tunnel to Long Is
land which has been just built by
August Belmont and which he is re-
ported to be willing to sell for S6,0O0,-
600. The long-pending plan Of an ad
ditional tunnel and subway route
underneath Brooklyn and the East
River has been passed upon favorably
by the Public Service Commission and
the idea OF future extension under
the Narrows to Staten Island has
been revived. This would complete !
the connection OF all five boroughs OF
the Greater City by means OF up-to-
date transportation facilities. The |
truth is that New Workers have just |
awakened to the fact that the great |
armp of residents, suburbanites and
strangers, amounting to more than |
million persons, which daily flows to |
and from Manhattan, has been putting
tip with slow and tedious methods OF |
travel in and out Of the city and they
are in characteristic hurry to have
this state OF affairs remedied as soon
as possible. The expenditures for
tunnels and terminals already com
pleted or under way will amount to |
more than S250,000000.
The periodical alarm over "the
wave OF crime" has struck New York |
again. This time however it is not |
an epidemic Of crimes OF violence but
one of burglaries and thefts which
steadily increases despite Commits !
siofler Bingham and his Belgian
police dogs. The condition is attri-
buted in part to the large number of
unemployed now in the city and the
resultant privation and want. A
startling feature is the large proper
ton Of crimes committed by aliens.
This subject is to be taken up and
discussed by the Liberal Immigration
League at meeting which it to be |
held on March 10. As its name sug-
gests the League is against the re-
striction OF immigration by sweeping
laws that will bar useful as well as
useless voyagers from the old world |
1t is believed that better results |
Will be attained by deporting aliens
who commit crimes after their ar
rival here instead Of supporting them
in Jail or leaving them free to prey
on the community, as at present, and
it is advocating laws that will make |
this possible Its platform also calls
for the more rigid enforcement Of the |
present laws excluding criminals,
paupers and victems Of contagious
diseases and the extension Of the
period Of residence before admission |
to citizenship from five to 10 years
A significant fact in connection with |
the league and the measures it cham
pions is that many of its prominent
are themselves Of foreign |
birth.
AS the greatest club city in the
country New York has been much
interested in a plan for a unique and
remarkable club that has just come
to its attention this week. This is
the Interstate Club which is to in
4. A 4