New-York tribune., 1910-11-25
THE PUBLIC AND THE
P0ROT TGH.


BOROUGH.
Mayor Gaynor in his letter 10 Mr.
Towne. of the Merchants Association.
did not reduce the opposition TO the In
terborouch company 70 complete alb
surdity when he wrote:
Some again are so prejudiced against
the present subway company on account
OF the crowded condition Of their cars
that they scorn any proposition Of that
cOnpauv for the building OF additional
subways TO relieve the congestion. This
sounds odd. but It is wofully true.
The Mayors own words concerning
the Interborough company recur to
mind:
And the most incredible thing IN all
this business 1.-THE exploitation Of the
nublic by the traction companiesl is
that the subway road, wholly built with
the cftv's money. is in this combination,
and its vast earnings are being declared
ont in dividends on capital which repre-
sents nothing but a means Of perpetua4ly
extorting money from the pockets OF
the many
And again Mr.. Gaynor said: our
railroads in Manhattan and The Bronx
"helieve that the people are nothing but
-sheasts. who care only 10 eat and sleep
while others rob and plunder them.
The people remember perfectly well
fb, attitude of the InterborouGh Rapid
Transit Company throughout the enjoy
raent of its present monopoly, and are
not ready 10 believe that # II Is
strengthened in is grip upon the trac-
ton situation il viii behave any differ
ertlv in the future When the devil
was sick the devil a monk would be
When the InrerborouCh faces the dan
ger Of competition il is full Of fair words
and favorable offers. But let the Inter
borough have its extensions constructed
with city money, SO that the city viii
have no funds available 10 foster com
petition. and viii not the history Of the
next few years he 4 mere repetition oE
those which moved the Mayor. when a
candidate for office, TO express his in
FIrnation against the TntPrborough in
burning wOrdsE
Not merely has the Interborough. en-
loving an immensely profitable contract
with the city-one which the Mayor has
said must never he repeated failed
10 supply the extensions that the city ;
growing traffic made necessary. but II
has carried its obstructive policy down
/ TO details resisting every plan that
would have relieved the present over
crowdinc. \ year ago the managers Of
/ the comnanv said that with side doors
on every car and with station platforms
heightened the suhway's carrying ca
nh
cent Fifty per cent additional ca
racitv would have meant at that time.
and would now mean. comparative
comfort during rush hours. Yet the
/ only reason why there were not last
wear and are not now both side doors
and longer platforms was the INTERIOR
ough Rapid Transit Company long con
liuued opposition 10 these measures Of
relief. When ten-car trains We're sug-
gested II declared them an operating
mOnStrositv.' and side doors il pro
uounced impossible on account Of curved
station platforms. until il became az
0araur that only in this way could more
room for strap hangers he supplied. Its
acquieScence was 50 timed that when
the additional - per cent of capacity
i ready the traffic also viii he 10 per
cent greater and the Jam viii he as bad
as ever.
The public is not. as the Mayor says,
so preiudiced against the Interior
ougb because Of the existing congestion
as ia ''scorn any proposition of that
COMPANY for the building Of additional
"suhvsvs 70 relieve the congestion. Il
merely fears 70 he q party 10 any move
OF the part Of the In1eTb0rouCh to block
competition and 10 peTpetuate lis pres
ent monopoly.