New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-05
FIGHT BROADWAY CARS
Wealthy WestChester Residents
Oppose Trolley Line.
VILLAGERS WANT THE ROAD
Miss Gould, w. Rockefeller, D.
G.. Reid and J. D. Archbold
Represented at Hearing.
TBy Telegraph 20 The Tribune ]

Albany. May 4-Scores of residents OF
Westchester County. from Yonkers to Tar
rytown. appeared before the Senate In
ternal Affairs Committee to-day to protest
against the Wainwright-Young bill repeal
ing the Burns law, prohibiting trolley cars
in the Albany Post Road. or Broadway
Most of them were property owners along
this picturesque thoroughfare. They argued
that aside from the sentimental considera-
ton the county would lose large sums
through the depreciation OF this valuable
property if a trolley road were built along
Broadway through West Chester.
On the other side appeared represent
atives of several Westches,er villages, who
said the business men of the communities
wanted trolley connection between the viii
lagos. They maintained that the Broadway
property owners were putting selfish con-
sideration ahead of the good of the county
and of the residents who could not main
tain automobiles to serve them when the
New York Centrals schedule wasn't elastic
enough.
This fight against the repeal of the Burns
law was conducted before the committee
through the Broadway Defence Association.
Interested in the fight are many Of the
wealthy residents of the county. Miss
Helen NJ. Gould. William Rockefeller, D. g.
Reid, John D. Archbold, the Ardsley Club
and other large property owners of Irving
ton, Tarrytown and Ardsley were repre-
scented at the hearing.
DR. ]. c. Mckenzie of Dobbs Ferry,
opened the hearing for the opposition, and
introduced the other speakers. Mrs. Ros-
we'll Skeel. jr., of Tarrytown, said that she
would be able to stand an insane asylum
across the way from her home great deal
better than a trolley line running past her
door c. c. Paulding, familiar figure be-
fore legislative committees as a represent
ative of the New York Central Railroad
Company. argued rs a taxpayer against
the trolley road in Broadway.
I'VE ask you to save our homes for us
said he. They would be uninhabitable if
a trolley were built He said that those
appearing in favor of the bill did not repre-
sent twenty-five thousand people. as they
said. but only themselves.
Charles P. Easton, Of Yonkers. presented
a petition signed by owners of property of
great value against the repeal of the Burns
law. He said it would be impossible in any
case to build trolley in North Broadway
because of the topogra phical conformation.
Anv trolley line would be unsafe, he said.
Courtlandt Smith, of Dobbs Ferry, said that
the New York Central, which ran close to
the post road, virtually was a trolley road,
and gave a splendid inter-village service.
In q year it would be electrified and fares
so it would actually be a trolley
road. There would he a great expense TO
the county. he went on, if the suggested
trolley line were built. Broadway property
would depreciate and the county lose thou
sands of dollars in taxes.
William Usher Parsons of Irvington, said
that when he bought his place he was as
sured that there never would be any troll
ley there. Many of his neighbors bought
their places under the same assurance, he
declared. DR.. Joseph Hasbrouck. of Dobhs
Ferry said that the law keeping trolleys off
Broadway was an expression Of public pol
ICY Conditions had not changed in the
least he said. so that this policy should be
changed.
For the bill appeared Frank r. Person
village president of Tarrytown; Charles
Millard. supervisor of Greenburg; r. A
Patterson. of the Public Welfare Associa-
ton of Tarrytown and North Tarrytown;
". [. Morse, of the Town Board of Mount
Pleasant; Hugh Thornton. village counsel
# Dobbs Ferry; c. s. Dawson and many
others They argued that the existing law
vas 1iscrminat ton in favor Of the wealthy
property owners of Broadway. Another
,oint made was that Broadway was given
1ver almost entirely to automobile traffic,
which. they said, was more dangerous and
Objectionable than trolley lines.
Senator Heacock. chairman of the com
nittee. told them all that they should have
settled the question at home by referendum
n each village instead of putting the
blanket proposition up to the Legislature.