International studio (41.1910)

The Pennsylvania Railroad Station

THE NEW PENNSYLVANIA STA- been doing. Hence a railroad can, with a reason-
TION IN NEW YORK able expectation of getting its money back, and

BY MONTGOMERY SCHUYLER more, erect in the most massive and costly fashion
a building like this, covering nearly half as much
There could not be a more impres- ground again as is occupied by St. Peter's at Rome
sive demonstration of the power which the great and at a cost running to many millions, when such
corporations of transportation have attained in this an expenditure would, on the part of the public,
country than the simultaneous operations of two of be mere and prodigal extravagance,
them in the city of New

York for the improvement ^, ^^—^^mm
of their "terminal facili- oL ;ijij^^L/^^

ties." Either of these pro-
jects is of a larger scope EMMw
than any municipal under- '''^^Bftr^P^tflKK^nK' ' M

taking progress SSv^^^jBal^f^nll

rently with them. In >J0 L^fl^^K^^Tra jMMjM^^^

important respect, indeed, Bff^S^J 2?^BI^^O^BSi3il^^BH0^v^'^^

as the Pennsylvania station ''^^B^By*^^^^^^W«&3 HH

bears witness, the private 1^^^^^^^dKw^^fi^H l^^BSHrtlE

corporation has an immense HbLL^?^! T^^ma'^^BSw^nL^^^mml'*^^^^^

advantage over the munici-
pal corporation. The Penn-
sylvania, when it enters
upon a project of reclaim-
ing and giving value to a
quarter which has sunk
into neglect and decay, can
get the benefit of its enter-
prise. The municipality
cannot. For the munici-
pality is restrained by law
from taking any more land
than it strictly needs for
the municipal purpose im-
mediately in view. It can-
not recoup itself for the

cost of a great civic im- HAIi'^H . • ■).i''4HlllMBE§iS8Mffli

provement by acquiring MZJtmljffi-;-:-'-HB— t^BfrJy'jg^ft^

adjoining land cheap and H&^^S^ {fflllSfl bBiBBbMIbwBmIBiL^J
selling it dear when the ■Sir~8h»f ™ wSPBBBHIMP^SfcB
municipal operations have tB MUKw UIH^Hm ^fliBl
enhanced its value. Yet IE» Esjjli^

it is to this enhancement

that the promoters of great JL|fc'l|| fy"*»ft^iHBJ|
and costly public improve- jft.-■Bfl'saLV^'i^sSn-
ments must look, not only SSj fSt^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Sm

for profit, km even lor ....— IKM ..^^^■■■iffp*ll*:

reimbursement. Until the
law is changed the public

cannot engage in a "real -fKaB)»B^^B

estate speculation," never
so promising, as a provi-

dent private corporation - ._i

can do, and has in this case concourse Pennsylvania railroad station

lxxxix