them, perhaps, a quarter of an hour longer to get down to the ferries, and as far as the Long Island Railroad is concerned, I think they will make money by it.

Mr. Linton-Have you ever found people who preferred to go rapidly to going slowly?

Mr. Wray-Yes, I have. I go myself sometimes faster than I ought to.

Mr. Linton-But you speak of fifteen minutes longer; do you regard that as a trifle? There are those who would regard it seriously.

Mr. Wray—I don't know that they would.

Mr. Linton-But a workingman would regard it very much to add a half an hour to his day's work.

Mr. Wray-You see they have to get off the car at Flatbush avenue if they are going to the Bridge.

Mr. Linton-Not necessarily.

Mr. Wray-I am merely arguing the advantage it would be to the City of Brooklyn to have the road stop at the City Line instead of carrying it to Flatbush avenue.

Mr. Kelley-How would you get the freight down?

Mr. Wray-Don't you carry it to Long Island City?

Mr. Kelley-A good deal of it comes down to this part of the city.

Mr. Wray-Well, those things would have to be taken into consideration.

David J. Malloy, 103 Arlington avenue:

Gentlemen of the Commission, in this matter of the Atlantic Avenue Railroad, I think you have one of the most important subjects affecting the whole City of Brooklyn.

I have known of this road and its effects on the city since the road was taken off in 1859. Up to that time Atlantic avenue from South Ferry to Court street was as important a business street as Fulton street; it had some of our leading merchants on it, both in dry goods and other businesses, and our leading wholesale merchants were at the foot of Atlantic avenue. Journeay & Burnham, at that time, were there, and, up to 1862, were the leading dry goods house in Brooklyn.

One of the reasons for this was that they had the business of Long Island. It was brought to the end of Atlantic avenue.

Some people thought it would be a grand good thing to change the terminal of the Long Island Railroad, not stopping to look at the interests of Brooklyn, but simply looking at selfish interests. The Legislature passed a bill removing steam from Atlantic avenue.

Mr. Richardson did one of the best things ever done for the City of Brooklyn when he restored the connection to Flatbush avenue with Long Island, and the only mistake that was made at that time was that this improvement was not carried to South Ferry. And I would say that, at the time the road was removed from Atlantic avenue, in 1859 or 1860, Brooklyn had a population of only 265,000 people; and at that time, from 1859 for some ten years afterward, it was the case that all the cities around New York subscribed money to raise bonds to enable the railroad companies to build railroads. But here was the City of Brooklyn, a city which has now reached a population of over a million people, afraid of having a connection by a steam railroad. There is not another case in the United States where they have driven out a connection with outlying country; they encourage them.

The Chairman--Let me call your attention to the Fourth avenue improvement in New York.

Mr. Malloy--That was done, and simply removed to Fortysecond street, and that was a mistake. They are attempting now to restore rapid transit in New York. And if you take Atlantic avenue to-day, it is one of the best adapted streets in the City of Brooklyn.

The Chairman-There is no proposition to put steam in the streets of New York.

Mr. Malloy They will do it if they depress the road. You have had more done to help your section of the city by the Nassau Company than by anything else. Mr. Flynn has done more for your section than has been done for your section for years. You have had here a corporation-the Brooklyn City Railroad-until the Nassau Company forced them to give this system of transfers, had done nothing they hadn't been compelled to do.

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Atlantic avenue has always been on the surface of East New York, and what do you find there?

You find that lots on Atlantic avenue in the Twenty-sixth Ward bring a higher price than they do anywhere on Atlantic avenue, and it does not seem to make any difference whether it is on the north side or the south side, as it does on almost any other street. The south side has gone on and built up, but I look upon it that the reason the south side of Atlantic avenue has not been built up in other parts is that until now the streets were not cut through. Another thing that is going to help your section there is that a boulevard has been laid out, starting at Prospect Park and stopping at the City Line.

If a stranger comes here and wants to go to Jamaica or any part east of East New York he will be almost compelled to have a guide to find a street at the present time.

The remedy lies with the people, and this, I think, is the most important Commission that has been appointed in a great many years, and I think that getting a connection between Brooklyn and Long Island is next in importance to the Brooklyn Bridge. We want the business of Long Island.

You see what a city has grown up at Hunter's Point, and it has been done simply and solely by putting that railroad over to Hunter's Point.

The Chairman--What do you think ought to be done on Atlantic avenue?

Mr. Malloy I think if this remains a surface road the company ought to ballast the road with broken stone and pave the streets right up to the track and keep the street in proper shape.

It would be better to depress the road or elevate it, but it ought to be carried back to South Ferry.

The Chairman-Do you think that would benefit the business of Brooklyn by taking the trains from South Ferry?

Mr. Malloy I haven't any doubt of it. I crossed over South Ferry from New York one day last week, to see the condition of Atlantic avenue from South Ferry to Court street, which from 1859 to about 1870 was quite a business street, and had some fine. business houses. To-day, from South Ferry to Court street there. is not a business of any size to be found.

The Chairman-You are acquainted with the vicinity of the Bedford station?

Mr. Malloy-I am; yes, sir.

The Chairman-The Long Island Railroad maintains a station there at which every train, whether through trains or rapid transit, stop. Do you know whether that has improved the business at that station?

Mr. Malloy I think it has; yes, sir-more north of the avenue than south of it.

The Chairman-But it is a fact that right in the vicinity of that station, where you would naturally expect a railroad would make an improvement, you would expect to see some activity there.

Mr. Malloy-Yes, but just at that point there is no reason for it, particularly because it would be purely a local station. The Chairman-Is it not a fact that stores are vacant right in the immediate vicinity of that station?

Mr. Malloy-Yes.

The Chairman-Do you know anything about the values of property in this immediate vicinity?

Mr. Malloy-Not on Atlantic avenue; I haven't posted myself on that.

The Chairman-I have understood you to say that either an elevated or depressed road would be an improvement over the present condition.

Mr. Malloy-Yes, I think so.

The Chairman-In the event of its being impracticable to do either, what do you think ought to be done?

Mr. Malloy I think the railroad ought to be ballasted with broken stone, and the street paved right up to the railroad track all the way from Bedford avenue, the latter at the expense of the city, as, at the time the avenue was improved by the Commission, the property owners paid for it, it being called Atlantic Avenue. Boulevard.

Mr. Linton--Do you think it would be well for the railroad company to bring their track to the grade of Atlantic avenue? Mr. Malloy-By all means they should.

The Chairman-It is a fact that on a large portion of the line