The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-24
FERRY LEASES.


IMPoRrAXrMEETINo OF THE SINKING FUND COM.
MIssIoN-coMPTRoLLER KELLY's REPoRr--
HOW THE CITY IS DEFRAUDED OUT or HUM
DREDs or THOUSANDS or DOLLARS.
The statutes and ordinances governing ferry leases In
this city have BEEN together With other features oil
peculiar local government productive OF considerable
troubls 10 the authorities. So complicated have they
become that nearly all the ferry companies laugh At
any attempt hitherto made compel them to pay lot
valuable privileges accorded through their franchises
The payment Of hundreds OF thousands Of dollars 10
thus evaded These large sums might 60 toward re-
nevng our already overburdenet taxpayers. but tho
grecdness OF corporations has up to tho present
time invented .oophccs by which they have escaped
legitimate taxation In this respect
meeting OF Commissioners OF the Sinking Fund
was held In tho Mayors once yesterday. Mayor Ely,
Comptroller Kelly, Recorder Hackett. Chamberlain
Tappsn aud Alderman keenan, present Tho
Comptroller sent in lengthy report relative 70 ferry
leases. Tho following the principal points AZ "
each ferry and its relations with the city.
THE conPrKoLLER's STATEMENT.
.rse sy ss's en- .ans 'sssS e The
1857 annual rent. $1,000 ~
North River the city has never established ferries to run
The ferry from Liberty street to cumnuupaw has bssa
running twelve but the city has never received any
Cortandt ferry Jersey cv leased for nve
esp... .nSjsei to srsns Of s7sio q
Docks lease mas been eseeused because the terry
refuses to except upon the gros receipts on
barclay Hoboken; refuse TO
cute the lease tor the same reason AS above .,
RAILWAY Company lessee 70 term ar one year from Aay
s, two ana bal. ss cent Ss the f ss
Docks lease never ,ssn executed but the rent has
Terry Jer.ey CITY. Associate Jersey
lessee term one year from November is,: q
rent Of sso 70 the Department Docks;
fsosp TN the Ss TO pay except
trai Railroad proprsors franchise given b.
the city although the COMPANY pss s3 ,pp per Aar Ss
owned nth city ssIl ny the city against The company
defendant to comply with the requirement Of the law rogu
Christopher ferry Hoboken lease years from
& a. sa sns ss On never
Twenty third street ferry TO raycnia avenue nys YEAR,
ren dssa BY tho foss
street s, @ %, .sr.s q @
anuum rent received since August is7o lease never
sSo fsr nj .s Of Of S"sn 5 year: az.
sss 'ps@ s
fled BY the company Tor filling In city property on shc
rent, The Corporation has given opinion
thai Of ss 40
Greetings were instituted ON April 1875, TO set Il aside
Roosevelt street James. slip aud Grand nrres
Terry Grand street Brookiyn; Houston
Associates two and onehalf cent the
hive years from April 80 1874 lease has been exc
and rent has been paid the Corporation Counsel
Tenth ferry GreenpoIut l. ies.ccs Shepherd
and onehaf cent ON the gross esses' decline
OF such receipts for both es Of the rver rent
Twenty third ferry to Greenpont same essees ms
Lease n" oa ps
tor reasons same AS above.
e
ss: P.'S IRON
Sss @ s PER Lease not e1seu''a
The Comp,roller's report was received and ordered
| to be printed. t
/ II rs estimated at the Comptroer's once that tho
total amount duo the city from ferry companies -
about $780, COO. but IL will probably be much larger
sum. This includes tho s5l5,o00 asked from the
Union Ferry Company. i~.4. =.
| LEGAL nEMEDIEs
Corporation COUNSEL Whitney transmitted com.
munlcaIiOn the Comptroller IN answer 10 inquiries
as 10 whether any change made In the mode or
granting terry franchises 80 to simplify the matter
and whether any further Legislation is necessary tor
the purpose. Mr.. Whitney says thai the present
system Of dispos,ns Of terry franchises ~ Absurd
| Of most OF these cases. one Of tue franchise
and the other tho dock property, neither one ., Of
present arrangement OF the law they are sold sepa-
ralely-tho franchise by tho Conmissoners OF the
SINKING Fund.- the dock property by the Dock Depart.
men,, and in case at auction to the highest
bidder The u OF this Is that whichever rs put up
first the dock property or the franchise, bidding ~
necessarily discouraged by the TACT that what IL being
sold useless without the purchaser 70 able TO acquire
that which has yet be sold, and whichever Is sold
last Of course there but bidder fornatncly,
person who has bid or what was sold first, except
black maers and strikers. who nm opportunity TO
harass the person OF tho othor property In
other words there Is nj time any lair competitive
bidding among real parties for which constitutes
fcrry-the franchise and the property necessary Tor
| It's enjoyment In my opinion the law should Do 30
changed that these things should be soid a. one
| eI.n outo ttfa tha
ol the city government
|
The CORPORATION Counsel next says:-"The method
which the Commissioners OF tho sinking Fund have
adopted Tor selling the franchises, fixing premium
prce nj TWO and half per cent on gross receipts,
also liable TO very considerable abuse in practice
When a franchise Is sold without dock property, IN my
| opinion, the minimum price should be specified ~
money The d,ficuity in reference 10 the two and
| hall Ier cent this:-li one OF tho conditions o
sS'se shall run Jerry specifying the frequent,
trips character Of boats &c, there can be but ont
bidder--namcy. the person who owns or has lease
the dock propcrtybccausc he rs the only person who
can a iorry Ia connection With the franchise j
you do specify that the purchaser Of the franchise
at the sale shall a ferry then two and onehai pei
cent on gross receipts notning unless the purchaser
chooses TO the Terry. Whereas, ii the minimum
price lxed AT certain sum oi money, aud the bid
ding was IN money payable whether n Terry was run
or not. the purchaser, under those terms, would o
and the city would least Obtain some income thcrc
from" .4+ E.
A CASH IN PoiSr.
In proof OF these arguments Mr. whitney calls A.
tcntion the OF hc Staten Island Jerry franchise
in January last Az that sale Mr.. John ii. Starin bic
fifty per OF the gross receipts Tor the franchise
but another party held the dock properly necessary
TO tho enJoymcnts Of the franchise ana running 0
the Terry, and though Mr.. Stafrin was the hghes
bidder for franchise was difficult 10 sce In which
way could be compelled to run terry under u, aae
thc city has far received no income from that fran
cnise as the result OF that sale.
LEGISLATIVE AID.
Aftcr debate IN advocacy Of tho point sug
gested by Mr. whitney, resolution was adopted n
The esiion OF the Comptroller, directing The Cor
porat,on Counsel 10 draft law Tor legislative
authorizing the Commissioners OF the Sinking Fund 4
transfer to the Dock Department the power 10 dspos
OF leases ferry franchises at public auction In con
necton with the docks and premises belonging TO ID
! city now used tor ferry purposes
STATEN ISLAND PERRY.
Colonel Wngatc made an argument before the com
mission In favor OF the application OF the New Yor
and Staten island Ferry Company for award OF IN