New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-18
1rT MANHATTAN GO AHEAD.
,opr OF THE RAPID TRANSIT CON-
TRACT COMMITTEE.

TRACT COMMITTEE.
WHOLE SITUATION cANvAssED AND THE
oo,ccss1oNgRs DECIDE TO ASK THE El.E-
v.rr, PEOPLE TO MAKE EARLY AP-
PILcATIoN FOR EXTENSIONS
THE BOND QUESTION.
-.. rerort Of the Contract Committee Of the
= transit Commissioners presented
..,erday afternoon to the Board at special
',,rc called for that purpose at No. 2o6
sVav The committee was appointed In
,,.o.nbor primarily for the purpose Of ascer-
,,c uhether IL was practicable to obtain a
.. for S15OoOOOO as stipulated by the Ap-
..uo.e Division Of the Supreme Court ana IL
t,s,,d n,practicable what security could be oo-
,od from bidders But when the complication
$50 IN the rapid transit question by the WIN
s.oval OF the Metropolitan Street Railway COM
o,v the committee with the consent OF 'he
poord proceeded TO consider the situation ana
,s embodied in its report various recoHmehua-
.,o,s 10 the Board as to the course IL shouio
,ursue at this juncture.
Conprehensively the committee suggests 'ha'
90 the Manhattan Railway Company's an
rourcement that it intends TO make extensions
., IT'S existing routes, and to substitute elec-
.-,otv for steam. has operated TO deter blddefs
- undertaking the construction of the tun-
-, scbe,ne. the onus Of providing adequate
,,assures for rapid transit should now rest with
,,a elevated company. These recoinmehua'1oii9
e,e sdopted by the Board, and consequently
-, commissioners will make no further move IN
~, nerfection Of its plans until II Is seen 10 "ha'
sxtent the railroad company proposes TO soIVe Tic
,robleu Ii is clear however. from the Woiuhs
- the report that the sincerity OF the Mammalian
oor,nany. in It's asserted wish to extend anu
,rnroye It's system, IS doubted. but 1t Is equaiy
.,,dent that the Board does not intend TO SUD-
r,;t 10 any Of the unsatisfactory and diiy-daily-
,ng methods which have hitherto marked inc
cor,nanys dealings with the Commission Inc
Roard is resolved upon obtaining assurances oi
prompt action on the part OF the MAMMA IAN
directors. If there IS really any foundauoh ioi
the promises they have made public recently 10
develop their facilities and TO study the con-
yenience Of the public.
A VIRTUAL PROHIBITION.
q, tho ouest,on Of the S15,OO0,OoO bond, the
committee as a result Of its Investigations mas
,bat for the Court to insist upon such an obli-
cation is practically to prohibit the whoie
scheme Therefore the Board resolved yester-
Us decision. bat If the application is denied
,ber tho Iudges will be asked TO postpone the
o,-,. ~ the order until the determination of the
ELEVATED railroad shall be known and the situa-
,,o, as to security better apprehended- The
committee. moreover. frankly suggests that 1t
should be brought to the knowledge Of the Court
that the statute leaves the fixing Of the amount
Of the bond as matter Of business dlscrelloH
TO the Board and to ii alone.
The Commissioners present yesterday were
Alexander T. Orr, president; Charles Stewart
Smith George L. Riyes, Woodbury. Langdon ana
John Clahin together with Lewis l.. Delafieid.
secretary; Edward NJ. Shepard and Albert b.
Boardman counsel. and William b. Parsons.
chief engineer Mayor Van Wyck was not pres
ent. He was teephoned for, but he replied that
he busy with meeting OF the Board OF
Estimate and Apportionment. The committees
report contains about ffty-hve hundred Woros'
and carefully and exhaustively deals with the
different phases Of the rapid transit SITUATION
The committee which consists of Messrs orr
Rives and Smith. after referring to It's numerous
conferences with representatives OF corporations
qualified TO bid for the building OF the Toad'
proceeds TO point out that It's report was de-
laved bv the announcement Of the Metropolitan
company that it had taken UP the matter OF
the proposed contract for construction and
operation with a definite expectation that, when
the Board should advertise for proposals. their
company would submit an offer TO enter into
the contract; but they desired further time Tor
examination before expressing their views on
the question OF security. Your committee felt
bound to give the Metropolitan company the
same opportunity which 1t had given other pro-
posing bidders with whom the committee had
conferred Yesterday the president Of the
Board who is chairman Of this committee, re-
ceived from the president OF the Metropolitan
company the letter which Will be read to the
Board when this report is presented. The letter
removes the Metropolitan company from com
petition for the contract until 1t shall be deter
mined to what extent II any, the rapid transit
problem is 10 be solved by the action OF the
Manhattan Railway Company. So long as such
solution by the elevated railroad company, or
the terms Of such solution, remain in doubt It
IS the opinion of your committee that not only
the Metropolitan company. but all other re-
sponsible bidders, will decline TO make proposals
for the contract to construct and operate the
rapid transit road which has been approved by
your Board and by all the local authorities and
condtionally approved by the Court. If. there
fore. the Appellate Division shall enter an order
approving the routes and plan Of construction
now proposed this committee assumes that the
Board VIII not, and respectfully recommends
that the Board shall not. advertise for bids until
the Board shall know the extent 10 which the
elevated railway company proposes to meet
what the Appellate Division well calls the I'M
perious necessity Of improved means OF rapid
transit"
40 COERCIVE POWER
In viov, nj tho rsneat ted obstr,,ctive tactics Of
TIE Manhattan company the Board apparently
regrets that IT has not the power TO compel the
company 20 make good It's promised extensions
and improvements. The report points out that
the counsel to the Board have deeply studied
tho matter but find that the statute gives the