New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-04
IN METROPOLITAN'S POWER.
UNDERGROUND RAPID TRANSIT DE-
PENDs ON THE COMPANY's DECISION
OTHER CAPITALISTS UNWILLING TO ENTER THE
FIELD WITH THE CITY AUTHORITIES op-

FIELD WITH THE CITY AUTHORITIES OPP
POSED TO THE TUNNEL sCHEME-CoM-
MENT ON MAYOR VAN wYcK's VIEWS
II the Metropolitan Street Railway Company
will build the underground road. New York
Will have the rapid transit facilities planned
for it within comparatively short time. II the
Metropolitan Street Railway Company will not
undertake the construction. then any possibll-
ity of accomplishing the project Is likely to be
deferred for some years.
This Is the whole pith OF the situation at the
present moment, The Tribune is enabled to
state upon the authority OF one who is closely
associated with the Board OF Rapid Transit
commissioners. The probable hostility OF the
new Tammany administration to the under
ground scheme was anticipated by the Com
mission. and the members purposely delayed
taking further action In the matter OF applying
10 the Appellate Court for a modification Of the
bond stipulation until Tammany's attitude tow
ara the plans had been manifested. Mayor
van Wyck has made his position tolerably clear.
ana that seems TO be against the only plan by
which rapid transit can be secured. He Insists
that the margin OF the city's debt-incurring
power Is not such as to allow it to proceed with
the underground road, and finally suggests as
solution Of the transit problem that a demand
should be made upon the existing lines TO i'm
prove and extend their systems and that the
elevated railroad companies should be compelled
to substitute electricity for steam. Many people
yesterday interpreted this utterance as meaning
that the Mayor IS bent upon killing the plan
for an underground road. But the Commission
ers have reason to understand that the Mayor
will recede from the stand he has taken If the
Metropolitan Street Railway Company is willing
to construct the road.
NOT AN EASY TASK
The causes Of the new administration's i'm
piled opposition to the plans" said The
Trbune's informant yesterday. rs that Tam
many is in quandary Believe me. Tammany
Hall has hard road 10 travel It has come
into office win the expectation on the part Of
the majority OF the people Of New-York that It
Will perform wondrous things But it will be
able to do very little. for the reason that the
city Will not have margin for dollars fur
ther Indebtedness. Mayor Van Wyck computes
that the greater city Will have a margin of bor-
rowing power Of about S19OO00O0 and this
will be entirely swallowed UP by the cost Of
public improvements already ordered. among
others the acquisition Of land for several parks
and the widening Of Elm-st. The city's remedy
IS the increasing Of the valuations Of the real
estate upon Manhattan Island. and this will
undoubtedly be done when the charters provis-
ions for the equalization Of valuations within
the limits Of the greater city are completed.
This increase in the assessment values would
Immediately do away with the margin OF in
debtedness difficulty with regard to the rapid
transit scheme
NO OTHERS WILL BID.
"But It Ia certain-and speak with positive
knowledge-that the hope Of a speedy beginning
OF the underground road lies in the decision Of
the Metropolitan Railway Company. This COM
pany has the necessary capital for the construc-
tion of the work at its command, and has be-
hind 1t men of sufficient influence to obtain the
consent Of the municipal authorities II they de-
eide to undertake the contract. 1t Is certain
that while the present administration persists
in disfavoring the project no other body Of
capitalists or contractors Will bid for the work.
It is recognized by capitalists and by the Com
mlssioners that ii would be useless to enter upon
the work unless they were in accord with the
administration. The obstacles that could he
placed in their way by the city authorities would
be practically insurmountable
"In sentence, the Metropolitan Street Rail
way Company holds the immediate future of
rapid transit IN the hollow OF It's hand IT
were Let that company resolve that it would
be TO its advantage to build the tunnel and
Tammany will raise no opposition.
The Metropolitan company mas it's engineers
engaged now in studying the plans and in COM
piling the cost of the work IN few days we
snail know the intention Of the directors OF the
company II they conclude that II Is not 10
their advantage to construct the road the out
look will be gloomy for rapid transit Their re-
fusal would mean that the city governmeH'
would continue to oppose the plans
THE COMMISSIONERS WAITING.
"Rut there Is every likelihood that the Metro
ro,ito, comnanv Will resolve TO construct the
road The Rapid Transit Commissioners VIII
take no further steps until they have heard
from, the directors Of the company But what
oyar the result of their deliberations are, the
UNDERGROUND rapid transit system cannot long be
daloved It's necessity Is so urgent that public
oninion will compel 1t before man. years elapse.
Alexander f. Orr the president OF the Board
q, RAND Transit Commissioners. while not WILL
ins, to comment in any detail on that part OF
the Mayors message dealing with the plans OF
tha Commission. said that the discardlng OF the
,ronsnort facilities planned by the Board would
.o,d m curtail the growth Of the city. He point
=, 90, thar the valuation Of accessible properties
NOD alyays showed vast increase in this city
rron the introduction Of improved means OF
,rayel from the time years ago when omnibuses
first came into use In the Nineteenth Ward
nione when the elevated road was competed
~alo.e' ~ had he said been an increase of Sob
noo 0oo in valuation. Mr.. Orr stated that unless
"a ,,id transit became an accomplished iact out.
i,,inT residential districts such as staten islaho
ISl,S Tarsev would be developed at the ex-
nnu nnuse of Manhattan. Il respect the Mayor"
Mr orr continued. "and | desire to do every
;hine Mi can on behalf Of his administration al
.,Iins ,, dfd not vote for him. But TO the
noeitfon he has taken up regarding the Commits
ps,onis mans | think that after ne has had an