New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-04
RAPID TRANSIT PLANS.
ALTERNATIVE PROPOSITIONS MADE
PUBLIC BY MR. ORR
THE ASSUMPTION OF THE DEBT BY THE COUNTY
OF NETWORK OR LEGISLATION TO PER-
NIT THE BUILDING OF THE ROAD
BY PRIVATE CAPITAL.

OF NETWORK OR LEGISLATION TO PER-
NIT THE BUILDING OF THE ROAD
BY PRIVATE CAPITAL.
Alexander E Orr. president OF the Rapid Transit
Commission. made public yesterday his promised
statement on the present status OF the underground
project together with explanation of the alterna
tive plans whereby the Commission may be enabled
10 construct the railroad despite the bar OF the
..ty's debt limit. AS The Tribune exclusively fore
tasted earlier in the week the Commission proposes
to special legislation either to build the road
By private capital or so 10 amend the charter that
the cost OF the tunnel shall rest only upon the
county OF NewYork, comprising the boroughs OF
Manhattan and The Bronx. BY excluding the debts
OF the constituent counties allied to the old city
under the charter. the Commission holds that the
surplus which the county of New-York will be
enabled 10 borrow under its increased debt-incur-
rims capacity will more than suffice TO provide the
necessary funds for the building of the underground
MR.. ORRs STATEMENT
In the opening part of his statement Mr.. Orr sald
At the meeting on Thursday the Rapid Transit
Board took under careful consideration the situa-
IF New-York to borrow saf,lcient sum Of money
20 construct the rapid transit railroad in the man.
the result of the conferences the Commissioners
reached the unanimous conc uson that unless the
legislation it would be impossible now. or for many
years to come. TO proceed with the construction OF
The pecuniary inability of the city Is caused by
come indebted to an amount greater than 10 per
cent Of the valuation OF its realty and by the as,
the debts not only of its constituent cities, but Of
Hnss CUNT S mo owns Gsu an schoo
Of Richmond and Queens counties. inc result -
und t "e eacr assumed or created vastly
in excess of the constitutional 10 per cent. 1t is
rSaity valuation in 1879 will in addition making
good the present deficiency. provide new deoI.ini
.ff ~ nn
amount enIs '$ Ths in Itself G viii Involve an
M assn Of ne as eoaa OF and pT IS
certain that such new debt-incurring capacity VII
pUrpose as great as the SooocoS needed for the
rapid transit railroad The same thing may PROD snS
ably be said for 1900 and probably TOT several anu
Under existing conditions two courses only t APP
r. duty with which It is charged. These are:
, rea Teqges as of cxensySy ' of the county
New-York (boroughs OF Manhattan ana ne blVi ~
and spondingly. making the deDt incurred Ipa
It's construction charge exclusively upon 'he
second-A request for legislation enabling the
rand Transit Board in its discretion and y: Ios
any reason 70 frame and sell 10 private
capitalists a charter for the road.
INDEBTEDNESS OF THE COUNTY
Authority to adopt both of these courses or to
sdopt either one % them In the discretion OF 'he
Board might well ne embraced in a single schen'e
~ LEGISLATION But for the purposes of explanation
,hav NAV be treated as wholly distinct pfoposiuon9'
r,irst-Tbere has undoubtedly been a popular I'm,
preston that there was consu'utioNa' Vor 70
trcur a separate Indebtedness. in addition TO .hhe
;ndebtedness OF the city. But the counsel OF tn Nc
Ioardman have advised the commissioners -,
Ever mat there is no constitutional limitation upon
the power of the county 10 incur Sedi ro,iSed
# empowered 10y appropriate eglsla'l9h PIo, ~, v
Avs that the debt incurred by i, sha NOT OF fX tx
zeal estate II would appear. therefor, ma IL
the wise general Scneme oI 1m i to retain This
enormously valuable franchise for us own uutlmaxe
benefit, by oonstructng 'hy rCho Is aVailabie or
when viii be available for many Years to CONF Is
IT. "TegSlatn-e could repeal the provision of the
Greater New-York charter making the raMd rFa1-
asset az and charge upon. IN" gTeat-
er city and restore the road to the position orig
n Intended for it ana 5d 1pPr CbaT upon The Dor
ouehs Of Manhattan and The Bronx Ihe n9r
sshs Of ana anS nS Hk03 Bounty could
ssue its Bonds provide the cost OF the S9SG ns
E onSiv even II ali the debts Of The former city Of
c%S,ing be Heckoned as county debts. may he as
eumed 70 be sufficient 10 permit me lhGurI.,S u
debt sufficient to build the rapid tTanS1i loaU Evasion
Ii may be said that th. proposal m ,b 6ns,t
ZION permits county whose bounGai9es u P cUo
come those Of city after IGs be- conm,ed
against the 10 per cent li"Il@'9 be COUNTY TO avail
shall include ne county bv The CGnstitition
is not an evasion. The danger no 1ou S,, neT viii
nrobahlv adopt in November next a c9nstltuiliona
aaTendmert prohibiting a county included within q
eefryssc,naiiv prevent new debt mourning by New
York Cognty f9T AL TR County 20 now could not
tharnfore serve as precedent Besides this, II me
scssy aqa 25 the the T neeess5 and i'm
portance OF any other public work Or series o. pun
IL Torxs 10 Tfn and The Bronx is separately
committed or is key to underiake n one is
seriously diminished in weight me rapl9 trai ~
roaG Is Of 'H Which has been ordered by the
of it, people
RoROUGHs THAT ARE NOT AFFECTED
There is reason for relieving the borcushs OF
Prooklvn. Queens and Richmond Of this burden
-ust As there Is reason Why the horonShs ~ NAH
haitian and The Bronx should exclusively own the
co-resnonding asset Municipal construction was
authorized by popular vote of the "orous"S Vi
Manhattan and The Bronx. There has ne'et oosm
~ boronehs Of Brooklyn. queens or Richmond.
Ne believe that Il would never receive SuCh 90 ~
immediate direct benefit from the prolo,S" io@ M
bur il is unique stonaby believed py utH ff,rnli,
erd richmond that they would Tor UNI du
perhaps. long rnc Ne y. M So far as is known
M serious consideration by the Greater Nv o.
CSarter COMMISSION or 10y the Legislature OF the
pole Of making the cost Of great consirHc1PSn
70 which the boroUghs Of Manha,l4n anu tn re
tended to serve their interests, charge upon nc
Incoming boroughs OF Brooklyn fchmo"" anu
III his plan were adopted tho necessary leeisa-
Zion would be single act, 50 ~ -
10 ma Ike the debt for the RAPID transit road
oha,ge mon the county Of NeW-York.
70 maxi road Itself an asset 4d the cU oS
TO provide some details about oficia! proceed
IRE sale of County bonds, etc ,, .,a o..
After describing the advantages when ~ou'u s
20 -, ne cifv by making the RAPID transit iodu
Sar upon the county and so reaping the ben
e. "a ro,,ricpal e.snip Of the franchlses Nr
en-. % nn--co5. "a discuss the second alternative
which will give the Commission ine p Se said
~ - TIC bill 10 give the Rapid transit B9afn
ne newer 70 create and sell iraHc1iss %ou.a or
lreadv in the Rapid Transit law ne new
frT ,ynnd need si-l3y 10 permit the RAPID IrahI'