New-York tribune., 1899-04-26
AMENDMENTS MEAN LITTLE.
WOULD LEAVE COMMISSIONERS ABOUT
IN THEIR PRESENT STATUS.
THEY BELIEVE THE PEOPLE WILL AO-
THORPE SEPARATION OF CITY AND
COUNTY DEBTS AND THEN MU-
NIcIPAL CONSTRUCTION
WILL BE POSSIBLE

o,ts;as ~ the Rapid Transit Commissioners
themselves who would prefer TO nave then ms us
oretionary powers uhtrammelled. the amehoIae".o
which were considered yesterday IN the senate
sroused hut little interest in this city For one
,h,ns the additional legislation is making tanse
., The ran,d transit situation and is confusing peo
n,a as 10 lust what the present status OF 'ne'
underground railroad scheme really IS
Comprehensvely. however, shouid tne aine"u
amendments be adopted. it will leave the Commis-
- a. obopt .be same position they were al
ars,-that is restricted to municipal construction
The alterations proposed by the Board were tn"'
thew should be allowed. II building by the ci's
was found impracticable. TO award the iia'i0l"ae
IN a private corporation, and askeo TOT leaFe - "
grant this franchise IN perpetuty because OF tnei'
@, -, 10 r-ivate capitalists would risk from
sao ooo oo TO SO0oocco upon the limited ownership
neriod The Metropolitan Street Railway COMPANY
offered to carry out the work IL a peIpetuu on,
chisa were granted to II. but the puohc cII'.0ls" ~
which their exactng terms evoked LED MI. " "in' ~
sna his associates to withdraw their oner ~.
- or,,ic,sn, Of the perpetual-franchse proposal
a.. ,,naere,ood 10 have induced the Governor 10 sus
rest the amendments which were INTRODUCED III ''i7
Senate Yesterday limiting the franchse lol @
~ hftv wears AT the end Of that time IL Is p'oNue
that the city may purchase tne roau a. a., ~ =,
lion at that time which obviously VIII De a.
h,gher Asure than the amount it would cost u
huid ,he tunnel now In the minds OF people VIM
ara competent 10 dis ,uss the matter the Pas'"eo
or defeat of the amended measure IS OF snan nv
ment They assert that the proposed lesls'a''o" -
unnecessary and will not aid the progress - '''-
tunnel scheme. =. .ha
ceonle confirm In the fan the separation OF INC
county from the city debt there VIII Dc l''i''e
10 hinder the excavation of the tunnei py .ie "
nicipauty As there is little or no DOUBT 'na' 'ie
popular vote will favor the dividing Oh 'he uep's'
the amendments and counter amendments wiich
I'm Albany
cenaral confusion resemble nothing so much as d
storm in a teacup. II is a question even Il 'lie
amendments were adopted empowering the Coni-
mission 10 employ private capital ana P'o''uiIs
for the reverson of the road to the city at 'ne CIV
OF nfty years whether the requisite numoer u
r,hers ~ that body could be alienated from their
u,sh 70 have the underground railroad built win
the citys money and under the ctys control
Members of the Board who were seen yesterday
would make no comment upon the measure iiio, .
than to say they would do the best they cou'u
under any conditions that might be imposed upon
,her II is tentatively contended by some or the
commissioners however. that they already nave
The mower II they see fit to grant the franchlse IN
perpetuity TO private corporation; that tnelr Hsht
70 do so has been twice affirmed by legislation re-
ceiving popular approval and specifcaly emoooleu
In an act left untouched by the charter Comnenss
ing on this phase yesterday, Lewis H. Dela"eiu
secretary of the Commission SAID: , ,,.aor, of
sntanIi3ing tbe Rspid Transit Board TO make per
grants is perharS uSelul II seeihe ~
that A has largely sprung from ignorance OF ene @
law as II stands for ever since lsvl power nas Dee
vested in the Rapid Transit Board TO grant per-
pefusI franchises TO existing corporations Inc oId
Board had II under the act of 1871 ana the poW,er
conferred by that act was not taken away py
the act Of 1894 which created the present ieod o.
Narrower in 1895 the section of the ect OF le'l
conferring this power upon the old Boaro was
amended thus indicating a specific legislative IN
present amendments should fail of enactment the
Board would still retain Its power 10 make per
petual grants to existing corporations 49,.
s'rhe truth Of the matter is that SO iar as tIe
snerpetuaI grant feature of the pending amend
Ynents is concerned it's operation would merely be
10 enlarge the class OF corporations TO whicn such
grants might be made and TO alter the require
nnsnts ~ he existing law as TO the conditions Of
euch grants The perpetual grant feature now
exists and the proposed amendments simply rec
ognize the existence of that power. OF course
40 NOT mean TO imply that the Rapid Transit Com
ynssioners would deem themselves at liberty. II the
nresent bill failed to make perpetual erant uLoer
the old law. on the contrary, am incIned 70
think that the Commission would regard the defeat
Of the present amendments as indicative OF a leg
islative and popular veto upon the exercise OF any
such power II a Commissioner ] should
40 regard H. Moreover. under the law OF 1880 the
right 10 grant a perpetual franchise ts hedged
about with restrictions of such a character as TO
render the power itself wholly useless so far as
an underground road is concerned. But the power
itself is there and those persons who are de
ciairning against the grant to the Board OF power
10 give perpetual franchises are merely proclaiming
their ignorance Of the law as II now exists ara as
II will continue TO exist. even II the penolng amend
.nenfs are defeated In saying this. express my
own views only, and do not speak In any way Tor
the Board any OF its members