New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-19
WHALEN GAINS HIS POINT.
RAID TRANSIT BILL AMENDED TO
SUIT TAMMANY.
NO CHANGE MADE IN THE CLAUSE PER-
HITTING THE GRANTING OF
PERPETUAL FRANCHISE.

| HITTING THE GRANTING OF
PERPETUAL FRANCHISE
! fpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
| Albany. April 1S.-Some progress was mace
with the New-York Rapid Transit bill to-day
and also some interesting disclosures as 10 'he
attitude of the Tammany Hall officials toward
! IT, Tammany has been thought to he opposed
TO any measure which should grant an under
ground franchise of unlimited duration to any
corporation Yet Corporation Counsel Whalen'
| according to Governor Roosevelt. advocated De-
, fore him to-day the granting of an unlimited
| franchise to the Metropolitan Street Railway
| Company Possibly Mr.. Whalen may have been
| brought over 10 this view by the Rapid Transit
! Commissioners accepting an amendment decar-
, ing that before any contract should he entered
/ into with any corporation for the construction
| Of an underground road, the consent OF the
| Corporation Counsel must be obtained
| Tammany He'll thus gains grip on the enter
rrise and II was predicted tonight that all the
| Democratic Senators would vote for the bill.
| 1t was also declared that sufficient Republican
vote had already been obtained, acting with the
/ Democratic Senators. to pass the bill. 1t may
| be that It is TO pass by large majority. but
| no one can make any safe predictions In Albany
this year about the action Of the Legislature
| on bills in which wealthy corporations may be
| interested.
| CONFERENCE WITH THE GOVERNOR.
| Three members of the Rapid Transit Commits
! sion George L. Rives. Charles Stewart Smith
| and Alexander Z. Orr. arrived In Albany at
| II 80 o'clock this morning. accompanied by AL
| bert b. Boardman. of the counsel for the Com
mission. The Senate adjourned, and Sena-
tors Ellsworth and Stranahan went 10 the Ex-
! ecutive Chamber to be present at the confer
! ence. They were joined by Corporation Counsel
| Whaen. The conference lasted over 'hree
| hours.
! Most of those present Governor Roosevelt be-
| ing excepted held to the opinion that the Rapid
| Transit Commission should have liberty TO grant
| a perpetual franchise if necessary in order to
| secure the building of a rapid transit road
| Mr. Boardman defended the bill from the at
| tacks recently made on it by Senator Ford, to
| the effect that it was so drawn that there could
| be only one bidder the Metropolitan Street Rail-
! way Company. His argument was that the
! kind Of corporation to which the franchise
| should be granted had to be described in the
| terms used.
Those attending the conference suggested only
| one amendment to the bill They left In the
| section granting a perpetual franchise the
| only amendment proposed was the foilowihg'
! which was afterward adopted by the Senate at
| its afternoon session
Before any contract shall be executed en-
! tered into. or take effect under the provisions
OF this act or under the provisions OF any act OF
| acts by this act amended, such contracts snali
! first be approved in writing by the Corporation
| Counsel of the city of New-York.
| STATEMENT BY ROOSEVELT
The Governor late this afternoon said:
| There was a great diversity of opinion ex-
pressed at the conference on the Rapid Transit
act | unable TO come to the view that
perpetual franchise is desirable. Those present
at the conference asked if | would veto the bill
| If it should contain authority to the Rapid
| Transit Commission to grant a perpetual iran
| chse l replied that l would decide that ques-
ton after the bill should have gone to Mayor
! Van Wyck and been returned TO me.
| II said perpetual franchise of this nature in
| fifty years might be a source Of boundless
wealth They insisted that fifty-year fran
| chise was nonsense; that no one would dream OF
| bidding for a franchise of that length. they all
were agreed that 1t was much more desirable
| for the city TO construct the underground road
than that franchise in perpetuity should be
granted, and finally the points of difference
| were these: They thought any delay in secur-
ing rapd transit would be worse than a per-
| petual franchise and | was inclined TO think
that the evil of a perpetual franchise would be
worse than the delay. All OF us admit that de-
| lay is evil and that perpetual franchise is
| evil.
They said the city authorities did not want
| TO construct the road ] said | would not be
scared by any home-rule DOGGY II the Legislat-
ure should impose this Rapid Transit Com
| mission or some other the duty of building the
| underground road, and incorporate in the act
| provision that the city must raise the money FOR
! the purpose.
Corporation Counsel Whalen added the Gov
| ernor advocated the Rapid Transit act in It's
! present form. with the perpetual franchise In
| cluded He distinctly said he favored a per
! petual franchise for this proposed underground
| road
The Senate took up the Rapid Transit bill late
| this afternoon, but did nothing with II, beyond
/ adding to It the amendment given above. con-
| ferrng the Corporation Counsel the power TO
veto any contract entered into by the Rapid
! Transit Commission. The bill now goes to the
printer again, but the Governor can expedite its
| passage, and doubtless will, by sending in an
! emergency message.