New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-23
ORR'S REPLY TO WHALEN.
Continued from first page.

authorities Of the progress and conouU Ctr any
work. The Board cannot legai! VI rork dele
due regard 10 It's own control OF the VIZ anv
rate to any engineer except It's own rhara
function Of authoritative superVlsion' si,ided
can. in a work Of this character ,s Te OF failure
RESPONSIBILITY without serious rlsk VI e. the
II must not be forgotten that TINS Doau .hjs
sole authority to which the law coriinno o of Of
work and that the Mayor ana par do"''0
the city are members Of the Boaru 49,. ann
Fyfth-You suggest a provision that tne ~
struction Of the road shall begin at 'he , uppd
rather than at the lower. enc t ., nIon Of the
road and In the execution OF the plan. AZ -
struction were 10 begin at the compaias the
uninhabted parts OF the cry ~. -, the road
Harlem River the nen paying parts OF tne tbe
would be first constructed. Upon thelh the
contractor might have to pay rental pel ' ~
principal and downtown section sn nu, doubtful
structed and Il is. to say the Ieast ~. ,oke
whether any contractor could be founu 10 tan
the risk Of constructing such part vi INV ,ha
until assured beyond doubt OF the use Vi d.,
highly having section at the lower emu 80
hsyond This There are serious objections to the
commencement OF construction WIN the ms M,
northern section. The fnhaoitants VI 'nao
~ The city would get but little convehlehCe
from such an arrangement. In order 10 reaCn
the lower part Of the city they woula sun, ma
10 change cars and bear additional eNp t"v.
The difficulties and cost OF constructor ,S,,,
FIftv-ninth-st are increasing far more rapIul!
than they are in the northern part OF the cts.
In particular the tunnel under Elfn-sl' may H.
ha hu chedply than II tie WIN
DELAYED until the paving of that street IL III.
ished Economy demands, therefore. that con
struction begin at the Brooklyn brlose. Ae@r'l,
II construction were to begin al the hoi lie
az the island but small fraction OF the peopIe
Of the CITY would be helped until AFTER lts COM
pletion The people OF the Borough OF broohiy Il
and OF a large part Of Manhattan wCuld Iol DC
helped at all. In the view or the boaru' wy
railroad should be started as. from the very
beginning TO carry passengers 10 ana iiolii
BROOKLYN and 10 and from the lower part OF tne
Borough Of Manhattan The lmPop,anTII1 % md nd
rapid transit road TO the people or BROOKLYN anu
Queens is shown by their actual use OF the
existing elevated roads. The NUMBER OF pa
sengers carried annually to ana IRON noo6 IN
boroughs is probably not less than 5o"oV"'
sixth-You propose that the southern terminus
OF the road shall be changed from the CITY nan
TO South Ferry. That cannot now De oone
without the adoption Of new general pan anu
without therefore most serious delay IN the
beginning Of construction. Any change IN the
routes or general plan Involves, as nave 49,, a.
ready pointed out a completely new proceeding
nv the Rapid Transit Board a new apphcatlon
70 the municipal authorities, to the properly
owners and TO the Appellate DIVISION Inc
Rand Transit Board did propose a separate
route and general plan for a railroad from the
Brooklyn Bridge TO South Ferry mat pan
was rejected by the Park Board: and even II IT
had been approved by all the municipal autnor-
tiles il remained doubtful whether the Appellate
Division. in view of its expressions ABOUT ths
expense Of construction. would have approved
the plan until after the completion OF the main
road from the Brooklyn Bridge north. The
Rapid Transit Board is ready. as soon az llle
road now designed shall be actually started 10
propose a railroad from a junction Win IL at
the BROOKLYN Bridge to South Ferry. Inc eH-
listing plans so drawn as to make easy ana
convenient such inevitable extension or the
road - o,-r
seventh-Your suggestion that the specif1-
cations should be carefully examined, that any
obscuritv which may be found therein may be
made clear TO prevent any dispute or mlsunder-
standing during the progress OF the work, mas
already been carried out by the Boaro mes eIe
sneci6cations after their preparation by the
engineer OF the Board, were subjected 10 most
careful professional scrutiny at the HANDS OF
Nessrs George S. Morrison. past PRESIDENT OF
the American Society Of Civil Engineers anu
Howard A. Carson chief engineer OF the Boston
subway Notwithstanding all OF this care the
Board would welcome any speclhc Suggestion
of obscurity But until there shall be such
sneciNc suggestion the Board believes that the
specifications are amply clear to prevent ols-
pute or MISUNDERSTANDING
You suggest a reference in the contract 70 the
1abor law Chapter 567 OF the Laws Of 1899.
We shall insert the provisions required by that
act which when the contract was drawn ana
subrnitted 10 YOU in April. 1898 lad not been
passed. .,v,..,. %
The Board will at once prepare and submit 70
Won the proposed form Of contract with the
Changes already indicated as having the ap-
proval OF the Board and with such other
changes as the Board deems desirable; ana the
Board sincerely trusts that you Will then 1eei
able TO give the contract the approval as 10
NAV he advertised during the month Of Octo-
Der 20 you have suggested Very respectfuIy
yours. A. T. JIM -
President OF the Board Of Rapid Transit Rail
road Commissioners Of the City Of New Y orK
A c "