New-York tribune., 1900-01-20
SPECIAL MEETING CALLED.
PRESIDENT ORR DECLINES TO TELL
THE REASON FOR 1T.
MR.. ArDoNALD, THE RAPID TRANSIT CON-
TRACTOR. HAS A CONFERENCE
WITH MR.. COLER

WITH MR.. COLER
Following a conference between Controller
Coler and John B. Mcdonald, President Orr late
yesterday afternoon called special meeting Of
the Rapid Transit Commissioners for , p. m.
to-day. He declined to tell Tribune reporter
who called on him at his home in Brooklyn,
last night, what the object of this special meet
| ing was. He would only say that it was to dis
cuss a special subject Being asked If Mr.. Nc
Donald, whose bid for the tunnel contract has
| been accepted had Informed the Board that his
bonds were ready, Mr.. Orr replied that he had
not seen or heard from Mr.. Mcdonald since the
day his bid was accepted. Asked if the special
meeting of the Board would discuss an extension
of the road down Broadway to the Battery, Mr..
Orr repeated his determination to give out no
| information in advance about the meeting.
THE EXTENSION TO THE BATTERY.
On the subject of an extension of the road Mr.
Orr was more communicative. saying:
So soon as we get this contract off our hands we
Pa OegR & 10 6a1n m o of the apnpopraton re-
manning and that Is far more tha1 enough 70 S puio 10
ahead with the plan for a tunnel to Brooklyn
There must be at least one tunnel connecting TINS
borough with friends the river, and IL Is
the business of the Rapid Transit commission son 10 %
any public function at the beginning of this work
The time for reSeng& & Is not bot & at the tn make
arrangements for celebration before the cars
o1posed i TO celebration at the beginning, but
think IT would come with better grace at the emu
Controller Coler was quoted yesterday as
saying
1t may be necessary to have one or two amend b1e
me to pay the money for building the underground
road and intend to bring the mntteT 70 and g NO
doubt it will easily be arranged The charter m1Snt
Sell be enre 20 @ $4,000 Of bonds at once T
would make It very difficult for the contractor VINO
We want the right to sell the bonds from time 10
money the contractor will have to do his work
and It must be approved by William Barclay Par-
self We desire to issue the bonds in lots of few
millions and to make axe n cdpetd IpT tne a3d this
is probably subject which will come before the
special meeting.
The conference between Mr. Coler and Mr..
Mcdonald yesterday morning was to discuss
this point.
Arthur c. Hume, the representative of the
Terminal Railroad and TSnnel Company, which
was prevented at the last moment from bidding
for the road may also take advantage of the
special meeting to lay its plans before the
Board They contemplate tunnel from Pros
pect Park to the City Hall, Brooklyn thence
under the East River to the City Hall, Manhat-
tam where it would tap the Commissions trn-
mel. and thence to the North River and POINT
on the Jersey City water front, where IT w''uid
connect with the various trunk lines Mr.. Hume
said yesterday:
1t is our purpose first to lay our plans before the
Rapid Transit Commission, and then 10 Apply 10
the Municipal Assembly for public hearing ana an an
ord gRaroa commission to certify to the
| necessity of the route
MR.. MDONALD's STATEMENT.
John B. Mcdonald, the successful bidder, is
full all Of 0aVS
in preparing his bonds He said yesterday:
While this rapid transit is big contract. the
biggest 1 have ever had the opportunity of under
There are other interests that must be attended to-
and cannot drop everything and give 70 tnts my
take my whole time after it is started | cannot
tell. but you may be assured that it will get all
i3 Naturally, the Rapid Transit Commissioners are
as the contract is concerned. in as short time
Donald is a man of his word, and that he will meet
all his obligations. The people are anxious, TOO
me than the Rapid Transit Commission that every
% n6e 0f 4 W tbe be fned and that there viii
be unnecessary delay about starting the work
been broken. I will qualify in my cash and bonds
within ten I'D days from the the e bas1 ta % e mo-
will not need a day of the extra@ten days that the
to giVe me viii SO Conduct the business Of dig
gng the tunnel and @ every other other part OF
other labor trouble in any department -,
transaction. Any delay will handicap as much
anybody else There will be certain fixed charges
and cars are running At the end OF this time my
reach this point soon possible.
The preliminaries such as putting up the bonds
constitute very large transaction, and no matter
how good ma man may may & be- nor % no how da willing time is
the usual routine of business calls for have been
approached already by contractors who want to get
close any sub-contracting deal before the signing
of the main contract. But so soon as that is done
] SuD-COntrdctS as
l let them with practicability. l pre-
prepared and I want delay as little as anybody.
With regard TO the names that have been pub
to say that anybody can make a guess, and every
body Is entitled TO do so. How near TO the truth
cannot matter who are my partners when 1 go to
work. ] am the responsible man, and If were to
ence. ntmated at the first that would do
the work alone It is big contract for one man.
the time comes for to take in others will have
partners of responsibility and reliability. But
names. Neither will deny nor affirm that any of
the men whose names have been mentioned in the
truth some of the guesses are Will be seen later
Some of them are absolutely foolish.
Mr.. Mcdonald, being asked if there was any
truth in the report which said that Andrew
Carnegie was to be of his partners in the
enterprise. said there not. He added that
he might buy large quantities of iron for the
tunnel from Mr.. Carnegie.
Edward NJ. Shepard, counsel for the Commits |
sion said he had not heard from Mr.. Mcdonald |
in regard to the time that he would deposit his |
bonds. This is large business" said Mr. |
Shepard, "and cannot expect the contractor |
to qualify in day. We not anxious about |
Mr. Mcdonald. He has said that he would be |
ready within the required time and we believe |