New-York tribune., 1901-10-19
MAYOR AND THE TUNNEL.
TAAIAIANY OBSTRUCTED RAPID TRAN
SIT AND NOW POSES AS ITS FRIEND.

Mayor Van Wyck as the principal promoter
of rapid transit is Tammany poster Joke shat
Is delighting even the goats around High Bridge
and The Bronx these days. The Tammany lit
erary bureau. assuming that people do not read
the newspap pers except just before and after
Election Day. is posting placards telling that
the building Of the rapid transit tunnel is the
crowning achievement OF the Van Wyck ad-
ministration.
The Mayor. on the contrary, for nearly two
years was the bitterest opponent that the tun-
ne had. and in that time the Tammany men
tried 10 work system Of political blackmail
that was only defeated by the courage Of the
Rapid Transit Commissioners. aided by the
State legislature.
In his first message 10 the Municipal Assem-
bly, on January g. 1S9s Mayor Van wyck de-
clared that the tunnel could not Be constructed
without exceeding the city's constitutional debt
limit A commission appointed by the Appellate
Division reported against this view Of the
Mayor but in spite Of that he said that the
underground work must be abandoned. and
that the people Of New-York must make the
best possible use OF the then existing facili-
ties. The Mayor also openly took the ground
that the plans Of se Rapid Transit Commis-
sion were impracticable, and could not be
carried out for number Of years in any case
Mayor Van Wyck openly proclaimed his ap-
provsl OF q bill TO take the tunnel work out
o. the hands OF the commission, and he said
be would sign il as soon as il reached him.
In 1899 bill was passed al Albany enabling
the commission 70 go ahead and have the tun-
mel built by private capital under fifty year
franchises the best terms that could be OBJ
tsined by the city. The Mayor vetoed tn biz
and blocked the progress Of the preliminary
tunnel work
All this time Croker was trying 10 prevent
anything from being done the tunnel work
unless some scheme could BE- worked so that
Tanmany could get a ''rale-Cff" Not until Sep
tember 1888 when il became apparent that
Tammany could not control the commission. did
September l. 1893, Corporation Counsel Whalen
wrote a letter TO the commission announcing
q complete change OF front on tie part Of van
WyCk Croker ard the Corporation Counsel :
offce This was done because the Tammany
district leaders told Croker that Tammany
would probably be able 10 effect a working
agreement with the contractor II the work were
allowed 10 proceed. The contractor. however.
was not that SOFT Ot man
Even since that time the city departments
have made many att mpts 10 hold up the Con-
troller and interfere with his work
Doubt ess the tunnel would be IN actual oper-
alton al the present time # il had not been
FOR wilfUl obstruction by Mayor Van WICK
and those higher up
IN view Of this municipal history OF a recent
date the attempts OF the Tammany campaign
managers 10 make busy people believe that lhe
tunnel Is the crOwnine achievement OF me \ an
WyCk administration IS somewhat f4llc1i'-H
see a poster telling about Mayor Van Nych :
Efforts further rapid transit they al once 81
Il Uu. and feel good over the joke for aA the
next day