New-York tribune., 1901-03-25
A. E. ORR TO A. L. JOHNSON
OFFERS HIM A CHANCE TO MAKE GOOD
REQUIRES HIM. HOWEVER. TO GIVE DEF
INITE PROOF OF HIS ABILITY TO CARRY
OUT HIS PLAN AND TO FULFIL
CERTAIN CONDITIONS
CERTAIN CONDITIONS.


Alexander z. Orr. president OF the Rapid Tran
sit Commission, has sent a letter to Albert L.
Jnhr~ N. replying TO the latters rapid transit
proposition presented last week TO the Railroads
Committee OF the Municipal Council. Mr.. Orr
SAYS that Mr Johnson's proposal is as yet too
vague TO justify the board in Withdrawing its
plan and adding his proposed extension. He
asks Mr. Johnson TO make his plan more specific
and to fulfil certain conditions among other
things binding himself TO bid or to provide
bidder on terms similar to those on which John
b Mcdonald bid for the road in Manhattan and
The Bronx
Mr. Orr says that the board will meet on
Thursday at p. m. and adds that if Mr.. John
son will then early day submit his
proposition in the precise form as have sug
gested and make such a deposit with the Con-
troller of the city under a stipulation to be ap-
proved by the board. l will recommend the
board with the approval Of the Municipal AS
sembly to withdraw the present application
and it's amendment TO include the additional
route suggested by you" The letter follows:
At the Rapid Transit hearing before the COM
mittee OF the council held yesterday stated
. thought consider the proposition you had made IL
II were put into form enabling them TO deal with
before before the committee of the aldermen at
the the Counsel i'f Of the board
In adopting the for the extension Brook
lyn the board controlled by three considera-
lions: ,.,,
the city's financial officers would approve; 1t Is
obvious that so much Of the debt mourning ca
f be used for bridges schools docks or other
municipal purposes. In determining the portion of
transit It's nancia officers p must ,s regard all other
cd the tha, f the he ev eon
appropriate no more than sS,co00o to the Brooklyn
SecondEThe necessity of obtaining a contractor
In consideration o. and as part Of the contract TO
less than thirty and than fifty years
wal t% # the hSar6 s9G6 pePoS 9 59F
rental the interest upon the city bonds issued for
annmaiIy 10 a sinking fund for the principal The
contractor securing the contract must under the
law depost 81 0000 900 in cash as security. and. in
addition, give bond for construction and second
in n9Hf the Mammalian and The Bronx sS0So
This. will Of course be largely reduced In the
cannot under the law, be reduced.
POLICY. DUTY AND WISH OF THE BOARD.
Third-The. policy duty and wish of the board
subject TO these two inexorable conditions is to
e the es Eg he city, n If peTed Of If
with BROOKLYN If those two conditions allowed.
but several rapid transs sdis reutes and would sqdl
ing ont one along Hamilton-ave. thence to Fort
Hamilton and under the Narrows to Richmond
now permitted us and the further limitation Of the
necessity of finding contractor who can and will
OF the contract. the members of the board in
Guiding the Mayor and Controller. unanimously v
adopted the routes and plans before the Mu-
nicinal Assembly. They were of the opinion that
the route should reach Borough Hall Park and the
corner OF Atlantic and Flatbush aves as the two
points best for distribution and for relief of the
existing congestion, which seriously affects the
welfare OF most of those who trave! between
Brooklyn and Manhattan. This was so far
as the board could ascertain, approved by an over
whelming majority Of the people of BROOKLYN Be
fore the Municipal Assembly II Is opposed by a
portion and a portion only of residents OF South
Brooklyn who live within short distance of the
water front
| Such is the present practical situation You
argued TO the committees that the plan should be
rejected and that counter proposition. formu-
lated bv YOU should be adopted l regret that
during the hearings by the board, which extended
| over several months. and were held with the ut
| most publicity YOU should not have submitted your
| proposition Now the board has acted, and at
| much cost of time and some cost OF money. Surely
before the board should be asked to withdraw the
| present plan and to incur the serious delay and
&C ST necessary for surveys horings under Mar
rows and other engineering expense OF your counter
plan-that is TO say, before you ask the board 10
| suspend one practicable plan which II has unani-
nously approved. and which has been widely ap-
| proved by popular sentimental Is, to say the
| least reasonable that you state your proposition
conciseiy and give substantial assurance that II
| the present plan he withdrawn modified so as
to meet your views you will take care that there
| Continued on second page.