New-York tribune., 1901-04-03
ORR ON JOHNSON'S PLAN.
DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY OF CARRY
ING OUT HIS TUNNEL PROPOSAL.

ING OUT HIS TUNNEL PROPOSA1.
President Orr Of the Rapid Transit Commits
sion yesterday sent 10 the chairman Of the Rail-
road Committee Of the Municipal Council and TO
the chairman of the Committee on Streets and
Highways Of the Board Of Aldermen COM
rlunication setting forth the position of the
Rapid Transit Commission as TO the offer Of
Albert l. Johnson TO construct tunnel TO
Brooklyn and Staten Island. Mr. orr's letter
says. in part:
The difficulties il the way Of laying out an Ana
y5ic6 now affecr Tbe citv's power Of borrowing
money for rapid transit purposes Second, the IN
certainty as 10 getting a bioder. ess -.
borrow for rapid transit purposes more than $egc =
69 This amount as the Kapia ia Lr19st boaTG Is
a. now planned. such road Mr.. Johnson de
+f4 netghborhood OF 100000. and if conditions
under The Narrows should prove TO be unfavoraoie
Now, now does he propose TO meet the difficulty
il the way Of the city's raising the addluonA $o-
statement was that he believed himself capable OF
ci5nl7y In his letter Of March q he now says:
I am able and willing TO wait for my reimburse
cess Of the citys present constitutional debt limit
iii the debt can be lawfully met
Tbat is 10 say, what he now proposes is 10
undertake 10 build the road, but 10 have the city
run into debt to him for the greater part Of the
enrire cost the tine OF payment only being post
r,ouAd Il would be entirely beyond the city s
10 enter into any SLCn haIS4ln
lively say Jhat he vii bid for or build a road
'e 81 55ob stated 10 ne M9nfcifa Assem-
iyh Unfair or Illegal conditions. Will accept it
T5 5sg 20 BE- the judge 6f % the 5@irnsss M 'a and
legality Of the conditions imposed by the board
What then, is the practical and businessLke way
10 deal with me plans o. The board waich are now
before your ho4oLoe 10 PGsS s S S T~elas s1S
i afterward approved by the properly owners or
s5;r ne SPeS ss TeSred By s5a5are Tr Johnson can
I'd II he IS the best bidder his of1er viii be ac-
5,nr Ia Brooklyn and ending IN staten Island. he
car be built in one OF TWO ways. In the drSt place.
s considered feasible, the road be built at the
c.ty's eXpense-5ut, Of course, only after puoAc
T6 -5e second place under Section g o: the Rapid
Tr2nSt A; ne5t s86i FOR leave 10 bula I6e pro
posed extension al its own expense On paying an
Streets The latter method would have the merit OF
removing any question Of the cltys oeot mourning
N-- Johnson states that he is able and willing
70 carry passengers for three cent fares within the
civ limits Il the Municipal Assembly viii approve
our plans and the contract IS put up Tor pupAc let-
% a 5T6p65a NF S 50h6S4q or N NAY three a @ cent @ are That
IS the proper time and the proper way TO have euoh
NJ. Johnson said last night;
Nj. orr seems 10 accuse ne Of wanting 70 be he
ony man allowed 70 u1c On me Li-e 9 q saS
--sr would De 2 bidder That very inconsistent
ers neither statement IS correct Every time nave
sUoken on this subject have said that wanted 70
bIIIG The tunnel. But I have never salo tlat
wanted the exclusive right 70 bid ! con c4Ie VIC
builds the tunnel, that / an allowed 10 I-n ~
cars through il What ! insist or Is tilat sIlalL
D. permitted 10 use the tunnel and II MI OIr
e-ves ANYBODY the exclusive right 10 the tuilie4
/ an going 10 take The question 10 the courts
Mr. orr asks bid on the Kalld, 4TdILslt
plans ! Will be only too glad 70 bid on them. !
Will send ny engineers examine lne pLiIlS LeA
week II Mr. orr VIII appoint q day, ana mink
czn show him that the tunnel wiki my extension
VII not cost anything Ike the amount OF nloIyE,
he saws Nv contention is that the tunnel snouIo
De- bCilr by itself and the railroads tnat use Il
should furnish their own equipment IheTe Is Z
hig ir@rn of the cost cut of Besides that. nave
1esn assured DIV property owners on staten ls-ailo
rbgr tvyo-Ihtr6s OF the property needed Ior rlghl
f6ev say they think al the properly
needed VIII be given. There goes another
30 irern Now about the debt limit: II the cost
f he tunnel does rot go any further above $500
ne additional money out Of my own pocket, II
necessary But M Orr seems 70 forget tnat the
d=hr limit Will not always De Ss,Go'9o ana py my
r,an OF paving back 10 the city the entire cost In
-Weurv-fve years large part OF the cost W.! nave
fezn paid back before the part that goes beyond
me deb limit VIII have become due
Mr. Orr says that after the tunnel 70 Flatbush-
ave is built 7 can 90 ahead and build extension
y want 10 build Il al my own expense, and pay
the civ for the use Of the streets. That IS very
nice oY Mr. or and II he show me where any
other street railroad IS made 10 pay rent Tor the
use OF the streets viii accept the proposluon MI
Orr Is ror going 70 be allowed 10 impose conditions
on me- though, that are not imposed on any one