New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-01
B. r. T. WAR ON BELMONT.
PROTEST AGAINST BROOKLYN SUBWAY
SPECIFICATIONS
COMPLAINT THAT BIDDERS ARE PUT AT
DISADVANTAGE AS COMPARED WITH
BUILDER OF MANHATTAN
BRONX TUNNEL

President 7 I, Greatsinger Of the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit Company yesterday sent TO
President Orr Of the Rapid Transit Commission
& letter which in railroad circles is regaroeo
as the opening gun of bitter controversy De-
tween the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
and e Belmont-McDonald-Long Island Rail
road interests.
President Greatsinger charges that the pro-
posed contract for the Brooklyn extension OF
the Manhattan subway is filled with inconsistent
cies which tend &c place the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit COMPANY at serious disadvantage. Mr..
Greatsinger says:
We have been greatly surprised to find on eX x
anniEg the proposed contract thar you
impose burdens upon the subway 70 De conSo SUI IN,
for the benefit Of the citizens OF Brooklyn not I'M
of the citizens OF the portion OF the boreughs
Of Manhattan and The hrenx; r,. sinking fund
on per cent on Of construction runs from
the date of completion of the work as against
Rrookiyn white the contractor the Manhattan
Bronx road is only called upon to pay such per
cent for Ave years after operation IN the oefo t h
profits OF the contractor in the operation on Ihe
invested By him. and for succeeding period OF i've
years he Is only required to pay one-half OF per
Grafton of the road shall exceed per cent over the
By the terms OF the brooklyn contract adver.
Using is allowed IN stations; while by the terms OF
the Neutrality-suspicious. contract adversiseTneiits IN
stations permitted so long as they do not inter-
feTs vita the en- fs BIoo * conracf interest
on the large deposits that may be required by me
rate of interest collected by city from the va
rious banks where the city deposits Us IulSs I'm
Bronx contract interest is allowed at the same rate
Fy the terms Of the Brooklyn contract the con-
tractor is required TO enter INTO an v for
the carriage OF passengers or such terms as the
Will certify Will involve loss TO the corpora
ton. No such provision appears in the Manhattan
placed in the Manhattan Bronx contract, it might
be urged that the provisions in the TWO contracts
could be awaited OF for the PUBIC good oul LIZ
insertion Of such provision only in the BROOKLYN
contract would subject the contractor 10 lne go
else of a power over his operation or the SubNaf
by the Board of Rapid Transit RalIoa1 14I'' M
sioners which should not IN Justlce be sougnt a
less likewise demanded as against the Manhattan
The provision requiring a bond OF sLeeaee as Sc
curity for rental in the BrookIyn con[aGt Is o
for the Neutrality-suspicious. contract In proportion
TO the cost or length of the BROOKLYN subway, as
compared with the Manhattan Bronx subway. the
security demanded should in no event have ex-
ceeded the sum OF s2o0e19
Mr. Greatsinger supplements the foregoing
statements by the following declaration that his
company proposes 20 bid FOR the construction of
The Brooklyn tunnel He says:
We propose bid for the construction Of the
Brooklyn, tunnel and in our bid &c ofter the low
est fares that afford TO offer for the trans
portation Of passengers over our enure system ana
As il is apparent that such fares must be en-
HANGED diminished in accordance with the our-
construction and operation Of the subway. II fol
lows that these burdens WI De dlreciy porle Dy
ton as z bidder for the franchise.
The object Of this communication Is, therefore, TO
ask YOU to remodel the proposed terms and pro-
posed contract make the burdens in no re-
spect greater than the burdens imposed upon the
raTid transit system in the borougks OF Manhattan
and The Bronx
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit people contend
that il the Brooklyn tunnel extension is to be
what its name implies-for the benefit of the
ereasest number of Brooklyn people-there can
= De only one disposition of the contract for the
extension. and that viii be for the board 10
give it TO the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
The Long Island Railroad" said a Rapid
Transit director Tribune reporter last night.
carries about Il 100000 passengers on its entire
system N twelve months The Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company carries 14e000OO passengers
N fourteen days
The injunction obtained last week by the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company against the
Atlantic Avenue Improvement Commission and
The Long Island Railroad Company enjoining
them from continuing work on Atlantic-ave.
until the rights of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Ia the avenue are guaranteed, was the first de-
pelopment of opposition on the part of the
Flower Brady interests against the Belmont
McDonaid-Eong Island Railroad people. The
Brooklyn Rapid Transit people seem to be de-
sernlined to force the fighting from this time
IN and Mr. Cfreatsinger's letter 10 President Orr
indicates their line of attack