New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-06
BRONX TO THE SEA, 5 CENTS
MAYOR LOW WANTS A UNIFIED RAPID
TRANSIT SYSTEM.
GREATs1NGER TRIES TO DIS
COURAGE THE IDEA OF A LONG RIDE
FOR ONE FARE.

FOR ONE FARE.
The public hearing of the Rapid Transit Com
mission on the Brooklyn extension of the sub
way system at No. $50 Broadway yesterday
afternoon, brought out an important suggestion
from Mayor Low as to the desirabity of
single fare from The Bronx to any part of
Brooklyn. There had been long discussion be-
tween President Greatsnger of the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit Company and various members OF
the commission, in the course of which MI
Greatsinger had said that the commission would
have to choose between a single fare from the
City Hall In Manhattan over any of the Brook
Ign lines If the contract went to his company. or
a single fare from Flatbush and Atlantic aves-,
in Brooklyn The Bronx if the Belmont syndi-
cate obtained the contract Mayor Low then
and said:
I look TO the time when person may come from
Rocka way or any outlying section of Brooklyn to
any part Of how ma "a or ore6 Gut o when the
commission is required to construct each piece OF
question want to ask ar Greasinger is if any
thing be put into the contract that would make
II possible for his company to bid for this contract
onS B B Rohs s aas % anG syse
instead Of dividing it up into fractions It is clear
a5 the gs mind 10 f rsPd
face roads would answer; but don't suppose this
Now is the time to address ourselves to that sub
jeet TO see If it is not possible to secure compet-
result think if i Would be htoersble that the
the citizens could use only by paying double fare.
A single fare ought to be the very essence OF the
Mr. Greatsinger can suggest any specification of
cornpany to eopete with the existing co9fTactor SO
that when the two roads are completed will not
the city?
Mr. Orr replied that this was the reason for
putting in the contract the optional clause COM
-a11sy 41anH
fers TO connecting lines Controller Grout said
that the commission was in hope of getting bid
which would give continuous traffic. Mayor Low
then continued:
We have got to choose between two different
kinds Of advantages. / don't insist upon an
immediate answer. hope that Mr. Greatsnger
can shed some light on the subject
Mr. Greatsinger replied that there seemed to
be wrong conception of the advantage of
connection between the two lines.
The tunnel he said would be a very Door
Bronx, because they would have to pass through
the most congested place in the city. about the
my Hail. 1t is not question of how far you
can ride for FIVE cents but of the greatest bene-
nj TO the greatest number of people"
There was some talk Of three-cent fare
through the extension. and MI Greatsinger was
asked If that would not be practicable He re-
pled that with twice the number of passengers
taken through the tunnel that now cross the
bridge, his company would go into bankruptcy
within two years. He never expected to see the
day when the traffic through the tunnel would
be half that on the bridge. He said that his
company was not making cent on the bridge;
that it received S1S0,000 a year income from
the bridge, and that its expenses reached about
the same figure
At the beginning Of the meeting Mr.. Great
singer said he had seen the plans for the first
time yesterday. He asked for postponement
OF the hearing for week or more TO give him
time TO familiarize himself with them. John NJ
Bowers. counsel for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Eailroad; mage q lSng argument, asking that
the bond OF SIOo0.0O0 be reduced to $4,000
that advertising be permitted at the stations
and that the sinking fund of l per cent on the
cost of construction from the date Of completion
OF work be abolished. He also objected TO the
provision allowing the contractor only the aver
age rate of interest collected by the city from
from the successful bidder. He said the fare
would be largely affected by the price the con-
tractor had to pay. Mr.. Bowers asked If con-
nection with the Long Island Railroad was
mandatory. Mr. Orr resented this question,
saying:
Mr.. ORR REsENTs A QUESTION.
II take exception TO any suggestion or insinu-
alton that this commission has in any way tried
to favor any particular corporation 1t has
never done such a thing. ] know it has been
accused Of it. and if II is persisted in 1 shall
resent it on behalf of the commission.
Nobody could make such an insinuation. Mr.
Orr" replied Mr. Bowers.
EDWARD N Shepard, counsel to the commits
sion, said that the new contract required de-
post Of only one-fifth OF the amount exacted
from MI Mcdonald. It was with great diff
Guilty that a bidder was obtained on the present
subway. said Mr. Shepard, and the alleged bur
dens in the extension contract were imposed be-
cause tunnel building had progressed beyond
the experimental stage.
If a second tunnel was to be built from
Brooklyn to New-York. where would you con-
struct it, Mr. Greatsinger?" asked Commissioner
Smith.
Mr. Greatsnger said he would build 1t from
q point near Brooklyn Heights to some down
town point in West-st. When asked whether
such a project had been considered by his COM
pany. Mr.. Greatsinger declined to commit him.
SELF but admitted that it had been looking
over several plans.
a committee COMPOSED of Andrew I Smith
S. 3. Donneily and a J.. Bouiton representing
eghty-one labor organizations with a member
ship Of loS.oo6, presented petition calling on
the commission to see that the lowest fare was
fixed for the tunnel.
Henry George made speech in which he re-
ferTed 10 the railroad ventures OF Tom L. John
son. the Mayor of Cleveland at small fares and
said there ought to be excuse for any larger
fare than three cents in tunnel constructed
by the city and practically free from taxation.
President Orr told Mr.. George that the bidding
On the tunnel was not confined TO New-York
and Brooklyn firms. but open to all and
that he (A1r. George ought to tell Mr. johnson
Of the great opportunity he would have here.
Commissioner Starin offered resolution that
the successful bidder for the extension contract
be required TO carry passengers from The Bronx
TO Brooklyn for fare, not 10 exceed five
cents. The resolution laid on the table
At the Collegiate Church. Fffth-ave and Forty
eighth-st of which the Rev. Dr. Donald Sage Mac
kay is minister New-Yorkers will have oppor-