New-York tribune., 1902-12-08
THINK FRANCHISE SAFE.
NOW WON
Sir Members Counted On as Sure
by Friends of Tunnel Project
No HastY IctiOH.

Many signs were visible yesterday that seemed
! to foreten victory in the Board of Aldermen
| for the supporters of the Pennsylvania tunnel
/ franchise. One of them Indicated almost beyond
doubt that the first success will be achieved
this afternoon, when the rairnad committee of
the Board OF Aldermen Will meet in one of the
rooms of the board in the City Hall to take ac-
| ton the franchise question 1t is expected
that this meeting at least six members OF the
| committee whose membership is nine, will vote
| TO recommend to the board the granting Of the
, franchise
| 1t was said Saturday that John Demer,
| Republican. had joined the ranks of the sup
porters of the grant. but there appeared to be
considerable doubt yesterday to the views of
Mr.. DieIner the franchise number of
persons who are prominent politically said last
night to a Tribune reporter that they thought
Mr.. Deimer would be of the signerS of the
| majority report. to be drawn to-day for presen-
| tatfon TO the Board of Aldermen tomorrow
| According to these persons, this is how the
members of the railroad committee will prob
! ably vote at to-day's meeting: For the grant
Goodman. Owens Peck Lundy, Dien1er, Down
ing and Klett Against the grant-McCall and
Wafer.
For years the methods of procedure in the
Board of Aldermen in regard to reports have
! been TO nave report tabled for a. week at
| least. and the call fora vote the report made
usually the week following. Unless there is
striking demonstration in favor of immediate
action the report at to-morrOw's meeting. the
repor. is 20 be placed the table and kept
there until the next meeting.
Just what the opposition forces will do at
the meeting Tomorrow Is beyond the reach
of conjecture. Forty votes are necessary to
win. the full is seventy. Many who
favor the granting of oothe FRANCHISE last night
asserted that they could muster about forty-fve
votes. They also thought that the Tammany
Hall members who had been against the fran
chise knew that they beaten. and were
already wabbling, so that it could not be said
! later that Tammany Hall did not favor the
grant. 1t is thought that the majority of these
wabbling Tammanyites may vote for the fran
chise when the final roll is called. Thus the
Tammany Hall vote would be split and the
odium of opposition removed from Tammany
Hall, they hope.
Joseph Cassidy President of the Borough of
Queens has come out vigorously in favor of
the granting of the franchise. and it is thought
that all the representatives from Queens in the
Board of Aldermen will act in accordance
with the views of Cassidy this subject.
C. V. Fornes. President of the Board of AL
dermen. was seen at his home last night by a
Tribune reporter In speaking about the tunnel
project he said Il feel confident that the fran
chise will be granted at an early date now, for
l think the majority of the members of the
Board of Aldermen are now in favor of it.
am of the opinion that the majority of the rail
road committee will at the meeting to-day be
in favor OF the grant. When the Board of
aldermen meet to take action the mat
ter. 1 am sure the supporters of the grant
will be able prove to those who do not see
things in the same light as those who are in
favor of the grant that labor will receive hene-
fits from the building of the tunnel, and that
the franchise is not TO be a perpetual one. no
more than is the leasing of properties a per
manent lease When specified lumber OF
years have elapsed the franchise can be Leased
to the person or corporation willing to pay the
highest price for it. i have heard the reports
that Lieutenant Governor Woodruff and Sen
ator PIatt have won some of the forces of the
opposition to the granting of the t'-nnel
franchise. These reports may be true. especial
Iy in regard to Lieutenant Governor Woodruff,
but from what have heard there seems 10 De
small ground for such assertions
1t is generally believed that the Republican
organization in Brooklyn has exerted its in
fuence with Aldermen John Diemer and Robert
F. Downing to get them to vote in favor OF the
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad tunnel franchise. This
could not be verified. however, as Lieutenant
Governor Woodruff could not be seen yesterday
Alderman Downing denied the story when seen
at his home. No. pol Dean-st-
1T is not that any pressure has been
brought to bear on me by Lieutenant Governor
Woodruff or Mr. Dady, said Mr.. Downing. L
have told no how l am going to vote. and
the story that 1 have received instructions is
boSh
On general principles. Alderman Downing
says he is against the franchise, as he believes
the tunnel will hurt his district and Brooklyn
in general by taking people out on Long Island
Again. he is opposed TO granting exclusive mu-
nicipa rights to great corporations He also
believes that the franchise. if passed at ALL |
should contain an eight hour clause.
Alderman Diemer was not at his home, No 80 |
Hopkns-st yesterday afternoon. He has, how
ever several times refused to commit himself |
on the question of the Pennsylvania franchise.
and he has refused TO deny the rumor that he |
was opposed to. it,
Alderman Downing on Saturday visited Presl- \
dent Fornes TO learn his views certain ques- |
tions relating to the franchise, and it is under
stood that before Alderman Downing left Man |
haitian for his home in Brooklyn he had been |
convinced that some of the principal arguments |
raised by the opposition were trivial 1t is as |
serted that Michael j. Dady, who is said 90 be |
an old friend of the alderman, induced him TO |
come over to Manhattan on Saturday to see |
President Fornes and 70 debate with him on |
the subject, in the hope that the alderman /
would become a supporter of the franchise
NEW-YORK-2o HoURS-CHICAGO-