The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-25
ODELL'S PIER RENT Low NOW
HIS COMPANYLL BE IN CLOVER
IF HAWKES. HAS HIS WAY.
And There'ii he No Meeting OF the Sinking
Fund while the Stir the Application
Has Made Is On-No Need for One,
Mayor say-About Other Pier Rents.

MAYOR bayb-NoOut otuCT FtCf Nctttss
The attempt Of Gov. Odells Central Hud-
son Steamboat Company to grab Pier "a
North River, one Of the city's most de-
sirable pieces of river-front property, for
twenty-sx years at a rental which Is ridicu-
lousy low in comparison with the rents
which other companies are paying for
wharf rights in the vicinity, cannot come
before the Commissioners Of the Sinking
Fund for another week at least. Mayor
Low decided yesterday that the weekly
meeting of that body would not be held to-
day.
The last meeting OF the Commissioners
OF the Sinking Fund was held two weeks
ago. At this time of the year II Is not often
necessary to hold a meeting Of this body
more than once in two weeks. meeting
was expected to-day, however. and Comp
troller Grout had announced his intention
of demanding a thorough investigation OF
the recommendation OF Dock Commits
soner MacDougall Hawkes. that everything
it asks in the way Of pier privileges be
granted TO Gov. Odell's company.
A lively session Of the Commissioners
had been expected to-day, as the Governor
has some strong friends who would de-
cline. under any circumstances, to SEQ
anything wrong in the fact that the day
before the remarkable demands Of his COM
pany were recommended as a good thing
for the city by Commissioner Hawkes., the
Governor himself slipped into town. went
down to Pier A and had long talk with the
Commissioner.
Commissioner Hawkes. called on Mayor
Il w at the Cit Hall yesterday and was
c6seted with him for some time. 1t was
after Mr.. Hawkes. went away that the fact
that the Sinking Fund would not hold a
meeting to-day became known. Comptrol-
Ter Grout didn't know it until after S
o'clock yesterday afternoon. Commissioner
Hawkes. was asked il he had called to see
the Mayor in the matter Of the lease OF
Pier "a.
why" he said, Il talked to the Mayor
about the Staten Island ferry matter
But didn't you talk about this lease to
Gov Odell's company
.We talked about the Staten Island ferry
Wasn't the lease that you have recon-
mended and the possible action OF the
Sinking Fund on your recommendation
discussed at all?'
Il tell you, We talked about the Staten
Island ferry
That was as close to what the Mayor and
the Commissioner talked about as it was
possible to get. The Mayor declined to
discuss it,
As chairman Of the Sinking Fund the
Mayor ia the only person empowered TO
cali meetings Of that body. When he was
asked why there would be no meeting OF
the Sinking Fund to-day he said there was
no business OF sufnclent importance 10
Don't YOU regard this matter of the
lease Of Pier "a to Gov. Odell's company
as sufficiently important to warrant you
in calling meeting?' was asked.
Il must decline TO discuss that matter.
glance at the list OF rents which the
city gets for its piers in the same neighbour
hood AZ Pier "a shows that Gov. OdelI 3
company has been singuarly fortunate in
the matter Of pier privileges in the past,
4 Pier "a was leased about four years ago
10 the Homer Ramsdell line OF Newburgh,
in which both The Governor and his father
1Aars at an annual rental OF 500 ,is6 10.
NE present Central Hudson Steamboat
Company IL a sort OF steamb oat trust, COM
bining a number OF Hudson River lines.
Its ORGANIZATION WAS engineered by Gov.
(,dell and his father. who are the heaviest
stock holders II took over the pier rights
OF the Homer Ramsdell line.
Recently the city built an extension TO
Pier ~. This Improvement cost 1881
The Governors company didn't pay any
part Of il, but after the work was done the
city raised the rent for the pier 81 1901. max
ing IL S3l ,i77l9. Now the proposition IL
10 allow the Central Hudson Steamboat
Company to cancel ten-years lease which
has only run four years OF it's time, then
10 rive IL n new lease for the balance Of its
six years without charging II a cent more
rent than II " paying now, ana win
the privilege Of renewal for twenty years
In two renewals Of ten years each, 10 per cent
10 be added 10 the rent for each renewal.
Whatever other administ ratiOns have
done in the matter OF cancelling leases "a
provide for future extensions. the present
sdminist ration has done this thing but
twice and in each case the applicant has
had To nav heavily for IL The Governor =
company is not asked Ia pay cent more than
IN twas running along on it, old loe-e.
lease 81 the Erie Ferry Company vac can
celed by the Dock Department and new
lease with extensions granted, hut the f.rls
Company Wa forced tn stand an eight
thousand dollar increase. The fort lie
ferry company had th" same esI'erl"ncr;
Although Pier - H. narrower Than Pief
p, ad ioinins IL H. about the same length
Pier m With bulkhsads. the usual rent
Tor which runs from 81 .sSD Ia GDp, ~a'
Leased to the West shore Railroad Com
para On Oc' I. 1891, for ten Year,, q, al
snn',a lr.n,al ~ s?OS The West Shore
lad the privilege. ~ thru" removals, ~"
ar-t NJ a rental ~ 81 ISL year the ss-cond
A. q rental II 500 and tho ihifd 81 a f-niA
~ $50 GpD The Wet Shpre 70 nov paving
"a that fnf xhl'h Gov. Dd~lls cntnI al
/, psyins 81 III 10 and ask a r-n"sai ~
M the sains r.ui, although almost s.ohss
sor,h ~ Improvements have fs'"h'ly 's-'i
~, p,sr ~ North River. the hsl'imof'
and Dhlo RAILROAD rave t.iSS I,s kass
,.u.f.. 10 Iyss. aud N y fei,sss 's.i y ~
L.,. a. 10 81 . rental - % lv 30 Pi"i
hi. shlsil 10 . larger I'isf, "a. Ih,sii,siiadls
Aa0lsaiton Company I@ts eS6l~ ai'
shsf ls.4 " u lakes isi y.af i.s's~sl
al have H. pa ~ bib ~ 20 f'"'
IA. Aass.n 1Ais J@ys ess 80 81 il''
t,la II.aainl,n lAis hs fisi ~ 2 ls,as-
shlsA ssisifssd lao lssf, l'~id ~ sss I"
,.ss sisd y Bys l.yyiHs iis.is ll.ah lla'
~ hs.,sil.sfn fssihs le,s $500 ,"sl
H.. p..s si sd eli has. T. sdd .. -. 20,
n ,.s..ss ~ s@-' "a Ne, ! sisd i"i w.
A go ls,lllls.ads tlss lissaiiii hisein haA
..'ILs f.sii,,sag I-ags 90 H. iih 'is lsi,l
=. - . iai.sssl 81 az salafsith ~ ~
sac 80 81 81 -. 81.
H., Isi.is.s siiss fi.si Htfn aiifi 80,
.a,s,... ~ o. ~ - 40 $500 ssiti d
l,s,..1,s,sis.sfis pisai ~ ~ 49, ''it
No. ,ssiis ti,islrfsi i'issiiasssi ftiil~ili
4. l.gin. - 49, - No 49, i'si 80 "a
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