New-York tribune., 1903-02-27
SUGGESTS CITY RUN SUBWAY.
r. FULTON CUTTING ASKS R-4PID TRANSIT BOARD
TO CONSIDER 1T.
r5, Ne Un Uorner Thinks IL Syndicate Seeks
TO Control City Traction.
IN INDEPENDENT LINE,
Grout WantS This, But Would Not
Pay Millions for Lease.

| r. Fulton Cutting president OF the Citizens
Union. yesterday the meeting of the Rapid
! Transit Commission said that it would not be a
bad innovation for the city to get an assign
ment from the Interborough Rapid Transit Com
| pany of its fifty year lease of the subway so
| that the city might get the benefits and profits
| from the operation Of the subway system. Mr.
Cuttings manner indicated that he was in dead
earnest. and his remarks caused a great deal of
discussion among those attending the meeting
Mr.. Cutting referred to the Citizens Unions
bill for increasing the powers of the Ra pid
Transit Commission and separating the con-
struction from the operating bids in awarding
contracts for further tunnels He continued:
9 As the Rapid Transit act now reads it pro-
'ides Tor the operation of tunnels for a period
OF thlrty-1Ve years. and it would seem that the
tunnels can be operated by only one party.
The effect Of bill will be 10 separate CON
struction and operation in such a way as 10
leave open to competition construction and
operation. AS we are now fixed one company
VIII control the subways. We have gained ex-
perlenCe from the building of the present sub
way. The financial difficulties are removed. I
nouce mat Mr. Shepard in his remarks before
cnp4 4rof 6f1o[ m g5taerng figured out
sured profit of $50, ,000o0o for the owners of the
subway contract. Who is to get that extra
SSQ0O0,00O? The old syndicate.
The new lines Will be simply feeders 10 the
system already laid out, and the time is com
ing when each of them will be independently
profitable 1t would not be a bad innovation
for the city 10 secure ali assignment of the
operating company's lease before we go any fur
ther in building transportation lines. for 1
not see how the city is 10 secure the desired
benefits unless it does that. This is a very Sc
rious matter indeed. 1t is a problem not only
economic. but political well. We have heard
it said that one of our great railroad corpora
tions exercises powerful influence in political
affairs in this city. Now are building an
other system under such conditions that its
operators will be able to act similarly. We
don't know what kind Of government we are
going have in this city in the years to come.
If we were sure of having Mayor Low as our
executive. it would be a different matter. But
cannot be sure that Mayor Low will live for
Seventy-five years. or that. if he does live, he
will be reelected Mayor in all that time. The
whole matter bristles with difficulties, and we
should try to solve them right.
CITIZENS UNION BILL
In the Citizens Union bill provision is made
for the operation Of the subways by the city
itself. The Rapid Transit Commission is IN
trusted With control of the roads. | am not al
together advocate OF taking control OF the
roads but it is matter that should be con-
sidered | sincerely hope that the commission
will back up our bill, so that. if it should be
considered wise TO do it, plans may be made to
the subway lines. I understood that the con-
tract for the Brooklyn extension Is already let,
and that that extension will also fal INTO tne
hands OF those who will operate the Manhat-
tan system Therefore it is timely seriously TO
consider what is necessary to do In order 10
protect the citys best interests
At the afternoon session L n Bethel general
superintendent of the New-York Telephone
Company spoke against municipal ownership,
and declared that only corporations would keep
abreast of the times and give the best service |
He was followed by Frank Parsons, OF the Bos- |
ton Law School who furnished statistics TO de- |
rlonstrate the fallacy of Mr. Bethells argument |
and showed by diagrams the tendency of cor |
porations to take advantage of their privileges.
The plan of corporations. he said. was 10 get |
all you can. and keep on getting while 4. mu-
ricipality properly administered, would give |
the subscriber the best for the least money.
An interesting fact brought out by the discus
sion was that Stockholm has the greatest "tele-
phone development" and that San Francisco
comes next in line. MI Parsons said in part:
The public telephone exchanges OF Sweden and
switzerland are admittedly among the best in the
perior to the private in England. and quite
g5ona sgG5a nc eer oervee o~ Tner h ana are h Of
The fact is that our telephone companies put
and charge ali they can get letting Ing out distriGts
statements received from ofhcials and telephone
employees in various countries OF Europe show that
phone boys more than in similar private employ
ments- An absolute saving or lowering Of cost viii
ton Of charges.
The longest paper Of the day was read by John
De Witt Warner. on Municipal Operation
Necessary TO Coordination of Public Service
He said in part
About Two years ago our Rapid Transit Commits
sion anxious lest there might be no bidders
for the first routes II had planned But only z
year later il busily laying out new ones TO
meet the views Of the Belmont syndicate. which
had received the first franchise. The present ele
Vated and the to-be underground system are now
pooled the Brooklyn transportation lines have been
aggregated. and are Coalescing with the larger
mass in which he Metropolitan also IS finding its
place Finally. have Just had reported from our
Rapid Transit Commission such a scheme for both
81
but operated by private monopoly as would in
definitely forecose the situation IT q form that
clearly indicates as behind the plans ths eame
syndicate that has secured the old ones
In short. clear merely that private
capital is thoroughly awake TO the advantages of
combined ownership OF various franchises and CO.
ordnating varied public Services. but that most
strenuous and well planned attempts are nov
making secure for certain financial coteris a
public service monopoly here