New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-29
TO MEET. AGAIN FRIDAY,
Fornes, Complying acith Request.
Has Call Issued.

The holdup Of the Port Chester Railway fran
chise by the Tammany leaders in the Board Of
Aldermen caused a panic among the Tammany
men in The Bronx yesterday. The people of The
Bronx. without regard TO political affiliations.
want to have the franchise granted. The fu-
sionists took advantage of the embarrassment
81 their opponents and flooded the borough with
handbls and circulars calling the attention of
voters 10 the fact that while the Republican and
Citizens Union members Of the Board of Alder
men tried TO force the franchise resolution
through the Board. so that traffic improvements
for The Bronx may be begun early poss-
bic. the Tammsny men brazenly defeated the
plan
There are ugly run1ors af1oat with reference
TO the motives which inspired the Tanlmany
leaders in preventing the franchise from coming
up in the board meeting on Tuesday It is
known that corporate interests closely allied
with Tammany Hall are confident that it will
not be long before the New-York and Port
Chester Railway will fall into their hands. One
Of these men is a contributor to the Tammany
campaign fund President William c. Gotshall
who has applied behalf Of his company for
the franchise. has refused absolutely to pay any
bride money for q franchise which means, he as
eerts. road that will be a great benefit to the
people as a whole as soon as it is constructed.
He is reported as saying 70 q Tammany man
it for u.s." that he would not pay cent of
dirty money TO get the franchise, his project
was one Of conceded merit and that the people
demanded II.
It is believed that the corporate interests that
expect TO acquire the franchise sooner or later
object 10 the rate Of compensation suggested by
Mayor Low in his special message to the alder
men on Tuesday. The Mayor said:
I call the attention Of your honorable board,
however 70 the fact that the proposed road will
cross, either above or below grade, sixty-eight
streets already open dedicated, thus using
5.o26 linear feet Of property belonging 70 the
city. At the rates charged to the Pennsylvania
Railroad this would necesstate charge of 30
cents a foot Of single track for the first ten
years and Of 81 foot for the next fifteen
twenty-five years thereafter.
In this case, also streets not now opened will
lions attaching to the consent should provide
properly for this contingency.
The mile Of territory owned by the city and
crossed by the proposed road would yield a.
revenue OF $500 a year, approximately, for the
first ten wears, and 5000 q year for the next
fifteen. This is small sum in itself but there
is contained in the proposition principle that
many heads Of railway corporations violently
oppose. Municipal history bristles with proof Of
the fact that II has been easy for corporations
10 get fayors from Tammany Hall Mayor Low
has insisted from the first that every corpora
ton shall pay fair compensation for franchises
obtained. If every railway corporation within
city limits was paving to-day on the basis of
$1,000 year for every mile Of its tracks in ad-
dition 10 its franchise and real estate taxes the
sum realized probably would reach 100000 a
year Il is believed that corporate interests are
anxious TO smash the precedent in the rates
proposed by the Mayor ard exacted of the Penn
sylvania Railroad.
President Fornes, in compliance with the re-
quest Of fifteen members Of the board submit
ted 70 him on Tuesday, had City Clerk ScuIly
issue call yesterday for 4 special meeting for
Friday afternoon, when the Port Chester fran
ohise viii come up again.
Both President Fornes and Alderman Timothy
P. Sullivan laughed yesterday at the idea that
there is any politics or graft in the adjourn
ment Of the board on Tuesday. Why" said
Alderman Sullivan. the papers talk through
their hats when they say the board don't meet
usually until so > O'Clock. Once in a while
they have met late, but generally they always
convene on time. Why even some of the Bronx
aldermen were not present when the roll
called yesterday. and MoInnes who made a
'holler' late IN arriving himself. Mr.. Fornes
acted strictly within the rules, and. as We will
meet on the matter Friday let if there
any aldermen missing, and. if there any.
see how many Tammany men will be among
them
Alderman McInnes was in the when the
roll was called, and protested against ad-
lOUrument.