The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-02
YOU BUILD IT, SAYS BELMONT
AND I'LL USE YOUR TUNNEL
WHEN THE JOB IS DONE.

Transit Subway Construction Company,
wrote to the Rapid Transit Commission
yesterday withdra wing his application for
permission to build subway In Broad
way between Forty-second street and
Union Square. At the Same time ne in
vites the Broadway merchants to undertake
the construction Of some sort Of an under
ground road beneath the thoroughfare
and agrees to operate 1t when built as part
Of the subway system il reasonable terms
are proposed.
MIR. Belmont practically admits that the
anita gonism to more ditching in one of the
busiest parts Of the city's main thorough
fare is too much for him. In his letter he
told the commission that because of the
opposition aroused to his scheme to tear
up Broadway he would not only be unable
to get sub-contractor to do the work,
but that there would be difficulty in pro-
curing suitable sureties.
To the offer to let any ono else build .
tunnel there Is string attached. Mr.
Belmont says in effect that his company
must be satisfied that tho prospective
revenue will be sufficient to pay interest
on the cost Of construction. Here is his
letter:
On June IL. 1908. I addressed q commu-
ncation to you as president Of the Board OF
Rapid Transit railroad Commissioners. urg-
ing the authorization Of the subway from
Forty-second street and Broadway to Four
teenth street and Union Square.
Broadway is the most important Of the
intersecting thoroughfares running from
Manhattan. Upon this avenue the most
active business development has centred.
This company believes that no rapid transit
square. which will afford TO the citizens Of
Manhattan. The Bronx and Brooklyn. without
change Of cars, access to the shopping and
theatre districts of Greater New York.
Nevertheless. We consider that the oppo-
Of saq 20 and shs
Involving the further opening Of the streets.
which is being ENCOURAGED 70 point which
for Werk now IN p are SUCH as to
make it practically impossible to enter INTO
q contract for the execution Of the proposed
tractor' in our opinion. Would be wiling to
undertake the work for us at anything like
reasonable cost, to say nothing Of the dim
Guilty Of procuring suitable sureties in view
of our present experiences.
We consider. further that the construction
the 1o@ date sSs q the Ha ws
to t the Sse Citizens o. Manhattan and The BronI,
ana that OF the bs n
Ign extension and has always been under
stood by us to have been omitted from the
pddns In eTds5
sstance. 1t Is obvious that questions con-
nected with the prosecution OF the present
with by the commission with less difficulty
i /, be relieved Of any pressure on our part
for new construction.
to you that. so far as this company is con-
cerned. it will be perfectly satisfactory. to
It i YOU abandon the proposed extension
second street to Union Square entirely. On
the other hand. II the property owners along
Ws 4 hs yqo
our T:I preference one way or the other. and the
RTtsPss viii sad e
contract and building it themselves In a
manner calculated to meet their views on
contract TO operate provided that it WIN BE-
made to appear that the revenue to be derived
from-it WILDE sufficient to pay the interest
upon the cost and reasonable return on
such additional capital as will be required
for its operation.
On the motion Of President Orr the letter
was referred without comment to the COM
routes. Mr.. Orr said, after the meeting,
that he did not regard Mr.. Belmonts letter
as an indication that his company had
abandoned the upper Broadway project,
but rather that the company wished the
property owners to have hack Themselves
at the problem Of building q tunnel that
would cause no Inconvenience to these
doing business along the route:
MI. Orr was inclined to think that II the
Broadway merchants did not take up the
challenge the company would renew its
Al Hayman. president Of the association
OF Broadway merchants and property
owners who declare they won't have q
ditch under any circumstancee, made these
comments on the letter Last night:
III the marlborough Company cannot
build an underground railroad from Forty
second street to Union square without ditch
ing Broadway and running all OF us we had
ence to our building a subway and giving
it to the marlborough Company to oper-
ate. the company agreeing to do this If
we will insure that it can be done properly,
is nothing short OF humorous
sThe merchants, hotelkeepers and theat-
rtcal proprietors who have millions Of
dollars invested on Broadway and are
doing 30 much toward making 1t one Of the
great thoroughfares of the world, have
sufficient to attend to in their business
without going into railroad construction
We have at no time made an enort to place
any obstruction in the way Of building the
against the disgraceful condition, not to
speak Of the positive danger, which has
arisen wherever the Belmont company has
constructed the subway by the ditching
method.
That method we will fight by concerted
action. step by step and from court to
court, l am delighted that Mr.. Belmont
has taken the stand indicated In his letter
to-day. 1t means to US protection instead
with cars running by our doors az fire.
nIently as they do now we can get along
without a tunnel. It is for the city to build
n tunnel, anyway. To suggest that we
become contractors is ridiculo us
other folks in business along Broadway
smiled over the letter. Most of them
seemed to think that 1t was In line with
what usually follows when corporation
wants to have its own way. Said one
man: ~,
ats the same thing as saying take the
ditch or 20 without q tunnel. j, for one, am
ready to 20 without the tunnel and am
certainly not hankering after 1t enough to
20 into the contracting business. We
won't have a ditch and become Bank
ruptcy row like Forty-second street, and
Nobody along Broadway that know
Of ever petitioned for a tunnel along here
In the first place, and in 1895, when Broad
way was under consideration, committee
fought the plan SO hard that another route
was selected. don't think any one VIII
petition Mr.. Belmont to reconsider his &C.
lion. ] won't. for one,
Secretary Shaw Of the merchants com.
mittee said that the organization wouid
hold meeting next week and discuss the