New-York tribune., 1903-03-28
DEFENDS PIER LEASE.
Commissioner Hasgkes Says South
ern Pacific Pays Less.
SENDS FIGURES TO CIRCUIT.

Commissioner Hawkes. of the Dock Depart
ment has given Controller Grout, IN a letter.
figures showing that the Central Hudson Steam
boat Company with which Governor Odell Is
connected under the new lease which he recon-
mends that the Sinking Fund Commissioners
grant the company, will actually pay over four
cents q square foot more for its pier than Is palo
by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company for
the adjoining pier. which is similar in many
ways.
On Wednesday Controller Grout wrote to Com
missioner Hawkes. asking for information re-
garding the sizes Of piers between Piers
81 and 2S the North River. together with the
terms Of the leases in force
In Commissioner Hawkes. reply 1t is shown
that Pier q. the to which the lease re-
fers, is only sixty feet wide ten feet narrower
than any other pier about which the Controller
asked for information. This pier and Pier 20,
the one leased by the Southern Pacific Railroad
Company. are the only ones among them leased
without the buIkheads. Pier %, with bulk
heads, is leased for forty years-ten years, with
privilege of three renewals Of ten years each
expiring in 1881. Pier 26 IS leased for thirty
years-ten years. with privilege Of two renewals
| OF ten years each-expiring in 1882. For Pier
| 25 the city is receiving $36,163 a year, the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company having full
| of the pier. $50 feet. This pier is 75 feet wide.
This is at the rate of Sc 1-3 cents a square foot.
there being g. 200 square feet in the pier. The
Central Hudson Steamboat Company has been
paying the city for Pier "a the shed por-
tion only So, III 10 year. This pier is S57
feet long and contains 1890 square feet This
sum, therefore. is at the rate Of 6Oh cents a
square foot.
Piers "a and % have recently been ex-
! tended The Southern Pacific Railroad Com
pany was able to obtain the privilege under the
last administration OF building a shed the
extension; the Central Hudson Steamboat
Company was not only unable to get this privi-
lege, but It also unable to get the right to
cover the inner end of the pier which was open.
This it desired to do. Apparently the cost Of
this work, based on the cost of the shed put
up lately on Pier 10, East River will be
about S60O00 The Central Hudson Steam
boat Company did not care to erect SO ex-
pensive a shed unless it could be sure Of having
the pier beyond the period which its present
lease has to run-six years.
Among the charges made in connection with
Commissioner Hawkes. recommendation that
the present lease be abrogated and in its place
the lease let for five years and nine months
with the privilege of two ten year renewals at
an increase Of 10 per cent each renewal was
tnat term OF twenty-five years was longer
than could properly be granted. Section S25 Of
the Charter specifically authorizes fifty year
leases, and the present Sinking Fund Commits
sion has in several instances voted for thirty
year leases. Though it has been said that the
tease should nave been put up at auction as the
policy Of the administration was not to grant
leases without auction, not single lease has
oeen granted at auction by this administration
1t has also been asserted that no lease has ever
been cancelled. The present Sinking Fund Com
mission has cancelled leases in one instance
one with over three years to run. This has been
the practice from the day Of the foundation of
the DOCK Department In one case lease with
over fourteen years to run was cancelled IN
favor Of a new lease "
Commissioners Hawkes.. 1t is understood will
not Withdraw his recommendation. as was hinted
in several papers yesterday,