New-York tribune., 1903-03-14
MAYOR WRITES TO ORR.
YTEW. OF RAPID TRANSIT.
Qsestions of Control and Manage
1rent of Subzcay Discussed.

NteTt OF OHO5O0y OaecUSScG.
Mayor Lows letter TO Alexander E. Orr, presi-
dent Of theBoard Of Rapid Transit Commission
ers, was made public yesterday In it the
Mayor says 1t is good policy to make clear to
the people Of the city the exact str alton and the
problem to be dealt with as regards legislation
locking forward to possible extensions of the
subway. He agrees with Mr.. Orr in desiring
the Gnifcation Of all subway liEes.
The Mayor is opposed to Controller CIRCUITS
tentative plan for the municipal ownership OF
an independent line from Harlem to Brooklyn
He does not agree with r. Fulton Cuttings IDEA
Of purchasing back the contract already let 10
the Interborough people, and he thinks that ex-
tensions should be operated by the same COM
pany that has the main tunnel He says:
Four things seem to me to be absolutely essential Il;
tie road built by the use Of the citys credit from
1nter Da rate Of fe 70 at be Ave cents
be reduced as rapidly as s fbe S Control
OF the city's system is in private hands. the city
shall Teceye as large arg fen at the city
and not the railroad shall dictate the character OF
Al the - present time when the city wants better
en o poof m pace6 d upon the city to that
il ought to have Il think that: enner 9y the
BnFde Of p-oof aa~ can Be ssd to
ce at any hdnr Of Sha" the day
rush hours the company must prove tna{ n,..r 6ne
~
permission to furnish only such service.
He goes on to say that the only bidder In q
posftion to give the city a uniform fare over a
system built with the city's credit is the Inter
borough Rapid Transit Company, which ALREADY
controls the original subway and first BROOKLYN
tunnel snd thinks amended law should give
the CITY an option to make contracts with this
corpany from time to time, for extensions on
the best obtsinable terms. Such law should
.y71}na
hooks To secure reduction Of fare whenever
the profits warrant.
The law should also provide for the termina-
tion af oil contracts at the same date tnus
bringing the entire system to city controI at
the same time. There is little advantage IN
the city's acquiring the several systems at olt-
ferent times.
The law should also provide for periodic re-
adjustment of the terms of franchise at inter-
walls not exceeding twenty-five years. applying
to those franchises having fifty years to run
the same principle of periodic revision as re-
Gently applied to the Pennsylvania franchise.
He continues:
the matter of taxation have this suggestion 3o
f9Igfo9 ike other real estate: that which is not
taxed is the franchise and the rolling stock and
sub3ay we me may snbxag Re Should
ION 1R5 ha eT f. future ne Extension Of road
be subject to ta1aton on g auTns % fne of
which the city called upon to PrGvds S ctT IN ,osGes oF6e
10 ho1ds seeuTe for in order to secure given
sRs9a thai Rauson engnsofn of ] Go5q FOR tSe Whole
q The contract If the city issues nS1 only C S
and il the contractors furnished their own money,
to make no demand upon the city. tney d wouid
own the road the end Of the franchise ri without
e q IFS SUCH ed' at Isl IN frasf K
9reatiy ye5 to limit the demands made upon the
of the rdnney market. that the operating company
would finance the cost Of this extenson or oi
as to taxation would have the advantage OF making
hf Fef Gr Eahss fo te domain Of
element that might otherwise be OF great uncer-
The Controller suggests that the freedom from
IS no longer either Necessary Or permissible; He
also proposes that the city shoI9 Se ad
ieass IL when @ oonstr1cted to whom So far
na as the g Speoa fee 01 vita the Gonoe and the
ragments Of subway likely to be built IN the near
should also be inclined to agree, without reserve,
s1bWy G Rs oT and
are mere M f 70 rtf MAKE contro Of
which has passed from the city for fifty years
AS to Mr Cuttings plan of buying out the In
terborough company, thus acquiring at once
system capable Of independent operation and
growing more valuable the Mayor says 1t would
be necessary to pay 20 per cent premium on
the companys stock to get possession The COM
the control Of the franchise
At the outset it was supposed that the equip
rlent would cost 81, 100000. It is now expected
it VIII be S17. 900. 600. Under the original con-
tract John B. Mcdonald agreed to operate the
road for fifty years. with the privilege Of a
twenty-five year extension. At that time It was
not known whether, it could be financed or not
now il is nearly complete, and 1t is hoped that
the Manhattan portion Of the subway will be in
bIyf he end of MayOT
says in conclusion:
1t is practically certain. however, that the con-
nection and use of East River bridges viii re-
quire similar cooperation from the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company, and all future extensions OF the
subway system In Brooklyn must command the like
cooperation either of the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company OF the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company. In other words. unless the citys tran
sit system Is to be broken up into fragments with
duplicate fares and conflicting MANAGEMENT, there
must cooperation between the city and the pri
waite companies concerned. / think the real in
teresi of the city require that this cooperation
should be sought, upon terms that protect the in
terests OF the public as perfectly as good tudg-
rnent can devise; and. IL successfully sought,
think ii Will mean, within few years, a~single fare
end of the city to the other over all
roads, both public and private.