New-York tribune., 1903-02-25
OPPOSE S. |. FERRY LEASE
"COMHUT4TTON9 THE CRY
Taxpayers Declare Proposed Plan
Inadequate an Many Respects.

Taxpayers of Staten Island up in arms
over the terms OF the proposed lease of the
Staten Island ferry. which will so before the
sinking Fund Commission for approval to-day
Indignation is expressed over the recommenda-
lion which Commissioner Hawkes. of the Dock
DEPARTMENT sent to the Sinking Fund Commits
sion last Saturday, because. the residents of
Richmond say, the lease is inadequate in many
respects it provides improvement over the
nresent camped facilities. they assert, which
have seriously retarded the growth of the bor-
ough Appeals have been sent to The Tribune
urging that il use its influence for better ferry
facilities for Staten Island.
The chief cause of complaint is that no month
II Communication rate has been made. Cornelius
&. kolff secretary of the Staten lslana ChaIl-
her of Commerce. said:
This lease will never satisfy the Staten Island
PEOPLE What we want is a three-cent commuta-
ton rate This is almost Imperative. IL Goes
not matter so much where the ferryboats land
as that We have this three-cent rate
In n protest sent to The Tribune by George
NctcaIf president of the Local Improvement
Association OF New-Dorp, he said that the
lease as recommended by the commissioner was
torall-- inadequate: it provided only two new
bna1S for the next twenty-five years ano no
mention Of communication was made. which was
of the utmost Importance 10 the wage earhers
Of the Island
The proposed lease. he continued. was only
better than the offer made by the Terry poat
company last June in that ii provided Tor fouf
more trips 10 Port Richmond
A /. Schwab. secretary of the commttee OF
fo1 said yesterday: .
viii mean that Staten Island will be tied for
twenty-five years to a corporation whlch mas IoI
years prevented Staten Island from keeping pace
with the other boroughs in Improvements. II
is absolutely impossible for US to grow unless
We receive adequate ferry facilities. This Com
missioner Hawkes. does not seem inclined TO
give US. AT the hearings held before MIN the
last few months. he repeatedly said that ne
favored a communication rate, but in his recon-
1nendations to the Sinking Fund Commissioners
he simply brushed this aside. and tied US Tor
twenty-five years to a corporation that mas Deen
tried and found wanting
Andrew Powell chairman OF the executive
committee of the Huguenot Improvement AS
sociation. also made strong appeal for relief
from present conditions, saving that the staten
Island Rapid Transit Railroad Company was
not entitled TO receive a twenty-five year iran
cliSe. and that its past record Ola not warrant
IT With the ferry and railroad in the hands OF
This corporal tion, the people would be at It's
mercy
commissioner Hawkes. of the Dock Depart
r7ent said last night when these protests were
explained him. that they had all been care
fully considered before he made his report on
the lease.
Personally" he said, L am in favor of
commuta tion rate, and the department tried TO
get one. but could not The ferry company SAID
that il could not give first class service if 1t
lessened its price. In other words, we could not
buy the best more cheaply. We chose the plan
which found offered the greatest advantages
and the best service.
As for the plans providing for only two new
hoats. that's not SO at all. 1t provides for two
rev boats Immediately. and at the end OF five
wears if the facilities not adequate. better
must he provided. An arbitration committee IS
arranged for TO decide this. and has power 10
enforce its decision. to declaring void the
charter. Regarding these protests about the
coupsnv. the one which Will obtain the lease
iS not the present company. The present one is
the Staten Island Harbor and Transportation
Co1rpany while the VIII be the Staten
Earojd
1l,erafes the railroad Staten Island. and is
hacked 11p by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad