New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-02
10 Al" CONTRACT.
Inter5orough Asked By Board to
Produce 1t.

ve-t.t -ha declaration that he understood that
- .o-,,ai contract existed between the Inter
Foroueb company and Ward x Gov, Controller
l--o,r threw a bombsheu into the eneny's camp
ss-e-6av when the discussion Of advertising in
the subway came up at the Rapid Transit Com
missions meeting. a letter from August Bel
mont had lust been read. mentioning the con-
tract which the Interborough company had
made with Ward & Cow. the advertising men
81 move that Mr.. Belmont be asked TO submit
his contract with Ward Cow TO The inspec-
rion % this board" broke in the Controller. IN
explanation, he went on;
= ,.-,aa-s-er5 that there is no definite legal
oo7--acf-tbat It is simply an agreement by
,-rir, Ward & Cow get 25 per cent of the re-
-,r-s from Advertising both in the subway and
IN the elevated lines while the PETERBOROUGH
GETS - per cent" The motion was carried.
ARENAS Ward was decidedly surprised at
This When asked what he thought about II he
snapped out:
4 think what I've thought about good many
other thsngs-its nooody's business" Then,
spparertly deciding he was trife sweeping IN
his genera lizations. he went
I don't care 10 discuss II. This IS a matter
Eetween the commission and Mr. Belmont not
between me and the commission or me and you
suppose the commission and Mr.. Belmont VIII
they have done in the past
The plans ard regulations governing the plaC-
ing Of signs which Mr. Parsons had expected TO
have for Yesterdays meeting were not ready,
and the chief engineer asked permission to delay
his report until the next meeting. Then Mr..
Belmauls letter was read. It was in rather a
different tone from that of November Il. when
he wrote e.nphaticalIy Of the ''company's rights"
IS defined by its legal advisors.
Mr. BELMONT's LETTER
IN this letter Mr. Belmont told feelingly Of
the interest which the operating company had
felt in the proper finish OF the stations-an in
teres- " hch had led II 70 spend $4,000 in deco
ration of the stations in excess OF the original
egtiInates. Consideration OF the decorative
scheme showed hat identification Of the sta
tons depended entirely on the name tablets
and uedaIions let into the walls, the letter went
Ola system which the operating company had
protested against during construction. and
which practical operation showed worked poorly
The letter continued:
or the island platforms at express stations.
illuminated or transparent signs, bearing the
name Of the station, are used with satisfactory
results, and il may be desirable to place some
or adopt other methods which may easily be
eeeH from car windows.
Z htle we are not ready 10 make definite sug-
gestI0ns 20 your board, We hope shortly TO pre-
sent cor Ecur COnSlderat don, comprehensive
plan q station Identification which Will materi-
ally alter the effect upon such Identification OF
the advertisements which have already been
placed in the stations. AMI the determination
OF the places where such advertisements may
h placed II the future without contravening
t1s restrictions contained in the lease In the
mean time We are taking steps TO have the ad-
Nr-tlsing signs removed from places where thev
interfere with the name tablets. or with proper
methods Of cleansing the stations and station
approaches, and our vice president and general
manager have been comforting with your chief
engineer IN an effort TO reach an agreement as
70 where the advertisements may now be placed
II stations SO as not IN any manner TO Interfere
With the present means Of identiicat ton of a
slduch, and / beg 10 assure you that II is the
disposition Of this company. II possible TO fully
NEE The views OF your board on this subject
II ms connection. we must ask you 10 bear in
Elhd the TACT that relying upon the rights ac-
CURED III The contract made with the city act
ing ~ your board, We in turn. under the ad-
wee or counsel, entered into an agreement with
Aessrs ward & Cow. the faith Of which
t-eA nave expended large sums and also en-
tefed INTO contracts and that we must in
HoAo'. 10 the best of our ability live UP 70 our
own contract obligations
The plan Of Identification" 10 which Mr.. Bel
mont refers is the gaudy tin appeudages which
ere hGng 70 the signs in the Eighteenth-st sta
.+'ii. nearing IL huge white letters the station
a-l'F- IL i quite certain that no one could
80 seeing the signs and these Municipalities but
81, s g--tel is not helping out the artistic simplic-
4y q me stations in any way.