New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-29
SUBWAY ROUTES FOR TWO.
TRAFFIC RIVALS TO BID.
Belmont Says City IS Bound to Com
pLete Parsons Plan.

+aneously with the decision of the COM
mittee on plans of the Rapid Transit Commits
| sion yesterday to advertise for proposals for
routes desired by both the PETERBOROUGH Rapid
| Transit Company and the New-York City Rail-
| way. came a statement from August Belmont
president of the marlborough, saying that the
| city was under a sort of moral obligation to go
ahead and complete the subway system the
| lines laid down by William Barclay Parsons.
| This plan would have unified the lines of
| travel so as to have made it impracticable for
more than one subway company to bid for sub
ways
President Belmont says his company practi-
cally lost So OO0, 900 in building the Brooklyn ex-
tension for s2OOO,OOO it is going to cost $10,-
600 900. Controller Grout said last night that
the plans for routes for subways had been
fully considered. and that the report ready
for submission to the full commission.
I'VE will have to wait for the return of Mr.
Rives, the counsel" said Mr. Grout. He is ex-
pected home tonight He is to write the formal
report the main features of which have been
agreed upon by the members of the committee
on plans Generally speaking, the report is for
the system laid down by the commission, with
notifications to conform to the views of the
engtnee,s of the companies desiring to bid
Where there is a conflict of routes. such
ours in Lexington and 7th aves the commission
will throw open for competition the routes de-
sired by the competing companies, and the
award will be made to the company offering the
most attractive inducements to the people in the
shape Of free transfers, quick service. long haul,
and other things appreciated by the travelling
public. In order to be fair to both companies
the report Will favor four-track system III
7th-ave.. with alternative system of two
tracks in 7th-ave. and two in Broadway.
THE report will favor four-track system for
7 Q1th
native propositions for getting the tracks further
downtown desired by the competing companies
The New-York City Railway interests want to
four tracks down Lexington-ave. to 34th-
st. to Broadway, to Union Square and down to
Barcay-st, with two tracks carried down to
the Battery below Barclay or Vesey. The In
terborough Rapid Transit Company wants to run
the four-track Lexington-ave. line to 42d-st to
a. connection with the present subway These
routes will be advertised and the bidders offer
ing the best inducements will get the routes"
What about the assertion that there is a
moral agreement the part of the city to COM
plete the subway system the lines laid down
originally by Mr.. Parsons as desired by the
Belmont interesis?' Mr.. Grout was asked
There is moral agreement about it," said
Mr.. Grout. This is straight out subway prop
osition. and what after is the best in
terests of the people The spirit of the law con-
templates competition in the building and run
ming of the subways. We shall get competing
bids If can
When it suggested that Mr.. Belmont
would not bid for the Brooklyn subways if he
could not get an assurance that he would get
additional lines in Manhattan supplementing
the present SYSTEM Mr. Grout said: Mr.. Bel
mont viii bid for Brooklyn extensions If it is
to his financial interest TO do so. and he will not
If the contrary is true. He assuredly will not !
bite off his nose to spite his face. All we know /
now is that both companies willing TO build
subways at their own expense.
Mr.. Belmont. in order to make clear the atti- |
tude OF his company made statement and gave |
out copies of letter three years old with ref |
erence TO the building of the Brooklyn extern
sion Attention is called to that part of the let
ter in which the Rapid Transit Subway Con- /
Struction Company asks for a reasonable as |
surance from the commission that the rapid |
transit system of Manhattan and The Bronx /
would be extended on the lines laid down by |
William Barclay Parsons. the chief engineer. |
The Subway Construction Company asked II Is |
said. that It's bid for the Brooklyn tunneD be re-