New-York tribune., 1906-12-06
CAN CITY BUILD TUBES I?
y,rOR AND METZ DIFFER
o.,st;or Viii Be Decided at Con-
ference Nert Week.

49,. 2. aoardman's blunt statement 70 the
a. -D-srsi. Commissioners on Monday that
,-o,,,s not get q responsible bidder for ths
s,nv-avs under the terms OF the Elsberg
- ~ "a +rst the law would have to be amended
p'.1 60 Greatly lengthening the franchise
'i - =. tested There VIII be an oppor-
sor tbose who believe that a subway
-. ., this city is an enormously valua-
-, q, hid on the new subways. The ad-
'N 80, FOR bids may begin the latter part OF
..---,~tb. II there are no bids an appeal will
o., Albany. and then VIII follow a bitter
-. o,a- the repeal Of the most important
- ~ the Elsberg law-the one making
=, .-.-srirg franchise not more than twenty
NTH q readjustment OF terms for an
other twenty.
-.-.-,rler Metz and Mayor Mcclellan are as
,,.,s-t almost, as the two ends OF Broad
o,-er the question of the financial ability of
~1' - b1,ild its own subways. conference
-, - hold on the matter early next week. and
---.o-srion Counsel Ellison viii be called in
- Mcclellan figures that the city has
=, recurring capacity OF more than 100000
-, srH that Il the city cannot get bidder Tor
wv -, era-,cbise on reasonable terms 70 the
>. .hs, .he city itself should build the sub
80, controller Metz says that the city has no
- with which 10 build the subways. The
..-,s-ence viii be for the purpose of deciding
-, ,-bst the debt incurring capacity OF the
a. e Another thing that is bothering Is that
=. Nrsvor does not like NIr Boardman's attitude
-. &C., holds that II is decidedly out Of place
s,- NJ. Boardulan 10 say that TIE city cannot ger
.t55sr for its new subways in advance of the
S,-.-.,ei-r for bids. The Mayor thinks that the
--o,sv- peorle would take II as a notice to re-
,-.,n RON bidding until the terms are made
easier. IT,.
Asa matter Of fact, It IS generally believed
.A.+ NJ Roa~dman was about right when he
--asjc.ed that no responsible bids would be
,,-nsa n. Mr. Boardman was opposed TO the
Tlsberg bill and still IS opposed to II
According 70 my figures said the Controller
.,.s-s-ssv- ..-he city cannot go into subway
t,,l5,nr on is own hook. for the reason that II
bss,. a-v money for that purpose For the
ssks ~ argument. let It be conceded that we
have a debt .ncurring margin Of SlO0eOoOO
A. he same time there have been authorized.
b1, not issued. more than Sl0O.OoOOOo worth Oh
bonds for various purposes hold that an au-
tbo-ized nond though not issued. is the same as
g certified check. Il IS q lien on the money
fhst II calls for. The money ought not 10 De
srent OF course not all of the bonds that nave
been authorized n the last TWO years Will be IS
sued this year or next year. In the mean uihe,
The increase in assessed valuations Is more hah
teeptng ahead Of our expenditures so Ihat We
ere eettiuc in better shape all the time But
for eli that. we cannot jump into the bulclng
os subwavs Il would take more than 500
NnOJ0 70 build and equip the subwayS as lalo
down We might build one at a time, but the
question IS Which One2 There viii be an aWInl
howl Es soon a. i Is learned that the city Is
going 70 build only one Of its four or nVe
trunk Iine routes. ] am going 10 get together
with the 8Iayor and the Corporation Counsel
and fIG OUT JUST about how far II would be pos
sIbe for The city 10 go in building subways
with Us own money, in case we cannot get
Edsr
The select committee Of the Board OF Estimate
and ApIoruolments OF which Patrick r. NC
Gowen Is chairman, VIII at tomorrow 5 meetlLlg
report IL favor OF all the five routes advocated
by The Rapid Transit Commission, also for the
sO-caIed COle- route, from Pelham Bay down
Third avenue 10 the Manhattan Bridge, ana
thence across the river and down Fourth ave
nue 70 Fort Hamilton and COney Island. The
report also VIII urge haste in getting the work
under way, calling attention 10 the IatI Llat mat Il
The routes as approved by The Appellate DIYls-
Son in October are not built upon IL part by
the end of Two years the franchise will lapse
WORD came from Brooklyn yesterday that
Br00klyrires had organized syndicate 10 do
on The Coler route from Pelham Bay to Coney
Island. The runor could not be verihed
When MAYOR Mcclellan was asked yesterday
e50ut The outlook for subways. he SAID
The best Thing 10 co is 70 go ahead and adves-
fise for bids That VIII tell the story II We
cannot gel The bids then perhaps II VIII pe oesL
f0r ms ~ ask the legislature 70 give the RAPID
Transit Commission and the Board OF Estimate
and Appor-ioLmeut greater latitude In framing
The contract But We cannot hope 70 gel any
satisfaction from the Legislature unless We 90
there E-tn clean hands We have got 20 show
thar We cannot 20 on with subways before we
can Ear help there. As a last resort the city
should plan 70 build and operate its subways
This would take a great deal Of money, and II
would Uof be desirable If we could get some one
u build The subways with private funds under
e contraC- fair 10 the municipality.