The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-23
MAYOR SAILS INTOR. 7. BOARD.
NEGLECT CITY,S INTERESTS TO
HELP THE PENNSYLVANIA.

Mayor Mcclellan upset that staid and
dignifed body the Rapid Transit Com
mission when he told the members yes
terdav that in fixing the terms for the New
York Connecting Railroads. franchise they
had apparently been swayed by a desire to
look out for the interests Of the company
rather than for the interests of the city.
The Mayor told the Commissioners that
they seemed to have the idea that the de-
velopment of the city depended upon the
building of the connecting road between
the Pennsylvania and New Haven systems
and that they were initiating the methods
Of Western town boomers.
He announced that he would not approve
the contract drawn by the boards COM
mittee. After he had finished speaking
he had no difficulty in getting through a
resolution for a conference between a com"
mittee Of the Rapid Transit Commission
and a committee of the Board Of Estimate
for the purpose of agreeing upon terms
which would be more equitable to the city.
The commissions committee on plans
and contracts has for several months been
at work on the terms. Chief Engineer
Nichols of the Bureau of Franchises Of the
Finance Department recommended in
creasing payments which would have re-
ouired the company to contribute s., 1000
to the city for the first twenty-five year
term Of the franchise. The officials Of the
o..N. 1lkaotal onI tho
commission cut the sum in half and also
eliminated from the tentative form of the
franchise many other obligations which
had been recommended by Mr.. Nichols.
81 have always tried in dealing with
corporations to be fair to Them said the
Mayor Yesterday. Il have tried to treat
them in a spirit Of fair play, but at the same
time | have always insisted that they should
show the same spirit TO the city. L have
the greatest respect and admiration for MIR.
Cassatt, who is the president OF the one OF
the largest railroad corporations in the
world. 1t is his duty to protect his stock
holders and their interests and rights, but
I do not forget that l also am president OF
another Of the largest corporations Of the
world. / mean the city Of New York, and
it Is my duty to protect the rights and in
tSre6tS OF my bVOchiOluSis, lO 'iiSChS
Of New York.
Il concede that the MEMBER Of the Rapid
Transit Commission are just as earn est,
sincere and public spirited as / am in this
respect, but there is a great difference in our
point Of view. Apparently the Rapid Tran
sit Commission thinks that the granting OF
this franchise is necessary for the develop
ment of the city and that the city should
II -.-.,a-a 90 inl,t0a the pnnna p1. .
vania and New Haven companies to take
this franchise. In other words, the Com
missioners have taken the Western boom
town idea Of the situation and believe that
the whole future of New York depends upon
giving franchises to corporations on such
terms as the corporations are willing to
agree to-
The Mayor thought that the city would
get little commercial advantage from the
road, and pointed out how, in his opinion,
the terms the commission was willing to
agree to were too low
While Col. Mcclellan was speaking the
members of the commission grew more and
more FESTIVE, until President Orr, when the
Mayor intimated that the board had been
altogether too submissive to the demands
Of the company, could contain himself no
iOIlBV hila ' Iul'NCu' liz NAAhbN NAiAt
the commission had not consulted experts,
but pointed out that as the compensation
would be readjusted at the end Of twenty
five years the experience which would be
gained in that time as to the value of the
franchise would tend sufficiently to protect
the city.
The Mayor paid little heed to this explana-
ton. He said that the New York and Port
Chester company had been required by the
Board of Estimate to pay vastly more for
it's franchise than the Rapid Transit Com
mission had asked the Connecting railroad
10 pay, and this despite the fact that while
the Connecting company's franchise would
he perpetual that of the Port Chester COM
pany would revert to the city at the end Of
fifty years.
Mr.. Orr objected to some Of the Mayors
criticisms on the report Of the committee,
and to this the Mayor retorted that he had not
been furnished with a COPY Of the report,
although every 9th er member Of the board
had had one.
You must not put us in the false position
Of denying information to you" said Presi-
dent Orr, with, for him, unusual warmth.
III you did not get a copy 1t was because
there were not enough printed, and another
reason was because Of the stand you ave
always taken that you did not want to vote
on matters in this board which would have
b come to you afterward for approval as
Mayor. / say that it is not fair that you
should turn round from that position and
say such things as o lave done. We
don't object to criticism, but it is not right
that you should try to put us in a false posi-
ton. Your insinuation Is a wrong one;
we have never tried to keep anything from
you; on the contrary, we have always tried
to get from you and from other Mayors,
since / have been a member of this board,
advice and criticism from the heads Of the
administration"
Il am sorry that the chairman has taken
the attitude that my criticisms were made
in bad faith, the Mayor said after there had
been some more passages between himself
and Mr., Orr.
Il did nothing OF the kind, Mr.. Orr in
~terrupted. Il had no such idea in my mind,
and IL you 30 construed what / said l tax it
all back"
There was tussle, also, between the Mayor
and Comptroller Metz. The Comptroller