New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-09
Union SERVICE TO STOP
FERRIES OUT OF DATE.
Cifu Mag Bay ard Operate Lines
Crossing East Riuer.

-. ,,s Union Fe-l-s Company has s,rves co4,o.
-, city that II the city does not take orsr Cts
e - by May nexi tho service will be eban-
doned.
s "a take the isrriss over although x is sure
-,r, Ioslns venture. They Seem TO sesr that
80 DO not keep The ferries running there Will be
,-rrr that tha city IS aegleottng the interests of
=. nacple who coInp~lied to thu ferries
~ am opposeG 10 the municipal operation OF a
Lied public utility except a last resort
,bs Mayor yesterday. TT looks now as IL we
- have 20 90 with the Union Ferry Company's
- as We did with the Staten Island and seth
-. lines that IS. take them over and DO what we
- nth them. ! understand that the Union com
Co earned enough last yesr to pay interest on
- ttonss and per cent on it's capital stock. The
.,,v viii take tho conpany's proposition under ad
,,semsnL
-, wears ago when the city and the company
- into an agreement concerning the con-
.s,usnoe OF the Union oompsny's service the COM
- valued SITS plant 81 SS2So.ooo Since then there
- h,xn oeter1o-stion in the value or the boats,
-, an tAs other hand, the ccmpany's waterfront
s-.,s-rv has Increased q value.
- bts letter 70 the Sinking Fund Commissioners.
,,ss Yesterday. President Fairchild OF the
-, company explains that the ferries no longer
-. snd that therefore the officers feel that they
.s no longer be able TO Justify themselves to the
.sboI6ers II they continued TO operate the boats.
- - ,hst the city may suffer no inconvenience
y. -oeoe is given The city may go 20 the Legis-
-. Cor authority take over the system IL the
a.. administration deems 1T Mr.. Fairchild's letter
says:
:. s.sns clear that on the beginning OF the
e2ss VII be so reduced longer enable this
55n,psny TO pay operating expenses and also pay
@ .rsfirn upOa the capital invested. Under such
s1.grrsstances Il cannot be reasonably expected
ssst private corporation WIN continue such op-
,T authorities this time. so that there may be
annie opportunity TO make some practical provision
ior nc the alternative is presented when the time
-. SsSontinuance arrives the company may be
bBred 10 dispose OF its property. including us real
80 ., Atlantic and Hamilton avenues Brooklyn.
ano 50 nav indicate the consideration Of al
a.-vcs-ivs The accounts OF this company show a
eaiy snS Sodsys. FOR the year ending october 81.
90 In addition about rfty-seven hundred trucks
piTeT Aside from public convenience the discon-
inusnce OF these ferries would nndou6tedly nave
~ waterfront and neighbor1ng property OF both
Manhattan and BROOKLYN Tunnels viii not accom-
-ose-s yehicular traffic
\. sser1s 70 Us therefore. that the city authori-
yes mnst csrefIly consider whether or not the
.nrSiir interests demand, both for convenience of
ss.sss,Ise a aSaustion of these ferries and the
rropery necessary for their operation by the city:
,bs Company since the franchise lease will have
EXPIRED bur eye 70 fo the operaton Of the fer
res viii require an enabling act from the Legisla-
.ure and il such IS not OBTAINED at the present
session al the legislature, there will be no aterna
tve presented and result possible except the
closing Of the ferries when their operation becomes
impossible by the present corporation
The Sinking Fund Commissioners filed the COM
nunicsroa and decided 10 take the matter up for
CONSIDERATION when all the correspondence has been
printed
BIZ 10 The legislature to permit the city to pur
chase the ferries and ferry property. II lost
n Albany. By a curious coincidence Mr.. Grout is
noE counsel for the Union Ferry Company. and
such presented the communication OF Mr.. Fair
cnld 10 the Mayor.
Senator Cooper OF Brooklyn, has introduced a
bM which gives the city authority take over the
Union coupary's property well the 92d street
lne AZ the bill becomes a law the Sink
,g Fund Commission will take up the matter
Esln.
As already stated in The Tribune, the operation
O. the Staten Island ferry by the city has been a
losing venture i Is costing the city at the rate
Of about $4,000 a year in excess OF receipts to
maintain the Staten Island service.