New-York tribune., 1906-04-06
FOR BELT LINE SUBWAY.
Nets Suggests TunneL around Nan
haitian Under RiUerS' Beds.

Controller Metz startled his colleagues in the
Rapid Transit Commission at the meeting yes
terday by suggesting a belt line subway below
the bed Of the rivers and beyond the pier line
and 10 run clear around Manhattan Island.
7 think we viii have 10 come TO it in time,
and we might as well plan for it early" said the
Controller Then he intimated that he would
like 20 have Chief Engineer Rice give opin-
ion on the practicabihty Of such a subway.
Perhaps It could be built" said Mr.. Rice
but I would not like to undertake to say what
it would cost or how IL could be operated"
Commissioner Landon looked hard at the Con-
troller. thinking he was joking, and Commits
sioner Smith seemed 10 think that the Con-
troller was making sort OF April proposition.
but no one said outright what he thought Of the
sub-aqueous idea and other matters were soon
taken up.
George L. Rives. counsel to the commission,
called the attention of the board TO a proposi-
ton from the Interborough Rapid Transit Com
pany. which wants 10 the ducts in the side
walls OF the subway through which TO run fred
wires for the overhead troIeys OF the New York
City InterbOrough Company In The Bronx Mr..
Rives advised the commission that II the COM
pany tried TO put through a scheme OF this
kind the city would have TO fight it.
A B. Boardman, counsel 10 the board. said
he opposed the restricting Of local powers and
favored the increasing Of powers Of municipal
officers. He added that Mayor Mcclellan agreed
with him. Mr.. Boardnan predicted that If the
Elsberg bill became law, the hands Of the city
would be tied IN regard TO all future subways.
He was not opposed 10 the amendment provid-
ing for the appointment of the members Of the
commission by the Mayor instead Of by the
board itself and when the board assured him
that II was agreeable 10 them, he said that he
favored the provision which allowed the board to
contract FOR separate contracts for construction
and operation.
His main objection 10 the bill was directed
toward the ffty-year lease feature He thought
that before the bill could become a law exten-
sive litigation would ensue regarding its legal
interpre tatiOn. The only reason TO change the
Rapid Transit law was TO take the power away
from the city authorities, he said. If the city
was TO get reasonable terms from bidders II
must offer as liberal terms as those already
granted 10 the lnterbOrOugh Company, was MT.
BOardman's argument
Mr. Boardman said counsel would present such
argument TO the State Legislature, and asked
he read. The board approved II and instructed
Mr.. BOardmau 20 express such views TO the
Legislature The gist of the memorandum Is IN
cluded in Mr.. BOardman's arguments as gwen.
Delegations from the Property Owners Assoct-
alton and the Taxpayers Alliance protested
against the stopping Of express trains at LenOx
avenue stations and argued that they should be
run through The Bronx.
Mr.. RVes called the boards attention TO the
new law compelling the removal Of the tracks
il must act within year An appropriation Of
$500 made 10 the Chief Engineer for expert
menting with schemes To obViate the use OF pat
ent devices in its publication of the Subway air.