The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-22
TELEPHONE FIGHT GOES OYER
THE BOARD OF ESTIMATE WON'T
ACT BEFORE FALL.
Refers the Atlantic C0mpanyS Application
TO . Select Committee Hest OF Other
Applicants epFing Up Change Of
Routes 10 The Bronx 10 Allowed.

Applicants spFing tip Change Of
Routes 10 The Bronx 10 Allowed.
The Board Of Estimate held another
public hearing yesterday on the applica-
ton OF the Atlantic Telephone Company,
but the only result Of a long discussion
was to leave the telephone situation more
unsettled than before.
Last week the board, sitting as a COM
mittee OF the whole, recommended grant
ing the franchise on such terms and oondi-
tions as the board should determine. That
report came up for consideration yesterday
and the only result Of the hearing was to
refer the report to a select committee con-
sisting OF Comptroller Metz. Corporation
Counsel Ellison and Chief Engineer Lewis
Of the Board Of Estimate. As the board
will adjourn for the summer In a fortnight
the whole question Is shelved until fall.
The result Of the favorable report made
by the committee Of the whole on the At
lantio company's application has been
to bring down a hood OF other appeals
for telephone franchises. Among the
companies who during the last week have
applied for franchises similar to the one
asked for by the Atlantic Telephone COM
pany are the New York Electric Lines
Company. the Star Telephone Company,
the Independent Telephone Company Of
New York and the Municipal Subway Com
pany.
'In fact there are enough applications
said Comptroller Metz. ito drive a man
to drink II we have to face the prospect
OF considering them all"
1t was made apparent at the hearing
THAT these independent concerns are not
only struggling to enter the field now 90
cupied by the New York Telephone Com
pany but are fighting among themselves.
j. Aspinwall Hodge, who appeared for the
New York Electric Lines Company, spoke
in opposition to the granting Of a franchise
to the Atlantic company. He asserted
that If that company was permitted TO
operate In this city it would create a monop-
| oily Of les own and one that would he worse
than the existing one.
He told the board that the Atlantic COM
| pany would not admit out Of town tele-
phone corporations to New York. thus
preventing long distance telephoning over
it's wires. Mr.. Hodge added that this
selfish policy has been adopted by the
company in Chicago.
Martin w. Littleton on behalf Of the
Atlantic company replied that his client
had no connection with the Chicago COM
pany referred TO by Mr.. Hodge. and de-
scribed the other independent concerns
as a pack OF b~ushwhackers, ambassadors
and stalking horses. He charged that
these companies had collected a lot of
alleged franchises which had for years
been put aside as junk and that they were
trying 10 revive them. He insinuated also
that those companies were acting in the
interests Of the Bell company and that the
- - --l.. II tIAs. trNA 1850 "a
was to bring about delay. This was warmly
denied by Mf. Hodge and finally the hear
ing was halted by Mr.. Metz, who said:
"This Ia a question that cannot be settled
by oratory or conflicting statements. II
must be settled by the rule Of hard common
sense. The one telephone service we have
is bad enough as it is, two will be worse
and three would be impossible, and want
more time to consider this matter before
| vote on IL one way or the other,
After a resolution proposed by Borough
President AheArn favoring the granting
of a franchise to the Atlantic company,
the resolution turning the whole thing over
to a select war adopted.
application of the New York City Inter
borough Company, a subsidiary OF the
marlborough Metropolitan, to make
changes in the surface routes laid out in
The Bronx on franchises granted to the
company two or three years ago. The
people OF The Bronx. who we're supposed
TO be up in arms against the grab, instead !
OF appearing yesterday to denounce the
company sent delegates from the civic
organizations of the borough TO urge the
Board of Estimate to approx the amended
plans OF the company, Not one spokes-
man appeared in opposition TO the appli-
cation,
When the application came up it was
found that on the boards calendar was a
resolution requiring the company to give
free transfers between Manhattan and The
Bronx. George ". Wickersham in, counsel |
for the company, told the board that this
demand could not he complied with. Mayor
Mcclellan wanted to know how the resolu-
ton came to get on the calendar and as a re-
suit Of some questioning Il was brought out
that the resolution was one adopted at a
meeting Of the North Side Board OF Trade
which had been placed on the ca lendar with
out authority by one OF Chief Engineer
Lewis's subordinates.
That fool resolution, said ex-justice
Ernest Hall, who headed The Bronx delega-
was adopted at a meeting OF the Board
OF Trade, which was attended by about half
a dozen members, and was afterward re-
We are all in favor OF the granting
OF this application. There is not a per-
son in The Bronx opposed to 1t. 1t grants
changes in the routes from narrow TO broad
streets, and il is in the interest OF the resi-
tents OF The Bronx that those changes
should be granted
DO the people OF The Bronx favor these
changes without free TRANSFERS. Mayor
Mcclellan asked.
"They do" responded Judge Hall and
many members OF the delegation.
On the motion OF the Mayor the resolu-
ton regarding free transfers was declared
out OF order and the application granted
without condition.
The board adopted a resolution author
izing the payment OF 81 $50 600 for the pur-
Of the Stats eitunp building and the
ground upon which it stands at the triangle
Of Tryon place. Park Row and Centre street.
This Is part Of the property which has been