New-York tribune., 1908-03-10
CAN'T BUILD SUBWAYS.
METZ'S FINAL WORD.
City Too Poor for Brooklyn or
Manhattan Projects, He Says.


Following debt limit conference in the Mayors
Office Yesterday afternoon Controller Metz said
that II could accepted definite and final fact
that the ctys finances would not permit either the
BROOKLYN Fourth avenue or the BroadWay-Lexlug-
ton avenue subway
We may as well face the music first as last
said the Controller There will be no money for a
Subway tr RrookIvu for the twoAVears. and
the Broadway-Lexington avenue subway VIII come
after that The only hope for the Brooklyn SUD-
way is that the Legislature will amend the Els
berg law s 10 give the city permission TO
frame contract that Will attract private capital
otherwise there is no way to finance a new SUD-
way no matter how much II is needed, ana every
Ole knows that need it to facilitate the growth
of the city.
ct isn't pleasant for the chief financial officer
Of the city O a problem like this. have
been hesitating for some time to say II bluntly
toping that would be able to keep other ex-
pendtures down as to permit OF large I'M
mediate expenditure for subways. I am booked to
speak to the taxpayers a meeting in Bath Reach
tonight, and I am going to tell them hatiy ana
plainly that there isn't money to build the Fourth
avenue subway and that the best thing they can
do S put the the Legislature and
compel it amend the Elsberg law so that we
enlist private capital.
The conference in the Mayors Office was attended
by the Mayor the Controller, Corporation Counsel
Pendleton. Nelson P. Lewis. chief engineer or the
Board of Estimate and Apportionment- and Charles
s. Hervey. head of the accounting DIVISION III tllo
Finance Department. The Mayor about two weeks
ago called heads of departments to turn in a
statement showing the expenditures authorized by
the city which could not be postponed These
statements available yesterday, and they DIS
closed a situation in harmony with the Controllers
estimates from time TO time namely that the DEBT
margin would permit of subways. Prospective
expenditures of the Department Of Education and
the Department of Bridges. to say nothing OF the
other departrnents will wipe out S26Ooo.000 OF the
Io~tI- Gny7 7y,1ts al "a
ported that the Manhattan. the Blackwell's Island
and the Hudson Memorial bridges, with their ap-
proaches. would require s15ooo"o. whlle the bodru
of Education will need s11.000HH
How about the Fourth avenue -ubway, which
the Public Service Commission is ready TO adver-
tiser'
Well as 1 understand the situation, the con
tract for the Fourth avenue subway VIII nave 10
come 10 the Board of Estimate and Apportlonment
for final approval When 1t gets there. @ctlns Win
full knowledge of the city's financial limitations
and backed by the advice of the Corporation Coun-
sci, will refuse to pass the contract
The attitude of the Board of Estimate and Ap-
portonment is likely shift the pressure that tax
payers associations have been putting on the Nc
Clellan administration TO the State Legislature,
which has the power to repeal the Elsberg bill
1t said at the City Hall yesterday that Bor-
ough President Haffen of The Bronx was prepar-
ing a suggestion for the Board of Estimate. the
salient feature of which was that the assessed val
uation of real estate in the entire city be raised
per cent next year 10 PROVIDE money lOf suDWdyS
Five per cent increase would give $500 900 addi
tonal assessed valuation. and this would permit
Of s30,oo,o0o being added to the city's debt
Mayor Mcclellan said yesterday morning that
with only S2 .0o0.0 on hand July city
would have to be very careful in its expenditures.
1t could readily be inferred from his opinion of the
city's finances that there was not much chance Of
subways being built during his admins tration. He
favors private capital taking up the construction
OF subways. and would like to see one of the bills
in Albany amending the Elsberg law passed.
The select committee of the Board of Estimate
and Apportionnent to inquire into the merits of
the Lexington avenue subway route and the Public
Service Commission had meeting yesterday after
noon when it was decided by the committee 10
recommend to the Board OF Estimate that the Lex
ington avenue route be approved. with rnodifca-
tions in regard TO the road under Grace Church
property.
Chairman Wilcox. of the Public Service Com
mission, was much pleased that the committee of
the Board of Estimate had agreed to recommend
the Broadway-Lextngton avenue subway route for
adoption Now ii is question of money" he
said Our next step is to get the consent OF the
property owners who have not already agreed to
that part OF the route formerly adopted or to go
to the Appellate Division. But in the mean time
ahead and prepare our plans for the
subway, which will be placed before the Board OF
Estimate soon they ready Then II thew
have not got any money TO go ahead with the work
it will be fault
Chairman Wilcox said he was much surprised TO
hear from Controller Metz recently that the money
appropriated for the Fourth avenue subway had
not been sequestered and that there might be diff
Guilty in getting enough that work The
revised plans viii completed in three OF four
days and will be put squareIy before Board Of
Estimate, with q request for money begin con-
structOn. Chairman Wilcox holds that the re-
sponsibility will then rest with that body.