New-York tribune., 1908-02-20
METZ TO BR0NXlTES.
NO NEW SUBWAI NOH +.
Gires Them Lecture also on
"Nerre" and "ButtiHg In.

-..,,. ,r,.- -o-5 Rorouch President Hsnen
and other Bronx boomers yesterday tnat '"t ""
-,a-sfn was down 10 s12.eoooeo, where 1t "ouio re-
main until July l. when IL would ne raised 10 60
o,o.so hut he gave them cold comfort by saying
that this margin insufficient 70 warrant "e
building Of another four-track subway f1shl aN
Furthermore he told The Bronx people 'nev ousn'
~. IN exnect to ride twenty miles Tor nNe Gents
.4 -,sqeste5 extension OF the elevated lines ano 4
1acsnf fare II the companies would not give >
cent fare = .
.,,1rc,ler Metz said that se"1ae'" would oe
.sa5 fo- schools SS0.a 90 to complete the Black
80 1slsrd Bridge. S2o.ae0 for police stations.
:, n.a 40 for the Charity Department soPcHo Tor
Manhattan Borough for sewers and other soso-
i,T-e necessities and S+.eseso for ferries Ihen ne
eg7,red that the Fourth avenue subway would nave
n be built because the city was committed 10 II
zr5 ,f,s+ II would cost about &oo.coo a year for
four wears This would mean in the aggregate
er exreniitT,re Of s4o.0oooo this year
We had 2 margin of 100000 3 few days ago
.=id Afr Metz We've contracted for improve
roen+s ~ the extent Of $l5.oeaoto more. and that
r.szas only 81 onaa The S45oH0o1 increase in as
.assad valuations talked about will be about S+Z-
naa aa That makes a. and L. or about S'4ooo'''V
On Iul~ /" MI Metz figured that after spendins
s4a oaao there would not be much left in the city
President Hanen said there ought to oe three eN-
tensions of rapid transit lines in Ihe Bronx one
extending through Jerome avenue. one through
White Plsirs Road sn6 through Westminster
-,,o That would mean fifteen miles Of lines
lie said to construct subways along those htteen
miles would cost an enormous sum He SAID eie-
rsred lines. srrong as the present subway
xisdl5-t in The Bronx. could he built along these
three -horoughfares for S1l59o.oo They could De
h7,i,r in about year and = half. while 1t would
f7ae four years TO construct subwaEs along the
same routes
why don't Won give the people who own roads
\ chance 10 blsild up there for you.' Controller
Metz asked. ard they'd put up rapid transit for
You Everything was ready 10 run a subway down
Lexington avenue. with transfer free TO the Lex
lneton avenue surface road and across town to one
running down Seventh avenue hut just the
company about TO build the Elsberc law vas
passed. killing the whole thing The thing TO do
is 10 got that EsherE law amended
EVERYBODY else seemed to be in favor Of that
and they all mutually agreed 10 help amend the
luU any way they could
--Subways in Manhattan cost Slo.oeD."ao A mile
continued the Controller. Chief Engineer Lewis
saws il takes FIVE years reach the Harlem. That's
millions year You build mile in year
and sink SI0,ooo0to the hole, and there you are
Tor a year. Then you sink ten millions mere in
another year and in five years spend s50COOOo0 and
get TO the Harlem. Where do get the money
This year start such scheme? You're COM
TniIGed the Fourth avenue subway and I'm going
that through the finish
Borough President Hafen said President Shonts
had told him the Ipterborough willing TO listen
q proposition from the city regarding ele-
waited road extension up Jerome avenue A struct-
are strong as the present subway viadUct would
d. put up from the New York & Putnam railroad
bridge 10 Van Cortlandt Park. Mr. laffen also
said ti2at President ShonJs had declared the Inter
borough had never decided TO build folr-rrack
elevated The Second avenue route third
track the Third avenue That would be done, lie
said. on reasonable terms
Some OF The Bronx citizens protested that if the
InJerbOrough ran through The Bronx WoodlaWn
Heights il would charge a Decent fare.
Why shouldn't it?' flared up Mr.. Metz. That's
clear business proposition 1 wouldn't carry You
from WoOdawn Heights TO the Battery for five
if ] owned The road. Not by a hanged sight!
M twenty miles for five cenJst That's the bigse
kind Of a nerve, 10 ask for a 5-cent fare, II
YOU people didn't butt in with your theorizing on
these schemes you'd have rapid transit-like killing
rne Lexington avenue and West Side subway
scheme by having the ElsDerg bill passed. Then
there that New York Connecting Railway.
They could have had that started now, but there
hagEIng over s2eo.06o and the settlement was
made sI1G00o- Then il late. and work
has been done yet. and it won't be built for five
ears. ANYWAY. :t Ryan and Belmont who had
ffst FSsberg Law passed prevent competition in
this ci1T.'
NJ Metz said he would give 10000 for rapid
transit in Tie Bronx If the Elsberg law was
amended.