New-York tribune., 1909-04-27
FAVORS CITY BUILDING
U'iHcor and Mc4dOO Not Present at
Reform Club Dinner.

hundred members anu suS5lo u N44N
Club attended the rapid transit dinner last hs''
at the Hotel Astor. William R. WILCOX, chairman
Of the Public Service Commission. and "llllaIh "
McAdoo president Of the Hudson and Mahha''e
Railroad Company who were schedued 10 sI'
were unable to attend William NJ. WINS was Also
forced IN he absent The subject Of the evening
was The Future of Transit in New York
Those al the guest table included Calvin Tomklns'
chairman OF the Reform Clubs municipal affairs
committee. Lawson Purdy. president of the Depart
nent IF Taxes and Assessments; MILO h Mai'De'
member of TIE Public Service Commission; ira a
Place. vice-rresident and general counsei OF ''0
New York Central & Hudson River Railroad com
pany. and George P. Reeve president OF the New
ark Board Of Trade. Ex-Alderman Henry LAY
Peters was one of the reformers present
Calvin Tomkins presided and made the opening
speech He said that ultimate municipal owner
shin and operation Of the citys rapid transit lines
was the desideratum 10 be looked forward 10
The reforners applauded this sentiment hoeraiE
London and the German cities and. in this couh-
Try Chicago and Cleveland had successfully 'esleD
the municipal ownership scheme. the speaker SAID
Lawson Purdy spoke on The CONSTITUTIONS %
Limitations of the Citys Borrowing Power. DIS
,ssine General Tracys recent debt limit declsloh
he said:
should t be modifed Debt incurred for the supply
OF %afP G eTtaJnins The power Of the city be
come otherwise indebted. This debt may be cse9 nee
the total exempt water debt is 10 be deducted IRON m
the gross debt and eTf nS mS'e before the sinking
fund is deducted from the gross debt. ms GIivS
hon @ aI is mot Watep debt amounts to $I0oOoOOo0
viii h vital The sinking FUNDS GrG i+ h fs fott
sum provided for the amortization Of the exempt
water debt
Ira A Place confined his remarks to descr'P
ron OF what the New York Central was trF'hs
10 do for the community. He said that whenever
| a steam railroad was obliged to use the streets
/ Of city it was hard the railroad Referring
To- loca, rapid transit matters he said IL vas no
So much question Of the terms on Which SUI
ways were to be built as it was Of getting ''''
| needed tunnels as possible
,-or,rnissionc- Maltbie spoke on A Rapid iran
sit Policy He described the origin Of rapid tran
! sit in New York city and explained the P'esF
situation. He took UP the various ineaS ..,+ M..l
the Public Service Commission for the lst llS'ly'
has indorsed These included assessment suo"0'9
| the jndeterminate franchise. the proft E''ai1ns
plan. construction by private capital etc, ne S'iu
The result Of the failure amend the c@Fst5}I NV
ton will be 70 prevent tne t,to the
lands Of private companies for nothng is clearer
"a a-a, "a ~ ' ~ bid is own lines with its oTyn money
that it will be forced TO do without ~. u -, @
poration facilities or ace asSept what the private CUM
another important principle, which tae IG0lt' G5
Is the construction OF rapid transit lines from iHnGs
raised by assessment Of cost III par' OF ." "'''''
Tn6er an irrevocabe franchise or operating con
: lFI e
nerafa line for thirty. forty fifty or one hlhdTed
wears the city loses complete control ana t,tt i
no uyay hv which be regained before me eA-
I 5eg % such Iific,ltes as make impracticsble
restrictions briefly outlined Il lS Iti@
oruan Of our commission that the Ia" sAocId e 50
amended that franchises may be granted 10 prlNat
co11rs nias for the construction, equipment ana
operation OF rapid transit lines. We believe ulal
r cornanies are licensed under the terms set iorti
in me amendments lust passed hy both houses or
the Legislature the interests Of the public VIII be
ampy protected and the city VIII be fTee 70 con
chooses or to allow private company to 90 50 or
| to combine municipal construction with private
| operation
controller Metz was late arriving At the dinner
and though he was not originally on the list OF
Speakers he was called the last speaker or
the evening Then the Controller trained his guns
on Commissioner Ma1tbie, taking up that Official
declaration that lot public money had been
spent in Nep- York mighty little Of # for sub
uavs Nr Metz said ii not The fault Of the
rresent administration. because most Of the mill
ions nov a. -1g spent contracted for years and
wears ago Turning 20 the debt limit controversy.
he remarked that raising the city's debt limit
wouldn't increase the city's ability 10 sell bonds;
that If the last sale of bonds had been for S2oooO
instead Of $4,000 400 the deal would have fallen
through.
Turning again TO Commissioner Maltbie. he said
he was glad that he had held up the Fourth ave
1 nue. subway, because ii never would have paid in
! Gods green world. But dare put up the Broad
way-Lafayette subway he said ''In vote for that
so quick II Will surprise you II you want TO build
| a subway there's your chance