New-York tribune., 1910-07-13
SUBWAY EXTENSION SOON
Broadway-Le exington Route BIDS
To Be Ready in September
DISCUSSING SHONTS'S OFFER
Manhattan Bridge Three-Cent
Line Gets Certificate, but
Must Cross Island.

Before sailing for Europe oii INC :,
liner Mauretania, Chairman WILCOX Oh the
Public Service Commission announced
tsrdav that bids for the construction OF
the Broadwny-Lexington subway route
would be advertised within ten days or TWO
weeks.
This means that bids will be opened not
later than September 30. The contractors
have explained that the forms OF contract
are OF such a complicated nature that IL
will require from seven to eight weeks TO
prepare their bids.
Mr. Wilcox had another conference Win
Mayor Gaynor on Monday, which resulted
in additional correspondence on the SUD-
way situation. The Mayor wrote TO the
commissioner on Monday in reply TO MT
Willcox's letter of a few days before, ana
said he was particularly interested III 'iio
statement that the Interborough company
had previously offered to make the, pro-
posed subway extensions on its own capital
He asked the commissioner to send him
copy of the company's offer to make the
extensions on it's own capital, as he was
disposed to take up that offer Immediately.
Mr.. Wilcox sent Mayor Gaynor letter
Yesterday in which he inclosed copies OF
the Interborough cOmpany's advertisements
as they appeared in the daily papers he
stated that4on March 10, 1910, Mr. Shohts'
head of the Interborough. in a letter to the
commission. said his company was Wiling
TO undertake construction of a two-track
extension through Lexington avenue and
two-track extension south from Times
Square, with certain elevated improve
mentS.
Mr.. Shonts's Promises.
In speaking of the payment for these I'M
provements. Mr.. Shonts said, except IN the
case of the cost of the lengthening of the
station platforms of the existing subway
which would cost about 100000, all the
proposed improvements would be made
without resorting to the funds or credit of
the city 1t is estimated that the other i'm
provements would amount to SO,oOO,OD
Within a few days after sending this let
fer to the commission the Interborough
company began running a series of adver-
tisements in the newspapers, In which II
was said: These improvements will cost
s5OO00O0O. We ask to build them at our ex-
pense and also it does not involve the city
in penny of obligation, investment or risk
Our proposal involves not penny of the
city's credit nor the city's money-either
now or later
In addition TO these promises, as stated in
the advertisements, the 1nterborough COM
pany asserted that although the roads
were to be built by private capital the
ownership was to rest with the city.
The Public Service Commission granted
the application of the Manhattan Bridge
Three Cent Line yesterday for cert1f1cate
Of public convenience and necessity
for a trolley line from point At
lantic and F1atbush avenues, Brooklyn, to
point near Desbrosses street ferry, in
Of hn hat n
Bridge.
Must Cross Manhattan.
There is q distinct specification made
however, that the company must arrange
to get across Manhattan Island to the
North River front. In its application the
company outlined a plan to make use of
the tracks in Canal or nearby streets for
this purpose. 1t was proposed to lease
these tracks from the owners, but no ar
rangements OF that nature have been made
with any Manhattan company.
Commissioner Bassett, who presided at
the hearings, wrote the opinion of the COM
mission After describing the proposed
routes to F1atbush avenue and the Des-
brosses street ferry, Mr.. Bassett states
that considerable portions of these routes
are already occupied by trolley tracks, and
that both the Brooklyn Rapid Transit and
the Coney Island s, Brooklyn Railroad
companies have applied for authority TO
operate their cars over the bridge TO the
Manhattan terminal. If they should obtain
the rights asked for they would carry
passengers from outlying districts of
Brooklyn TO the Manhattan terminal.
The proposition of the applicant company
is important, according to Commissioner
Bassett, because it means that passengers
would be carried from downtown Brooklyn
across the bridge and Manhattan Island at
a fare presumably less than five cents"
The officials of the two Brooklyn systems,
which opposed the application, said the
company could not be made to pay on a
scent fare basis, to which Mr.. Bassett re-
piled that the fare might be raised. Now
it costs a passenger two fares TO reach
Canal street from the Atlantic avenue sta
ton, unless he takes the subway.
The Commissioner said that If the Brook
lyn Rapid Transit system and the Coney
Island &, Brooklyn Railroad would carry
their street surface railroad operations to
the Hudson River at scent fare it would
seem right to let them have the use of the
been expressed
Mr.. WILCOX does not expect to be abroad
longer than August 10, but said that while
he is absent there will be at all times
quorum of the commission present. He ex-
poets to go to Paris and Oberammergau to
see the Passion Play. Frank H. Hitchcock,
Postmaster General will go with Mr. Will
cox to Oberammergau.