New-York tribune., 1910-09-02

terest at AZ per cent to the city prior 10
! the beginning Of operation. -,
g. After such payments are nlade, on
amounts remaining shall be DIVIDED sha.s
and share alike between the contractor ana
the city ~
The contractor must set aside every year
the amounts for amortization and invest
and reinvest the amortization fund. he
is obligated to pay interest bonds or
other evidence of Indebtedness ISSUED og
him and pay and discharge the cost of con-
struction at the specihed rate
Demand Balanced Bids.
It is provided that the motive power
shall be electricity so used as to involve
no combustion in the tunnel nor any
lessening of the purity of the air.
In the construction of the present
subway and the Brooklyn loop the WORK
was let to contractors on lump sum
bids-that is the bidder offered to 90
the entire work for so much money. IN
the present form of contract for con-
struction with municipal money the bid
ders will be called upon to name unit
prices for which they will agree to DO
certain work and furnish and install
certain materials.
The only danger in such a form Is
that is. that contractors may bid low
price for things which they have rea-
son to suppose will not be required IN
large amounts. bidding an exceptionally
high price for other parts. But the
commission states in its invitation to
bidders that any unbalanced bids may
be rejected.
The city binds itself to acquire all
real estate rights of way and ease
ments The contractor must start work
within sixty days after the delivery or
the contract and failure to complete
the work in the specified time will give
the city the right to retain l per cent
month from the monthly payments
thereafter.
Wilcox on Citys Needs.
Chairman Wilcox, in speaking of the
step taken yesterday. said:
1t is not necessary at this time 10
point out the necessity Of immediate
commencement of rapid transit work in
this city. nor does the fact that the COM
mission is proceeding with the tri-bor-
ough system mean that 1t looks with dls-
favor on the logical extensions OF the
present subway. The opinion seems TO
prevail in some quarters that provision
for rapid transit in this city is a choice
! between extensions of the present sub
way on the one hand and the building
of the tri-bor0ugh system on the other.
In nv opinion, both are needed.
''In the last three years the total num-
Der of passengers carried in New YORK
Citv increased over 15O,0oO.oo, and 1t is
therefore fallacious TO assume that the
needs Of the city can be met by simply
extending the present system in such a
manner that even if it were Immediately
availa bic it would not meet present re-
quirements.
IF work were commenced in the near
future on extensions to the present sub
way and the triborough system COM
pleted as soon az the work can reason
ably be done and the system put in OPP
Grafton, there can be no doubt that the
facilities thus afforded would be no
greater than the need for them"
Free Dumping Privileges.
Chairman Wilcox. in speaking of the
changes in the forms of contract made
at the suggestion of the engineers OF
the transit committee of the Board of
Estimate. said that the engineers of the
commission did not believe such changes
would materially increase or decrease
the cost of construction of the subway.
Acting Mayor Mitchell, however believes
that they will be the means of saving
large amount of money.
one of the most important provisions
made was in having the Dock Commits
sioner set aside ten docks where con-
tractors might have free dumping priv
ileges When the present subway was
being built the ring controlling the open
docks extorted as much as 81 cubic
yard in some cases for the dumping
privileges.
Careful revision and improvement of
every phase of the forms has resulted
in documents which are believed to be
as near models in precision and clear
ness a could be obtained, in addition to
other commendable features.