The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-22
Since the People Own Every
Line How Can There Be
Private Monopoly?
RUN EN- WHEN WE'RE HONEST
Estimate Board viii Tackle the
Subway Puzzle To-day
McAneny Undecided.

J. Edward Swanstrom. OK Borough Pred
dent Of Brooklyn, made clear his position
on the subway situation. He said the
city should have only on" system with q
single fare Of five cents over all OF IL.
The letter was in ansaer to one that the
Mayor had received from Mr.. Swan
strom asking for Information.
The Public Service Commissions letter
recommending IN" adoption 81 the Inter-
| borough's new subway plan II the plan
/ in modi fled will come before the Board
Of Estimate to-day. II il not on the
calendar for to-day. but 1t is understood
! that il " IL, be brought up under the head
Of general business Ordinarily such q
matter would he referred tn the Transit
Committee. comprising Mayor Gaynor.
Comptroller Prendergast and President
| Mitchell Of the Board 81 Aldermen. But
since NIessrs. PrenderGast and Mitchell
| are known To he opposed 10 the Inter
| borough plan. IL is believed that this
| formality will be- d ispensed with and that
the letter will be referred To the Board
OF Estimate as a wnOle-
The City Hall prophets guessed yester-
dav that the probable vote wou Id be:
For the PETERBOROUGH plan, Mayor Gaynor
and Borough Presidents Steers Of Brook
lyn and Gresser Of Queens six votes;
against rhe marlborough. Comptroller
Prendergast. President Mitchell and
Borough Presidents Miller OF The Bronx
and Cromwell Of Richmond. eight votes.
II such should be the lineup Borough
President McAneny OF Manhattan could
either cause deadlock or defeat the
Peterborough plan. according 10 how he
voted
This il the Mayors letter in full:
December. 20. 1910.
DEAR Mr. SwASsrRoM: In answer TO
your letter shall briefly outline my views
In respect Of -ubway-. A contemporary
Of mine you know thar | did not acquire
these views since | became Mayor, bur
that they are the growth of experience and
study. For Cl"arness L., me subdivids
What have 70 say.
/. All subwav, now built or 10 be here
after built under the sta,ut. arc owned
by the city from the start. That IL the
case whether the city furnishes all OF the
capital to build them or only part OF 10 or
none Of ~. ON account Of the limited
credit Of the city I have therefore been
most an Nous all along Ia have the subways
built IN part ~ least hy private capital
20 that they IAN be- built at once and stimuli
tau"ou-ly ~ all Of m. boroughs instead .
Of being strung out during many years
while city funds become slowly available.
some people -,.em ." think that II pri-
waite capital i furnished Ia" civ does not
own the subway. Very few paople seem
to know hat when the subway eNtsn sion
from Manhattan over into Brooklyn was
built III" city furnished only g. p1 40 OF
the capital -pen' m tho building thereof,
while m. company furnished sssc 900.
and vet tn" city owns that subway just
a. much q. though u put every dollar into
II. This excellent bargain WAS obtained
hy Mayor Low
In other words. Va have reached full
municipal ownership 81 our subway rail-
roads But "" have not vet reached the
period 81 municipal operation. We let
tn" equipment and operation out - com
pani-~ IN" p"rplr ol this city viii not
he prepared for municipal operation until
they h"'uue sufficiently educated and
honest Themselves 20 ricc' competent and
honest o''i'iHl- and thus nav" honest gov
..rn 'u"u' all N" tim" When We look about
and -" III" dishonesty and graft which
east NOW ~" cannot i-h 10 add thereto
by puf'.rG m" operation of our railroads
in official hand
: m" city having the Ownership of all
-ubNay-. u seems plain that va should
have on,v on" -yStou ~ ~ghway- with
single fare Of ~" cents over m" whole
system instead of being Obliged IN pay
AN additional fare 20 transfer from one
system 10 another Nevertheless some arc
nov advocating that proceed 10 build
what they call an "lndependent subway
system / Independent of the present
subway. and 10 b" operated by another
company They want tho city to build q
rival subway system To IN. citys present
subway. which latter ~ capable Of extern
sion all over the great city. even to the
Borough Of RICHMOND In fact such ex-
tensions w"r" laid out hy the old Board
OF Rapid Transit commissioners with the
purpOs" Of having ono complete system.
And for what do the-" people want To
the original plan Of one compIsss
cry system. conceived and settled upon
adv i-"dly rs large and mature men and
have several independent and rival sys-
tens instead, can you tell me. except To
secur" To tho p"opi. ~ the "ity tho priyi-
leg" of paying an extra fare Of ffsS cents to
transfer from one system TO anSthsrs
They admit. yes. thar system by which
tN" or NOR" fares are collected for on
journey IL not good hui say there -
reason why IN" People Of this city want to
hav" Independent subway systems and
pay Two or more fares
They -ay that ~" people want an indie
pendent system built IN order to have it
operated rs "a good company sort OF
I topian company which will not look out
for IT. oyn interests AZ all h'if only for the
interests ard conyenisnc" of all tho rrst
NJ ~ Well. now. wher" IL that good"
to b" fcunds They have not
thought that far ahead set Theory " ono
thiRg. prart,s" another Did any ono ever
hear of. much less see. such a company ~
that think all public service com Janiss
look alike =" you and me We never -.
. -sooh on" yet
But morc than this. when ~" IN 20
pendent system - built ~" ".', '".li
RInRlRA-dIRA-A ndTiH