New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-11-18
rRE rRLRORorGES COST

The statement of Mr.. Wilcox, chair
map Of the Public Service Commission.
disposes Of the charge that the cost Of
the triborouCh subway would enor-
mousiy exceed the general expectation
The engineers of the commission have
gone into the subject much more fully
than il is likely that the engineers of
any body of its critics have. and their
estimates have proved TO be remarkably
accurate in regard TO the $50. 100000
contracts recently opened. Mr.. Wilcox 5
figures may safely he accepted as reason
ably near the cost. much nearer than
estimates from any unofficial source
His figures show. moreover, that reid
lively to the cost of the Interb0rOugh
subway the cost of the tribOr0ugh Wall
not be high The whole new line can he
built at the rate OF about $1.014e00 =
mile as compared with $7S4,341 a mile
for the present subway. The proposed
line viii thus cost about 80 per cent
more a mile and viii he about 50 per
cent larger in its prism. This favorable
showing. in spite of the increased cost Of
labor and Of materials. is doubtless due
To the greater relative mileage OF ele-
waited structure In the proposed line.
Much of the criticism of the ri-
borough seems to be based on the idea
that the present subway must be &C
cepted as the standard, and that III
planning subway on q larger scale the
Public Service Commission has made
ii too big. But other cities. smaller
cities than New York. as we have shown,
/ have already got TO building Subways on
/ 4 larger scale than ours. and if there
/ i one lesson which that subway has
taught It is the folly of planning on too
small scale Would anybody regret il
/ if the carrying capacity of the present
: subway We're twice what II Is: Would
not the Whole city applaud the fore
sight of the old Rapi6 Transit Commits
sion in building 50 a. 10 accommodate
for a reasonable period New Iork's
growing traffic. instead Of building a
line that would he filed the day il was
onened and overcrowded Il year or two
LATER: How fast that traffic grows Nj.
Wnlcox's statement shows. Seventy
million more passengers year means III
five years about a million more passen-
GERS a Ciay 10 handle than there are TO-
dav. The trib0rough is not a bit too
big II the city can afford to build IT,
The discussion should stick close to
that question. and other suggestions be
uur bv as irrelevant and offered TO CON
fuse the issue After the way the Inter
borough company has behaved i'll fail
inc to provide needed extensions Oh
reasonable terms. the necessity Of com
petition may he taken for granted. the
city should not spend its available S6u,-
0DOOO0 50 as 10 put itself more com
nlptey at tie mercy of the interborou2n-
Furthermore the triDorough' may be ac-
ce!ted a> the hest route practicable. 1t
does not. reach every point that IL -
desirable 10 reach. but neither does the
present subway. nor would any other
that could he laid out And If the CITY
is ready TO build. delay for the purpose
Of changing the plans in any important
respect would he of such disadvantage
than no gaiu from their Improvement
would he likely IL compensate for IT.
Moreover. in determining whether the
city il III 4 position 90 90 iiieth YIN
the rrihorough system the Public Service
Commissions estimates of cost should
be accepted as the safest and best guide
FINALLY. it should be borne III mind that
the triborouch without in" elevated eX-
tensions would lac Il great and usefui
SYST ON. aud that those extensions. if the
ci,y is not III q position :" construct
them or its credit. could he hulii ny
assessment on benefited real estate.