New-York tribune., 1911-01-13
Company Was to Extend Present
System Down Seventh Avenue
and Up Madison, While City
Built on the East Side.
WHY WAS PLEDGE BRoKEN?'
Would Like the People 20 Know. Says
President of Aldermen-"No!"
Shouts Audience, as Timothy
Healy Asks if Gaynor, Taking
Presen. Stand, Would Have
Been Elected Mayor.

John Purroy Mitchell. president OF the
Board of Aldermen; Controller William
A. Prendergast, and Timothy Healy, labor
man. gave TO an audience that filled
Cooper Union last night their respective
views on the subway question, with par
ticular emphasis on the prediction
pledges of the present members OF tho
Board Of Estimate as compared with
their standing now.
The meeting was held under the
auspices of the Peoples Institute, with J.
Aspinwall Hodge, chairman OF tho
Forum committee OF that body acting as
chairman.
Mr.. Mitchell. as the first speaker Of tho
evening. got the audience as quiet as
Quaker congregation when he said he
would give a little inside history OF tho
subway question which had never been
brought out before
Soon after work started on the tri-
borough plans" he said. "Mr. Shonts.
president Of the Interborough, went into
conference with Mr.. Wilcox. chairman
of the Public Service Commission. After
|
that-and practically there was a COM
| pact between them-the Interborough
would build with its own money up Mad
ison avenue and down Seventh avenue.
and that the city would at the same time
build an independent system up the East
! Side of the city.
"Mr. Shonts asked Mr.. Wilcox to como
1 81
again. and Mr.. Wilcox did"
"Mr. Morgan said in substance. Il am
convinced, and will finance this plan,
and lend the money TO the Intcrborough.'
While that was the situation up TO
the spring Of this year. for some reason
that I don't know, and that you don't
know, but which I'd like 20 see the people
! know, the directors of the Interborough
repudiated this compact made by their
| president. Shonts."
Mitchell left that matter then. with the
remark that Mr.. Wilcox was his au-
thority for the statement. and that he
had told all he knew about it,
Audience One With Speakers.
All three Of the speakers carried the
| audience with them enthusiastically. and
there was scarcely ripple Of the heck
ling attitude so often used by Cooper
| Union audiences to rattle speakers with
whom they are not I'm accord.
Mr.. Mitchell sketched the present
status Of each member Of the Board OF
Estimate and Apportionment on the sub
! way question. and compared that with
the stand Of each before election.
"A year and eight months ago" he
said, Judge Gaynor was preparing 70 be-
come a candidate for Mayor. He wrote
| an article for a magazine
Hes liable to write anything" came
an interruption from one Of the au-
dience. and it was more than a minute
before Mr.. Mitchell could make himself
heard TO tell them that at that time the
Mayor declared himself in favor Of city
| built and city owned subways.
In introducing the hrst speaker. Mr..
Hodge said that lit is not even ques-
ton of route. but a question OF principle.
question as to whether those elected
to office shall keep their pledge 10 the
people"
Mr.. Prendergast, after following por-
tions Of Mitchers argument along diff
ferent lines. went over the financial as
pect of the subway question. and took
issue thereby with Mayor Gaynor and
the Chamber of Commerce.
Timothy Healy spoke for only few
minutes between the two city officials.
and he summed up bis effort with one
question which the audience answered
with loud and repeated shouts OF Mo-"
Il Just want to ask YOU" said he. II
Mayor Gaynor had said before election
what he says now about subways, would
he have been elected?"
Controller Prendergast, referring to
the Mayors published objections TO mis-
leading statements on the situation. had
this to say: Il know OF no one who has
helped TO create more misunderstanding
upon the subject than Mayor Gaynor
himself"
Both Mitchell and Prendergast took
particular pains 10 assure the audience
that George McAneny. Borough Presi-
ing in accord with his prediction
pledges and the pledges OF his campaign
platform when the question finally came
up FOR decision.
For the other Borough Presidents. Mr.
Mitchell contented himself with quoting
from the fusion platform of the last city
campaign. and then turned all his at
tention TO the stand taken by Mayor
Gaynor.
What Gaynor Said Before Election.
"He became a candidate" he said. re-
ferring TO the Mayor, and one night
after having with great difficulty found
his way 10 Tammany Hall he said. in
referring to the lnterborough company:
.By the eternal. 4 Mr.. Moore and Mr..
Calvin and myself are elected. and come
into the Board OF Estimate. by the
eternal. they never will get their clutches
into the building OF subways'"
The audience howled with slee At these