New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-02

| placing new man on the coflInissio"
was not that a Democrat was needed. fo'
| Mr. Bassett Is d Democrat.
| The general hope has been that th'
proper solution of rapid transit extension
would be found within few weeks and th'
contracts would be let before the enc ol
| the summer The entrance of Mr.. cram l.
| the commission will complicate matters
| considerably In the first place. he is no.
! familiar with the mass OF testimony w"
has been presented in regard to the wv
subway propositions now before the com
mission. In the second place, MT basse'
! has been making special study OF Ora"
ing contracts, and his valuable knoWleose
along those lines will be missed when IL
comes 10 preparing the specifications and
contract forms.
Interborough's Friends Pleased.
Those VIII, have been advocating the
adoption by the city Of the 1ntsroorousn
proposition for the extension OF rapid 'ran'
sit lines were iubilant last night. as theS
believed Mr. Cram would probably ne oi
their side when ii came 10 vote ne Il
a Manhattan man. his house being in Eas'
18th street and they declared his SYM
pathies would naturally be with the inter
borough as opposed TO the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company.
The appointment of Mr.. Cram VIII give
Tammany Hall representative IN the
Public Service commission and voice no'
only in the laying out Of future rapld tra"-
sit lines. but also in the awarding OF large
contracts With Mr. Cram in the comhhs-
sion II will he composed of three mephers
from Manhattan one from The Bronx one
from Brooklyn and none from either
Queens or Richmond.
The announcement that my successor
has been appointed is pleasing To me. lot
have since February / been in uncertainty
regarding my future plans said Commls-
sioner Bassett last night i shall return
a once 10 my law frm and resume the
practice Of my regular calling ! shouIu
saw that my main usefulness on the COM
mission has been in connection with ram
ing the new rapid transit law, urging at all
times the building Of rapid transit lines
that will tend to develop a round city, ana
pushirg the elimination Of DANCE, Gus Grade
crossings
Friends Of Commissioner Bassett declared
that they asked permission 10 make a hgnt
for his reappontment. but he had said
mo" He told them that he would rather
stand OF fall on his merits. II is known,
however. that Governor Dix had been adj
vised TO make the reappontment on ac-
count Of the need Of experienced men in
the commission at this particular time.
The news of the appointment Of j. Ser
geant Cram by the Governor reached me
city soon after the members of the Public
Service Commission and the conference
committee Of the Board OF Estimate mad
met 10 listen TO the tentative draft OF the
subway report drawn Up by Borough Pres
ident McAncny at Lake George. They
were so upset by the fact that their num-
Ter was t. he broken into Just AT the
critical sage of the settlement OF the
transit problem that they made little prog
ress in considering the report.
There will be another conference to-day,
and tomorrow Borough President Nc
Aneny will probably run out Of town again
TO put the report in final shape. There
will be final conference on Monday after
noon. in all probability. The conferrees
declare they will finish their report I'm time
for the next meeting of the Board Of Esti-
mate if they have TO sit up nights to
do So
None Of the conferrees would discuss the
probable outlines of the report last night.
II is understood, however. that while the
McAneny report will without much ques-
ton recommend the adoption Of the Brook
Ign Rapid Transit Company's proposition
with no material changes II will also sue-
gest that the Interborough be permitted
10 extend it's present subway system both
in The Bronx and Brooklyn. as we'll as in
Manhattan.
j. Sergeant Cram. who for some years
was known as the Fidus 'Achates and sar-
torial and eastronomic ideal of Charles
T. Murphy. the Tammany boss was
horn in this city in 1852 He comes from
an old New England family and was edu-
Gated at Exeter Academy and Harvard.
Some time ago. when he was answering
the question First occupation in life and
early struggles" in a list he wrote. Law
and politics
lie entered politics in tie time Of Mayor
Hugh Grant. Later he became a friend OF
Richard Croker. who placed him at the
mead Of the Dock Board. Of which Charles
r. Murphy was also member. That was
the beginning Of the friendship between the
two. which was not broken until Murphy
refused to take seriously the ambitions Of
MS OLD friend N become United states Sen
ator
Nj. Cram has always been Independently
wealthy and has moved In social circles.
This has made other Tammany leaders
Jealous. and ono 81 them. In writing 70 Muir
Div a. Mount Clemens two years ago. Ie-
fer1ed to him as Yankee Doodle" The
nickname has stuck.