New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-06
Williams and QuaCkenbuSh Pre-.
sent Merits of Rival Sub.
way Offers.
CITY CLUB SCENE OF STRIFE
Williams Says Interboro's Threat
on Broadway Line Caused His
Company to Become Bidder
for a Complete System.

and James l.. HnHr fPnnush' Seh't'i
counsel for the lnterhorough. took part
in subway debate last night at the
City Club. which gave tho members
chance to hear both sides Of question
of which they had expected IN hear only
| cne side
| The cards for tho evening set forth
that Colonel Williams would speak on
the subway offer of his companv Two
weeks ago. when tho entertainment was
projected. the City Club invited The0-
dore p. Shonts. president of the Inter
borough. ~ be present and take part
but Mr.. Shonts declined the offer.
With The day of the meeting At hand
and the report of the transit committee
of the Board Of Estimate and Apporfion-
n,ont IN such immediate prospect. how
ever. the TnterboroUgh officials thought
II hest to avail themselves of the oppor-
tunitv offered by the CITY Club. and NJ.
Ouackenbush appeared 10 represent
| them.
The rntsrhorough's LAWYER GOV hrsl
pIace on the programme and began WIN
the proposition that ''you never can sat-
isfv tho American people with any zone
svstem" This was incidental 10 his
argument that the city must have a one
fare system. The present single system.
Mr.. Ouackenbush freely admitted could
not take care Of tho patrons "h'
throneed II. but tho relief as ne ga" IT,
r,ust come from additions 70 the present
system. which should he az tne sSih'
time a part ~ ".
Three things the city wants. he saio'
g., ,rie.d svster. single fare. and mn1e-
diate action
with only $50 0on. 000 of city money
availa BILE by the first of July ne con-
tinued. the city could not possibly accom-
nlish these three things itself. ana IL
must turn for aid to private capital He
otoxrad ,ben 70 the first offer of the
1r,erbornueh. dated December 5. 1910.
IN which it was proposed that the CITY
should spend s530OO,ooo Of IT'S own
money.
THAT $4,000, 600" said Mr.. ouacsen-
h,sb I'VE had earned for the city. but
when the r r. T plan came along We,
beinq in possession and not deemhe u
} necessary that We should be kicked "u''
added to our offer what prac'ioa"S
amounted to the proposal that II the cl'y
Wanted 70 build subways upon the terms
ooered nv the r. r T. We would pnii'
.har, wberever the city wanted them.
No Mint for Either Side.
Tho general counsel of the lnternor-
oh declared that there was not any
,,rt NJ money I'm the proposition TOT
either mis- company or the b. X l. anu
added that he. for one. would not 10
beartbroken # the Interboroush los''
The y r. T. offer, from financial point
~ view. he claimed, meant Simply o'''
",be colonel" by which he meant Coiohei
Williams. "is going to nave 'He su"
ar,ee OF the city OF New YORK pehiho
the earnings OF the b. X. I.
Colonel Williams, when ne TOOK ''''
eoor q moment later. explained tha' III.
rrt.rborough attitude on the nhahc'a'
-, inc question reminded him OF
the monument which used 10 s'a'i" -
r1on,rstead erected I'm memory OF cer-
; tain shipwrecked crews WHO
drowned off the coast OF Far hochd"
,rbree sides Of the monument he s''''
oro ,akep I'D with the usual inioriia-
49,, .h;Io the fourth side bore this
;,s,r,ntion: This monument was ereo
ed nv the humane people OF ''uee"'
cor,,tv ont Of the money found on 'i'
bodies of the deceased
Tho nresident of the B. r. T. then sur
,soa his audience with the statement
.,,o oounanv claimed no distinction
for the scope of it's present oner' n'"
before the city officials. That oher gre"
out ~ the situation which developed ho
a,d wben the Interborough threatehe"
..,,hdrav its offer at the first mentioh
=, broadway as a possible distripu''hs
outIet for the Brooklyn system
He explained that his company e"
,ared ,he situation with a proposi,ion o"
; March , which was not antagonisuc "
tho y,terborough, but was intenoeo 'o
meat two fundamental conditions: nrs''
,ho, the transit problem OF Brooklyn
60, ord Richmond required an ade-
ouate distributing line In Manhattan
and second. that such distributing nn'
sbouId he placed where IL would serve
not only the greatest convenience OF the
,,o r,ulion persons in those boroughs
vbose occupations and pleasure cai'e"
,hor, 70 Manhattan, but would give 10
>arhattan transit relief where IL mos,
,ooaod ,t-namely, from 5oth street 10
the Battery.
coIouel Williams emphasized the point
that broadway had not been nameu 'ne"
In any proposal Of the lnterborough pu'
80, Immediately thereafter opposition
was raised against the B. r. I. ana us
rronosals. The opposition was not pun
lie. he pointed our. but was eNpressen
privately To the city officials. until IL
Nnallv took the form of threat
"The mterborough company SAID III e'"
foe, III Won give Brooklyn Broadway, wc
will withdraw our offer. said the Colo
mol "but the Interborough mistook the
,omper and independence OF the officials
whom they addressed, and those officers.
having heard this threat promptly asked
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit companY
what Il would do with a vicw TO meeting
the transit requirements of the greater
city"
Chanoe in 3. r. T. Attitude.
This inquiry and request. he said.