New-York tribune., 1912-01-27
STILL FOR |NTERBOROUCA
Mayor Again Hints He WouIc
Favor Preferential Offer.
LETTER TO QUEENS MAN
Commissioner Cram Suggests
Municipal Operation Of
Subway Lines

Mayor Gaynor again intinated yesterday
that he was prepared to favor the grant
ing Of a preferential payment 10 the Inter
borough Rapid Transit Company III oruer
r. bring II back into the scheme for rapid
transit extensions. IN letter addressed
IN George w. Pople, of Flushing. he said
THE thing that will always be regretted
is that the said offer of the Interborough
in December. 1910. was frittered away and
rejected To have to give the company bet
ter terms now would be very unpleasant
thing. and vet that is the situation we
have TO face.
The lawyers-Francis Lynde stetson for
the banking house OF J. p Morgan q Co.
and George S Coleman, for the Public
Service Commission-were busy on legal de-
tails of the suggested agreement with the
Interborough yesterday. When they are
done report will he made TO the city s
cOnferrees and they will decide as 10
whether or not they are willing to accept
the proposed agreement. Ndt until the III
terborough receives assurances that a
definite offer will he acceptable 10 a major
ity of the Public Service Commission ard
of the Board of Estimate will il send In a
definite offer. it was stated at its offices
yesterday.
AS Controller Prendergsst will not re.
turn from Lakewood until tomorrow night
and Borough President McAneny is going
10 Philadelphia to-day to speak before the
City Club. Of that city. the conferrees can
- not get together again before Monday. II
is pretty we'll assured, therefore. that any
definite offer will not he made before the
middle of next week. az the earliest.
Over the telephone from Lakewood yes
terday Controller Prendergast said that
any new Arrangement would assuredly not
interfere with the proposition TO give the
BROOKLYN Rapid Transit an entrance TO
Manhattan and UP Broadway. Both he and
other members of the Board of Estimate
feel confident hat in some way they will
Be able 10 force Mayor Gaynor TO give the
consent n the routes needed links. in
spite Of the fact that he has shown dis
position 10 be untriendly to the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit and TO hold up these links
Indefinitely.
Commissioner Crane threw lot Of dust
over the entire situation Yesterday by suG-
gestng the municipal operation OF the
Fourth avenue subway and the Centre
street loop. These lines have been staked
out for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit He
started 1t all by introducing at the meet
ing Of the commission a resolution calling
upon the counsel to report whether II would
he necessary TO have any additions or
amendments 10 the public service law in
order To go into municipal operation,
Chairman Wilcox said that he saw no
harm in the resolution. although he thought
there was no bar in the law to municipal
Il daaY,,od mis-
After the meeting Commissioner Cram
freed himself Of few thoughts on mu-
nicipal operation. "The street railroads in
most Of the European cities are operated by
the municipalities" he said. "I see no rea-
son why we should not do the same here.
We put up the money to build subwsys
why should We not get all the profits that
Gomez"
Mayor Gaynors letter 10 Mr.. Pople on
the subway situation in part is as follows;
shall not approve routes simply. TO en-
able real estate spectators to advertise
them by maps and otherwise I'm order 10
deceive people into buying lots in the belief
that subway or railway is about TO be
built thereon,
What / have been bending my back TO
do for Queens ever since I have been here
as Mayor is 10 get the Belmont tunnel
opened and the two great routes from its
mouth through your borough bullt-ndme-
ly. the routes TO Woodside and Corona.
There is no use in laying out routes which
there is no immediate prospect Of build
ing. II indeed they are ever TO he built.
In December. 1910. the Interhorough COM
pany offered 10 put up one half OF the
money 10 build the extensions of its sys-
tom. the city TO put up the other half. The
company offered to share the profits equally
with the city. You know how that offer
has been frittered away and lost. We now
begin TO see that IT will never come back.
The best the company would do last July
was to renew IT'S offer, but only on the
basis that II should be allowed a preferen-
tial guarantee or subsidy of per cent on
the capital il already has invested and
also on the capital which IL should in fut
ure put in-namely. $1,000 oeD0-before the
city should receive even the interest on its
honds 10 be sold to raise its one-half of
the construction money.
II is now said that the company will re-
duCe the said demand Of . per cent to 81,
per cent 6nd. il may be. make concessions
IN some other directions The thing that
will always he regretted is that the said
cfser NJ The InterbOrough in December 1919
was fri'tered away and rejected. To have
60 give the company better terms now
would he "A very unpleasant thing. and yet
that is the situation we have TO face.