New-York tribune., 1912-01-31
ANOTHER SUBWAY DELAY
CITY Finds Flaws in Tentative
offer of lnterborough.
PLAN CONFERENCE TO-DAY
Proposition Differs from That OF
July Only as to 8 Per Cent
Guarantee.

y the Interborough Rapid Transit Com
ranv and the representatives Of the city
o,or come to an agreement on terms by
which the company will take IFS snare III
the new subways just how or when sutH
an agreement would be reached was not
sppsrent last night. The tentative propo-
sition of the InterbOrough communicated
privatelv TO the members Of the Board oi
Fstimate and Chairman WILCOX OF Ihe
public Service Commission by \. D.
County. Of the Pennsylvania Railroad act
ing as an Intermediary, did not prove ac-
ceptable to the city's representatives,
Yesterday This afternoon there IS TO be
conference between the latter and samuel
Rca. H. p. Dawson and Seth Low 10 see
lust what further can be done.
A representative of the lnterhorough said
last night that the tentative offer presented
Yesterday was the last word 50 far as II
was concerned.
IF that is the best they can do they
might as we'll screw the lid on the coffin
said Controller Prendergast.
There are several things in this propo-
stion that are not acceptable to me- Sald
Chairman Wilcox.
Borough President McAneny, always
hopeful and optimistic, would not go so iar
as TO say that the proposition did not sult
him. "There are some details still TO De
arranged" was the way he put it. Il hope
that we can get a formal offer from the
Interborough before the end of the week
That was where the entire matter stood
last night. It is not believed that the ne
gotiations can be prolonged much more
with both sides apparently having reached
the limit Of their concessions without nav
ing come together.
The latest proposition OF the INTERIOR
ough. or, rather, informal proposal be
cause it was not signed which reached the
conferrees yesterday, was contained on sew
enteen typewritten sheets. 1t did not dif-
fer to any great extent from the July oher
except in asking a preferential payment OF
$40 instead of a guarantee of per cent
In the former offer the Interborough asked
for perpetual franchise for the proposed
third tracks Of the elevated lines In the
last offer they are willing to take a fran
cbise for them for eighty-five years the
same period as asked for the elevated eX-
tensions
II was stated that the InterborouGh had
decided to concede little, although PresI-
dent Shonts last July said the company
had reached its limit, because Of improved
financial conditions and the fact that the
traffic on the present subway had in
creased so enormously. However it was
stated. the present proposition presents as
favorable terms as the company can pos
sibly make.
Counsel for the company il is said,
have advised that the preferential pay
ment can be made legally perhaps by ar
ranging that il be made as consideration
for the levellng Of the leases Of the pres
ent subway. In spite of this. it is re-
ported that George s. Coleman counsel
for the Public Service Commission, has
expressed grave doubts rs to the legality
Of the preferential payment
The Interborough is said to feel that il
has gone as far as it is possible TO 90 in
concessions, that il did not renew the ne
cotiations and that il simply consented TO
receive The propositions made to it by the
n city because Of the insistence of Mr. Rca
III and other representatives of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad who are anxious 10 have a
trunk line subway tap their new station.
Both members Of the Board Of Estimate
; and Of the Public Service Commission re-
garded II as a piece Of impertinence on
the part of President Shonts of the Inter
borough to try 10 exact from them a
pledge that they would vote for propo-
sition that had not been drawn up and
the only details Of which they had were
represented by memoranda All agreed in
saying they would never pledge them
selves in advance to any proposition
J. Sergeant Cram, who all along has kept
out of the subway conferences because he
says. he does not believe in secrecy de-
.Clared that If Shonts or any one else asked
him to make such a pledge he would cell
them TO 90 to-well, you know what ]
mean
Chairman Wilcox. Controller Prendergast
and Borough President McAneny had a two
hours conference at the rooms Of the Pub
lie Service Commission yesterday over the
indirect proposition of the Interborough.
President McAneny said last night;
Those persons who have been assuming
that the city had received a full-hedged
proposition from the Interborough are a
little premature. To say the least What
We have is some memoranda from A. j.
County. representing Samuel Rea, Of the
Pennsylvania Railroad. both of whom have
been acting as Intermediates for the city
and the Interborough. We shall have an
other meeting tomorrow TO talk over the
proposition but there is no chance Of any
offer going before the Board of Estimate
this week. It will take some time to study
out the terms that Mr.. County says will he
acceptable 10 the Interborough
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