New-York tribune., 1912-03-23
MOVE TO RUSH SUBWAY
Mayor in a Conference That
Approves Wagner Bill.
WATSON TO URGE PASSAGE
Controller Takes Copy Of Meas
ure to Lakewood to See II
There Are Jokers in 1t.

Nsyor Gaynor and Borough President
NcAneny had a long conference with Cor
poration Counsel Watson. in the Mayors
office. Yesterday over the Wagner bill
amending the public service law to enable
the city authorities to accept the subway
proposition of the Interborough and Brook
lvn Rspid Transit companies. Corporation
Counsel Watson carrying out the request
of the Board of Estimate made unanimous
" at the Thursday meeting, will urge the
passage of the bill at Albany.
The conferrees went through the bill
carefully and it is understood. gave 1t their
approval in the main, although there may
be one or two minor changes to make
some parts clearer. The Mayor made 1t
plain that he was anxious to push the
subway contracts through with the
least possible delay. and would look upon
the defeat of the bill as a calamity, post
poning, as II would, the making OF any
contracts for year at least.
Tho Mayor assured President McAneny
that >he intended 10 validate all the routes
required by the two propositions and
hoped that the papers in the various cases
would be presented TO him promptly. some
of them have been before him for some
time.
on account of the cry raised in some
quarters that there are jokers IN the DILL
controller Prendergast said he would make
a more careful study of the measure be-
tween now and Monday. He put copy of
the bill in his bag when he went TO Lake
wood for over Sunday.
Bill Prepared HurredIy.
II was acknowledged yesterday that
great haste had to be made in preparing
the bill. because It was necessary to get
It to Albany by Monday. The bill as irst
drafted was printed in page proofs. which
were sent 10 the various members of the
Public Service Commission and the Board
of Estimate Saturday night. lie Roy
Hardness. assistant counsel of the com
mission. in conference with legal repre-
sentatives Of the InterbOrough and OF the
y r. T. went over the draft with great
care Sunday. They made changes in the
proofs as they worked, and the following
morning the bill as changed at the confer
ence went to-AIbany. So 1t was that some
of the members of the Public Service COM
mission and of the Board of Estimate
were not aware of the changes until they
received printed copies Of the bill aI'er
its introduction.
IT was reported yesterday that the pro
vision giving the authorities the right to let
contracts for operation without public ad-
ysrtising for bids was one Of the things put
into the bill on Sunday. This was denied.
In regard to that provision. President VIII
Jams of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com
pauy said yesterday:
This proyision is necessary to put us on
the InterbOrough They can build the lines
allotted to them as extensions and without
public advertising or letting whlie we
would have 10 20 through the ordinary
formula of having adveTtisementS ana c oIII-
petition that would be really tarcicaL IheTe
is, of course. no 1Oker III inns clause IL
merely places us on an equal footing win
tho Interborough company, and allows the
city TO do what 1t wants 70 do
Commissioner Cram complained at tie
meeting of the commission yesterday be-
cause. he said. the newspapers were re-
ferring 10 tie bin as a Public Service Com
mission bill. when that body had never
passed on it,
Eustis Replies to Cram.
IF Commissioner Cram would attend the
meetings Of the committee OF the whole
said Commissioner Eustis, "he would PROB
ably know what the commission is doing.
sidered at length
1t has not been the custom of this COM
mission to force legislation" said Chairman
Wilcox. eve leave that TO the Legislature.
1t has been my general impression, how
ever. that this bill stood for the ideas Of a
majority of the commission
Commissioner Maltbie, who, with Com
missioner Cram, is against the acceptance
of the Interborough proposition. also eX7
pressed the idea that it was unfortunate
the public should think that the bill WAS
approved by all members Of the commits
sion
While all tho controversy is raging as 70
Just what operating contracts shall be let,
the Public Service Commission is going
along quietly with the work Of the Broad
vay-Iexington avenue subway. Yesterda
bias were opened for the construction Of
Section "A of that line This section en-
braces the Canal street station Of the
Broadway lire. and also the Broadway sta
tion Of the Canal street crOsstoWn line,
which is 10 be directly under the other sta
tion. Bids were received i'm two parts, one
covering the upper level and the other COW
tring the lower level. The section is about
800 feet long, 400 of which will be included
IN the stations Roughly, IT runs between
Walker and Howard streets.
AS the bids were received under the unit
price system, they will have 10 be the sub
ject of careful tabUatiOn befo"e the low
est bidder can be officially ammo unced. In
official tabulations made yesterday. how
ever, would seem TO show that the
ORourke Engineering Construction Com
pany was the lowest. at s910,597. followed
by r. l. Crawford, at s. .0S50O0.