New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-15
SUBWAY CONTRACTS
PRAISED BY M'CALL
"Best Bargain City Ever Made, y
He Tells National Demo-
cratic Club.
COMPANIES wild BEASTS"
Fought Like Tigers Against
Terms Forced on Them, but
Finally Had to Yield or
Abandon Field.

The subway contracts are the best bar
gain ever made by a municipal authority
with any individual or set OF individuals.
search the world where you may. accord
ing TO Edward T.. Mccall who has been
sleeping. eating and walking with them
ever since ne assumed the Craftsmanship
Of the Public Service Commission month
ago. Chairman Mccall made the asser-
ton before one hundred members Of the
! National Democratic club a dinner in
| his honor at the clubhouse last night.
The chairman said there had been a loo
Of talk about steals. that public officials
had been unqualifedly assailed by appar-
emily sober citizens. He himself accepted
! the head of the commission with some
misgiving that perhaps the railroad COM
| panles might have hoodwinked his pre-
decessors and slipped something into the
contracts which would prove detrimental
To the citys interests.
Il looked for this thing he said.
When could not find II / said so. I
said so I'm spite Of a portion ~ the press
| which did not disagree with me. but
which attempted To bulldose me by lying,
didn't have semblance OF the truth But
when they got at me they got in the
| wrong pew"
This defiance followed Chairman Nc
calls description Of the way i'm which
! representatives. OF the city forced the
companies 10 accept as a preferential the
average earnings Of the two years ended
June 30. 1911. when the revenues Of the
| two succeeding wears would he far
greater.
Did they accept those two years with
ont comment" asked the new chairman.
Tigers never fought as they fought Wild
! beasts never tore each other AS those com
panies tore the public officials II was
only by coercion and tyranny OF the worst
| Kind that they Mere finally impellcd To
accept them The public's representatives
said. Take these two years or We won I
deal with YOU They took them Yet
this IS the steal YOU hear about
The Stelnway tunnel that great way
which has lain idle AT the door of Lons
| leland all those years. comes o. the city
/ for &.o"o" when Ii is on the books OF
the company for {s0o"D. And even then
| AI.f' fl'. if1 .lNffl 10 'hIIffI lN" fsfr','''l
taxes owed upon IL. You say the city is
being robbed There was robbery. but 10
would come with greater grace from the
mon VINO owned that tunnel than from the
city's champions
Taking mp the settlement OF the differ
ouccs between the lutcrborough and the
Manhattan Railroad Company. Mr. NJ
call said Dc had refused from the first
to interfere IN them. Yesterday morning,
he said. be told the Mauhattau repro
sentatlves me would ratiy the certificate
for tho construction aud operation of the
third track on the elevated 10 the Inter
! borough p, lessco this morning. whether
the Manhattan objected or not
H. was called from the dinner table.
hc said. - hear that the differences were
settled at ; % yesterday afternoon. More
over ho declared. he would sign the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit contracts At
once. within eight months he would re-
ducc the congestion az the Broo<ly n
| Bridge more than 80 per cent. and inside
Of fourteen months would give the out
| lying portions of queens a real rapid
| transit system