New-York tribune., 1915-10-16
Board of Estimate Com
mittee Approves Grant
TO New York Co.
CITY TO PAY DEFICIT,
CONTRACT FEATURE
Offer of Fifth Avenue Coach Co.
RejeCted-Co To
BE Avoided.

h' TT aiNWlFe CNbinllltf OF me boaIu
Of Estimate reported yesterday in IA
vor of granting a franchise to the New
York Motor Bus Company FOR motor
bus routes in Manhattan. The offer
Of the Fifth Avenue Coach Company,
which operates the present lines, was
rejected. Mayor Mitchell said the offer
Of the New York company was the best
Of any made and the contract would
be a good one for the city to accept.
The New York company offered a
scent fare for short hauls, while gen
orally the fare will he 10 cents. A
feature said to be unique in transit
contracts with the city gives the city
the right at any time to compel the
company to extend its lines. The Fifth
avenue company's offer did not include
these features. The company has de-
posted with the city certified check
fer 100000 to guarantee the carrying
out of the contract if the Board Of
Estimate grants the franchise.
The routes of the new company con-
sist of one up the West Side by way
of Seventh Avenue to Fort George. The
East Side route goes up Park Avenue as
far as l25th Street. with a Washing
ton Heights line TO 16Sth Street. There
are several transverse lines on which
the fare Is cents. On all the lines
in and north of 125th Street the fare is
cents. There is a 5-cent route from
Union Square to the Pennsylvania
Station, and between the Grand Cen
tran Terminal and the Pennsylvania
Station. The transfer privilege is given
for an extra nickle to and from the
main and transverse lines None OF
the lines 90 below Union Square.
City to Pay Any Deficit.
The New York Motor Bus Company
offered the city, as an initial payment,
s35. 600. while the Fifth Avenue Com
pany offered s25,OG0 The minimum an
nual payment to the ci;y is 10 be from
100000 TO 100000, or a total OF S73O,OOO
for fifteen years. me contract runs
for fifteen years. with the option OF
renewal for anothe. ten years. Both
companies offered > per cent OF the
gross receipts 10 the city, the same as
the Fifth Avenue Company now pays.
The Fifth Avenue offered TO operate
twenty-one miles OF new routes, whlIe
the Motor Bus Company's offer was
thirty-one miles. II Is understoood uh-
der the contract that the city VIII pay
any deficit in operation OF the ne"
lines. but if the deficit should amount
10 75 per cent of the payment to the
city under the franchise. some oil the
routes may be abandoned. o.,
The new routes were planned with
tho idea of as little competition as pos
sible with existing transit lines, and
the new company will not be permitted
"a operate on Fifth Avenue. The Flith
Avenue company at present operates
twenty miles of routes and the gross
annual receipts are about $1,000
The Manhattan Motor Bus Company
erd Gridlev & Drummer also submitted
proposals 70 the Board Of Estimate, but
tbev were rejected. The matter Will be
nresented TO the Board OF Estimate
next Friday. 1t is expected that tne
franchise will be granted after pup
lie hearing or two.
MAY BE Operating in Eight Months
President McAneny Of the Board OF
Aldermen, who is member OF the
franchise committee, with the Mayor
and Borough President Mathewson OF
The Bronx, said yesterday that the
company could have buses running
within eight months. a..
Roland K. Conkling. of ] Wall street
is president of the New YORK Motor
Rms Company. The directors include
STANLEY VI. Conkling and Harold Is.
Weaver. r.e.
r. W. Meade. president Of the tiltn
Avenue Coach Company, issued a sta,c-
mont last night in which he said the
action Of the franchise committee
souarely ignored the public demand
for unified bus system throughout
the city" which would give the public
b-cent fare over fifty miles OF routes
while il would cost 10 cents with pot
companies operating lines.
"The committee appears to nave peea
dozzled bv the specious proposition OF
tho New York Motor Bus Company
said Mr.. Meade. "to give 5-cent iare
over a few unimpOrtant snort Hhe''
while recurring a 10-cent fare oyef
the entire remainder of its system.