New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-09
Property Owners Favor
Latest Proposed
Solution
c. L. Craig Endorses 1t
New Proposition Calls for
Extra $4,000 900 Outlay
by Road

All opposition 10 the latest proposed
solution Of the city's West Side track
congestion problems. except the prob
ALE objections Of the New York Cen.
,-sl Railroad, was removed yesterday
,hrough statement issued by Charles
I. Craig. Democratic candidate for
Controller and formerly representative
q the Riverside Drive property own
Us who succeeded in preventing the
,ioption Of the previous tentative plan.
Mr. Craig praised the proposed ar
-sreemcnt OF the joint committee of
,he Public Service Commission and the
| Board 81 Estimate. which worked Il
out. and announced that II would pre-
vent the giving Of rights 10 the rail
-osd which u might later have sold TO
ne CITY for S250.000. 900. Incidentally.
- insisted that u formed a severe
| srrsgnment Of the Mitchel-Prender-
| rasi administration. which failed 10
-ske an acceptable agreement with the
| rarosd
10 officials Of the railroad would
Hscuss che plan yesterday, however,
and there is every indication that the
rosd VIII oppose IT, The new plan
| rontemp atss the expenditure BY the
.srosd Of something more than s10,-
10000 in excess Of the demands made
Upon e under the rejected plan favored
" Mayor Mitchell. Vice President Ira
4 Place said that he was studying the
-sr plan and would make a statement
sfter he had completed the considera-
| 'ion Of is various provisions.
| With the opposition Of the West End
| Association and the various organiza-
,ons that ranged themselves against
ne original plan now removed, il is
| expected that the public hearings,
| scheduled 10 begin October is, will
consist only OF an effort 20 obtain the
approval Of the New York Central
Rsilrosd
1 The Craig statement calls attention
70 the fact that Riverside Park and its
is,-ubbery will be undisturbed by the
arrync out OF the new plan; that
there will be no big uncovered freight
ysros iu Manhattsnville. and that the
city vll retain its waterfront prop
critics, instead Of turning them over. in
yerpetuity, TO the New York Central,
as was proposed under the former
plan.
by the recommendation of the
ONT committee this huge railroad yard
IS CON pletely obliterated." says the
statement. Again, following our con-
.sntors. the joint committee locates
he Harlem terminal in the Manhattan
Valley from 129th Street 20 bath
Street. and extending from Broadway
70 the Riverside Drive visduct.
This viii make possible real ter
ninsl markets, as we'll as save the
waterfront. the use of which for an
uncovered railroad yard would have
brought utter ruin 10 the apartment
houses north OF l35th Street.
Under the Observation-Disclosures deal
me New York Central would have been
| relieved from the payment of the fran
chise tax. municipal and legislative
control over is franchise would have
been practically wiped out. the railroad
would have been permitted 20 capital
lie the ownership Of its right Of way
and the waterfront, and in the case of
municipal or government ownership the
railroad could lave exacted probably
N5o,00O,000 Is its price for the prop
er;y thus held.
Under the arrangement Of the joint
committee all this is frustrated; every
where the railroad tracks are TO be laid
On land belonging 10 the City Of New
York; the railroad remains under
municipal and atate control. II must
pay a franchise TAX; II cannot capital
re the ownership of the city's streets
and waterfron, and thereby levy trib-
re against the port of New York, for
me city retains such ownership"
Asked If he intended 20 make a
Statement concerning the report OF
ne JOINT committee in regard TO the
Proposed West Side-New York Central
improvement. Mayor Mitchell said:
| u DO not expect 70 make any state
nsnt / wish the joint committee
every success II it has found a salts
factory solution Of the problem, and
VIII DO everything in my power to help
Nalong. But you must remember this
| s simply p prOposal "