New-York tribune., 1917-10-19
New Riverside
Track Plan Wins
Favor at Hearing
N. Y. c. Not Represented
Before Joint Confer
ence Committee

Efforts 20 reach an agreement be
tween the city and tho New York Cen
trail Railroad on the proposed We's
Side improvements were renewed a.
the first publichearing by ths JOINT
conference committee Of the Public
Service Commission and the Board %
Estimate yesterday, in which the rais-
road took no part Owing 70 the alb
sence OF representatives OF the rail-
road. which will be called upon 20
spend something like sl5,oO0,O0O IN the
event OF the adoption OF the plan, the
proceeding developed into a love feast
in which everybody congratulated
everybody else upon the drafting OF
the new improvement plans.
The nearest approach TO n criticism
Of the proposed solution OF the city's
West Side problem came in a sugges-
ton from Charles L. Craig, Tammany
candidate for Controller and formerly
chief opponent Of the Mitehel-Prender-
CAST plan. Mr. Craig voiced the opinion
that the rental basis upon which the
new plan proposes to let new land 20
the railroad for the extension Of rs
tracks should be worked out upon
percentage Of the railroads business
rather than a fat rate. Otherwise he
agreed that the plan was a good one
and would save the city millions o.
dollars in future dealings with the rail
road.
New Plsn Result Of Conferences
The new plan Is the result Of long
series Of sessions Of a Joint conference
committee, appointed under authority
Of the Ottinger-Ellenbogen bill and
made up Of members OF the Board o.
Estimate and the Public Service Com
mission. The chief feature OF TINS pro
posed agreement is that II VIII De
worked out without the expenditure OF
any city money, although II proyide'
for civic improyements through RIVER
side Park. raising Of the railroad
tracks below Fifty ninth Street ara
other desired changes along tne hue
son River front.
calvin Tompkins. former Commits
sioner of Docks. praised the provisions
OF the plan under which New jersey
railroads will receive the right % enter
Manhattan without paying tuoute 20
the New York Central. which - oe-
clared 10 have planned monopoly un-
der the plan proposed last year.
Robert I. Hogue. representative OF
the Citizens Union and an outspoker
critic of the original plan, said ma,
this was the FIRST time N the history
of tho New York Central Riverside
Drive controversy in which the prop
ertv owners and citizens generally felt
that their rights had received due con,
sideration from the officials empowered
to solve the problem.
Park League Approves Plan
Another former objector 70 the plan
who approved the new solution was
Mrs. Charles A. Bryan, presldent OF tns
League FOR the Protection OF KtVerslos
Park. Mrs. Bryan said that ner or
panization was satisfied that rs argu
T,arts had received careful considera
.ion. and that. while u would have pre-
ferred that a subway feature Rad been
included in the plan Tor dlsposing o.
the railroad. she was satisfied with the
numerous Improvements It contained;
Should the present plan be oflelsly
adopted, however, IL IS probable tns'
II will be necessary 20 enforce its pro
visions after long drawn -out court ac-
ton. because Of the failure OF the. New
Work Central 70 participate in the hear
inc The railroads officials. in pre-
viouslv announced decisions, set forth
that they would spend 10 more money
than was stipulated in the original ana
rejected plan. The new one proposed
that it nav for numerous CIVIC improve
ments not provided for under the OF"
4. .-n n r,n n, nnt