The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-09
WHITNEY EXPLAINS
SUBWAY DELAYS
Commissioner Answers Conn.
troller's Charges That
Board Is to Blame.
GIVES ELABORATE Tables
Figures Are Sent to Board If
Estimate in Quarrel BE-.
tween Officials.

In answer to the criticism of Corr.
troiler Charles L. Craig. who h.,
charged that if the Public Sery'r.
Commission had proceeded promp,l..
with subway plans and contracts ~,
dual sys.em might have been com.
pleted by January. 1917, Eommis-
sioner Travis II. Whitney issued a a.,
OF tables and figures yesterday sbou.
ing what work had already been so..
complished and going TO prove thu.
the war and not the service hoarl T.
responsible for uncompleted work.
Mr.. Whitney reviews the wboe
matter Of subway and elevated ran.
road work since 1918 and makes tie
contention that despite the dffcul,e,
which have embarrassed il the amour.
of worl; done has amounted To- NOR,
than t%o-thirds of the entire cs.,
system. In connection with tho G.--
urec and tables Mr.. Whitney Sa.u:
THE effect Of the war upon -,
letting OF contracts and Of -r'i ,!onN
is very marked. Because Of he er,a.
difficulty in obtaining material no
high prices prevailing ana Federal
necessities contracts were made on,v
for very necessary matters Tor o.
ample; in 1916 s33.0OO.0o O. COZ.
tracts we're let; in 1917 the amour,
dropped to $4,000. 900, aud n ,g'i
II dropped to s2.600.C00. With 70
spect to work d1nc during thesa years
in 1915 there was nearly $4,000 ooo
~ work done: in 1917. with over So.
100000 of work yet TO be don. les.
than s25 600, 900 Of work was dons
and IN 1918. with s35.7O0.0OO Of uor.
TO do, only $4,000 coo Of work as
done.
S2O.OOO,OOO Yet to he Expended.
AT the present time, as has air,ar.
been pointed out to the Board Of Is
innate, there are outstarlm., $50.
100000 Of construction coui,4rt, D.
which there remains abuu; $21.o00.-
900 of work - BE- done Il = m
work that is giving considerable cor.
Germ at the present time, h,causA ~
the financial losses tina: contractor
have been undergoing durlnS the w.
period.
And yet now the time is reached
when this work should ne pushed with
the utmost speed, So that the lines
placed in operation. Among them arr
the most important in tho city, sue
as the Clark street tunnel, Tho Mon
tague street tunnel. FlHtbusl1 avenue
Eastern Parkway, Seventh avenue ana
Fifty. ninth street and SiNtie,h stree.
tunnel. as we'll as Westchester avenu.
elevated snd the entire Fourteen,
street Eastern District line
THE dual system called for a5ou
35t track miles to be added Ia tae
rapid transit systems Of ;us city O.
this mileage the commission ~ neel
able - far to put ab"r' 50 MAS =.
operation. which Is little lot..- ,h4..
two-thirdS OF the entire system
Figures fer Board of EstImate.
with relation 20 the progress O.
construction work. ono Of In, table.
sent to the Board of Estimates SHOWS
that at the close Of 1915 contracts e
the amount of SlGS 900, 0oo Nau N,aN
le:; that up to the end IL a yo'r
sos, 500, 900 of work had hcen done an
lines costing for constructor OF tie
structure s22.o0o.ooo had been pu' INTO
operation. During the year 1915 CON
tracts amounting TO S33STl,0ou Wen
let. and during that year vorl, wae
done under contracts outstanding ~
the amount OF s446S2. 900. Complete
structure had been put In operation go
the extent of sl6,S67, 900.
During 1917 only $3.50 00o OF Wort
was contracted for. but DARING tina
year PASS, 900 Of work was one AZ
$50, 100 000 of work was put in op.r1
ton During 1918 contracts mao
amounted to only s2.27G 600, Hu. wor
vas done to the extent Of a htt,s owe
s14,00o00o. while on the other ha".
the commission was able 10 put &
operation lines where the structu"
had cost for construction s6i.390,00o
1T will therefore BE seen that .
to the end OF 1918 the commission hf
let contracts to the amount Of SOS
100000, that work has necu dCa' ~
the amour: OF slS3, 900 600 and I'm"
put in operation upon Whic', a." ,os
OF constructing the Structur" ,as bs"
sl23,0O0.0 600. This leaves about So
| O0O,O0 of work yet 20 re done a. ol'
standing contracts, and as has been
pointed out in the letter 10 tho Eoar
OF Estimate asking that the ,omm'S
sion be permitted 20 go ahead with -
Hork at full speed there is WORK =
the amount OF s25, 000.0 900 more not w.
under contract"