The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-26
Estimate Board, 1t Is Said,
Will Delay Job Until
Christmas, 1923.
MANENY MAKES DENIAL
Says Papers for Key Contracts
Never We're Received
From City Hall.

Although the Board of Estimate had
not yet returned for Reimbursement
the ten key" contracts for work in
the Fourteenth street subway, the
Transit Commission yesterday voted
unanimously to take immediate steps
for their Reimbursement in the in
terest of eXpediting the public welfare.
Members of the commission esti-
mate that the new delay involved will
retard actual execution of the con-
tracts sixty days more and that it will
saddle the city with a tcost of 100000
to save possibly from $4,000 to $4,000
BY reletting of the contracts lat
current prices 1t will mean. they
say. that the new Fourteenth street
subway from Sixth avenue, Mhanhat-
tan, to Meserole street, Brooklyn, can
not be operated before Christmas, 1923.
Until 4 road actually goes into opera
ton all interest charges upon the invest
ment must be charged to construction
account. The city's' investment in this
enterprise is $17.00o,000. The disputed
contracts already have been held back
by tic Board of Estimate an average
of from six 10 eight months. That
means an interest charge npon the in
vestment amounting to from 100000 TO
100000. which is at a. cost Of between
$500 and $4,000 a day. An additional
delay OF sixty days. therefore, entails
an expense of at least 100000.
Mathematics md Bunk.
And the perfectly simple mathe-
matics." said member of the Transit
Commission, lis What Mayor Hylan
describes as bunk y -
When the Transit Commission met
yesterday in its regular executive ses-
sion Chairman George McAneny said :
Although the reported action of the
Board OF Estimate is in many respects
amazing. l take it that the commission
Is not prepared to lose a day in re-
advertising these contracts, upon the
theory that they are, in fact. TO be re-
turned to it,
Commissioner Leroy r. Hardness, in
moving that counsel be directed TO pre-
pare for immediate Reimbursement OF
the contracts. said:
IF the Board OF Estimate insists on
further delay in subway construction To
save a few dollars in interest charges
the responsibility belongs to 1t. Our
proper course seems to me to be plain
namely, promptly to readvertise these
contracts go as to remove any further
opportunity for clubbing. and then
force the Board of Estimate to act at
tirmatively instead Of negatively"
Seconded by Gen. organ.
Gen. John +. Organ seconded the
motion. Chairman McAneny then said :
1.-THE Board or Estimate has held
la1 1A.r ntvar ~ fav- wa
months without a word Of explanation
10 the commission. The statements at
tributed to the Mayor and to the Comp
troller at yesterdays session. to the ef-
feet that these contracts were rejected
and sent back in August form part OF
the amazing side OF 1t. Not one of them
had been rejected by the board at any
time prior to yesterday. Three Of the
lot. on August .. failed of passage for
lack Of sufficient votes though ma
jority or the votes was not cast against
any one OF them
THE rest were held until February.
and then, after nine months OF silence.
were referred back to the commission
without comment. Not word was said
about readvertising.
AS the matter now stands the COM
mission, after careful explanation to the
Board OF Estimate made I'm its letter
OF April .. 10 the effect that further
delay in the case of the Fourteenth
street line would mean a continuation
OF the loss OF $4,000 a day now entalled
and further postponement of transit
relief. Is advised that the board. for
reasons best known to itself, is willing
to stand for the expense.
There will be at least six weeks or
two months more before even the man
ufacture Of materials for the Fourteenth
street tracks can be started. SO far as
the Board Of Estimate is concerned II
means the charging up OF one more
item in the bill Of loss that has char
acteroized its treatment of the Four
teenth street subway for the last five
years
II agree with my associates, therefore,
that the wise thing is immediate action"
Before putting the question. which,
ELECTED a unanimous vote. the chairman
asked the secretary, James Blaine
Walker. whether the contracts dealt
with had ever been actually returned to
the commission. Mr.. Walker replied
that they had not. but that they still
were in the physical possession OF the
Board OF Estimate.