The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-09-27
MONOPOLYSSECRETS|
They Are Guarded zsalously by
the Big Traction Syndicate,
The Public Cannot Find Out What
the Profits Are.
Omcial Action, Not Argument, VIII
Bring About Reform.

The story of one OF the main feeders
of the Metropolitan Traction Company
has already been told by THE Evening
World" 1t showed how enormously
the traffic of the Houston and West
street line, which now includes the
broadway cable road. had increased
during the past three years, and that
the road had carried over 100000 more
passengers in 1893 than in 1892.
This represents an additional income
for the Company of more than 100000
for that year alone, and 1t only brings
the record down to June 30. 1t Is rea-
sonable to suppose that the succeeding
year. ending June 30. 1894, Will show
corresponding increase, but the state
ment has not yet been made public.
If it is included In the report OF the
Metropolitan Street Railway, which now
controls and operates not only the
Houston and West street line. and its
leased lines, but the Broadway surface
road and South Ferry as WELL the In
crease in the number OF passengers car
red should show a tremendous Increase
The consolidation OF all these lines un-
der the Metropolitan Street Railway
Company was effected in December last,
but whether the exact situation Will be
shown in the forthcoming statement or
not is n question.
1t is evident from the complicated and
confusing system in bookkeeping which
has been adopted by the syndicate, that
managers of these lines have no dispo-
sltion to let the public know how much
money they are making. Up to the
present time their published account
would seem to indicate that they are
making only very moderate profit
on the capital invested, and yet the
seem ridiculously small to any one VINO
| knows the tremendous increase Whlcr
has annually taken place In the earn
In addition to the G., oOO,O 900 passengers
| carried in 1893 by the Houston ana WeS'
street and It's allied lines, the other roads
controlled by the syndicate were also
| third street crosstown road In the same
year carried l4Sil ooo passengsrsss r tnt
Central Park, North and East River
road, for the first quarter OF the same
year, June 80 to oct. IA, 1892, 900 pas
sengers, or an average OF nearly 2oW Mp'
600 passengers for the entire year. The
| figures for the latter Company are only
given up to the time of It's lease to the
| METROPOLITAN i'rOSStOWn ltdllTOdu 'oI
pany, which was organized in October
| isg2, to operate the Forty-second street
and the Central Park, North and Eas
River roads, with line OF Its own three
and half miles in length.
The offices of all these companies are
centered in the big Gable Building, a.
broadway and Houston street: ana "
personnel of the directories of the DIFF
ferent corporations Is almost Identical
Theofliccrs of the Traction Compan!
are Charles X. Henderson, of New YORK
adelphia, Vice-Presldent, and Charles L
Warren, of New York, Secretary ant
Treasurer. Other directors are william
l.. Elkins and Thomas Dolan, OF Phila
delphia, and William c. whitney, K.
Hayes and Thomas F. Ryan OF New
York. O..
Company. which has absorbed ,eighl
Vreeland, ID. b. Hashrouck, Hans $
Beatte and IL. o. Robinson appear II
the metropolitan Crosstown Railroq
Elkins, II. II. Nreeland. II. s. Beattie
A. w. Fletcher. d b: Hasbrouck an
figure prominently in the list OF direc
tors OF each OF the subordinate com
, panies. while the others represent tn
few surviving directors Of the orlEina
corporations before the Traction Com
2 pany gathered them into its clutche
. and who now represent only small II
| tCrcStS, as RUE, III lnt blb ttHlid
{ company which controls them all.
No complete financial statement Of III
operations OF the monopoly has eve
been made public. 1t has always worke
r In secret and kept its affairs involved
/, mystery. Very little knowledge can |
gained from Its reports except that
controls prodigious traffic, and that
must be piling up millions In Its Golfer
4 every year. Meanwhile, 1t Is gradual
2 spreading out and gathering In 9th,
properties extending Its own lines a
ready acquired, and In time no doul
. expects to own or control every sire,
= railroad line In the metropolis and /
vicinity.
| II has already become so powerfr
o that II has practically detied public sci
[ timent, and has utterly ignored all d.
mands from the travelling public Il
= better and more comfortable aCcomm,
Y dations. SO long as II can collect fly
+ cents apiece from l5O,OON,OD or.more pa
. sengers every year and actually comp
them to patroni2e Its over-crowded car
i herding them in like cattle or swim
without any interference from the Al
, tho titles or any restraint by law, II
evident that there is going to be no In
e provement
8 Moral suason does not go with
greedy corporation like the Metropol
! tan Traction Company. If the pu
II lie wants a remedy It must take Il
n matter into its own hands.
MEM Hp0T0M bic