The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-19
COLE CALLS COFFEY LIAR.
HARRY HANBURY RETORTs ON THE
RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
And Is Called Loafer Himseif-Brookiyn-

called Senator Cofrey liar at meeting OF the
commission at the Fifth Avenue Hotel yester-
day. and Harry A. Hamburg expressed.
about as directly. doubt OF Col. Coles We
racity. Many South Brookiynite. had
come 10 the hotel to protest against tho
new transfer schedules Of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Railroad More citizens committees
and local politicians appeared than could crowd
into the committee room. Although the par
ticular grievance the South Brooklyn people
have = that they have not the option
Of going either by the surface or
the elevated roads to New York
for 8 cents-is a simple one. Col Cole and his
colleagues on the commission were confronted
with such a mass OF af1davits. resolutions, ex
parte arguments and political stump speeches,
fred at them from all directions at once.
that tho question at issue was lost sight OF
in the may labyrinth OF the Brooklyn map.
The Brooklyn representatives. after denounc-
ing the commission and the railroads. fell out
among themselves. and each tried to get his
opinions on record before his neGhbors.
Trouble began when. at the opening Of the
hearing. Col. Cole. holding newspaper clip
ping in his hand. looked about the room and
| asked:
rs Senator Coffey here2"
NO. he isn't here" answered Harry A. Han
bury. Republican leader OF tho Eighth ward,
Brooklyn.
Il am astonished." said Col. Cole. II am as
tontshed that Senator CofYey is not here
III your honorable com mission will allow
me-" began Mr.. Hamburg. rising on the side OF
the commissioners table opposite Col. Cole. Il
appear here -
Just moment. SIR" Interrupted Col. Cole.
as the young man fourished bundle OF papers
and was beginning to read one OF them.
| ''rhpra 81 70 m har 70, Ia, hos 81 NpJ Ia,
newspaper in an account OF n mass meeting
In Brooklyn on Thursday evening. this" Col.
| Cole went on his voice rising at every word:
senator CofIcy then came forward aud precipi
t,ted wells AMI cheers by SAYING that the Railroad
| Commissioners were owned by the railroads and
! that little could he expected from that quar-
| ter. The railroad company n declared
has never been honest sin ere II can.
no, aaorl to be. The railroads own tbs city. snd
| what Il more they own the Railroad Commissioners
! body aud soul. Those three gentlemen were
I granted extraordinary powers. and yet Vanderbilt
himself freely admitted that the railroads owned
, them
| That is a le!" cried Col. Cole. Il know
! what senator Cotrey is. l never knew he had
! a voice before In any place. lie sat like "a
! dummy in the Senate"
That statement is false" shouted young
| Hanbury jumping To his feet and shaking his
lst at Col Cole. II Senator Cofrey was here"
| Senator Cofrcy should he here" Numbered
| Col. Cole. Il will not have this commission
! s'ndersd by that man. and /
Your remarks are out OF place" shouted
! Hamburg. You have no right TO attack the
! Senator -"
Il say what he says is false" Col. Colo thun-
| dcrei on. TITS n lie whoever makes that
I statement. and u senator CofYsy were here
! would compel him to retract it"
80 49,. ,
anGrily retorted little Irishman. and II you
! sny anything against him you II he condemne ed
, BY the people OF our -"
J Il don't care for the condemnation Of the
! people or anybody clse." Col. Cole interrupted
{ his eyes attire. Il say that this il n lie. | care
/ no NOR" for Mr.. kossiter here or Mr.. Wander
. hilt or any other railroad man than I do for
any hoy who comes here. and senator CoIsy
lies when -"
Senator Covcy didn't say that" cried Han
! bury. who had nearly lost control NJ himself
! "Hc has sad in the senate thar the Railroad
? Commissioners were owned by the railroads.
: and know that this newspaper prints what
! he said" Col Cole answered.
Cot Dunn ~ Binghamton. who was sitting
at Col. Coles left. pu led his colleagu -
sleeve and the business Of the hearing
proceeded President I.ossitor Of the BROOKLYN
Rapid Transit COMPANY was allowed 10 read
an answer to the complaints oi citizens. He
4 said thnt the principal! localities affected by
I the complaints ara tn. old country towns Of
New Utrecht and Gravescnl. containing the
! suburban settlements a. Bay Ridge. Fort Ham
I llton. B"nsonhurst. Bath Beach. Borough
| Park and Couey IslRnd. They comprised
: tw" wards, with \ population ot 10000. Mr.
Rooster showri that no locality In tho State
had nearly 50 great an amount Of car service 10
III population naihis par'icu lar locality These
lines wnr" run ~ an actual loss except during
ia" 'uminer rush 10 III" seaside. The com
Uany's liberal system Of tran ~fcrs had swam ped
III" cars IN tn" rougcs'-d part 81 the city with
transfer and long stance passengers
'Ou account ~ III" peculiar Topography OF
Brooklyn and the necessary use Of u few streets
TO get To the ferries. bridge and SHOPPING dis.
trct il became absolutely impossible to
in 'rcase the number OF ears" continued
Mr. Rosster 1T 50 overcrowdnI our
ears that accidents ircreascd largely In
order 70 obyiate IN" difficulty M much
~ possible We increased the carecIty OF our
cars 80 per cent. md still the congestion con
tinuei. We Established new routes during the
rush hours and still the congestion continued.
We considered the ndvisability OF widening
Livingston street, and OF building
subway. We doubled the carrying
| ing cnracI,y OF tho bridge and are now carry
! SbODFl passengers n day across TINT strlc-
| turc. We made up our minds that there was
! only one feasible method OF rcm"iying this
| condition. whirh h was becom ing un h"arable. and
| that was 10y tn" acquisition Of the elevated rail-
roads. whereby tho long distance riders could
! be carr ed abov" the streets and the short dis
| tance riders could he carried on the surface
| W" felt that thia would reduce the number of
accidents. divide the traffic more suuitaby
/ quicken the time and Increase the comfort Of
/ our patrons. Instead Of filling our surface cars
/ at Park Row with suburban Passengers who
/ occupied seats and space for ono hour or more.
| we encouraged them to take the elevated ears
where they could 70 more quickly. and leave
the space in the surface cars for short-dlslnnce
! passengers Having acquired tho elevated
| railroads, We nro cnd"HvOring 70 put
| thi, policy into effect. While 40
ra Iical a change must necessarily emf Gree some
| hardship, we are certain that 1t IL to the nd;
Nhntug" Oi over 10 per cent of our pat rons. aud
! that n soon ns the policy has fair trial under
favorable cond tons there will h. n much
/ louder protest, against suggestion OF its
( reversal than IS now heard against ts Rdop-
| ton. But we also point OUT and would .mpha-
! SIZE tho fact that no change In operation of