Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-01-31
WANT BETTER
CAR SERVICE.
Staten Islanders Protested Loud
ly Yesterday at Hearing in
New York.
WANT ALL NIGHT TRAINS
People Said Municipal Ferries
Are Good But They Want TO
Get 10 the Boats.

Citizens of State Island, with del
egates and counsel representing prac-
tically every civic organization in
Richmond borough, crowded the
rooms of the State Railroad Commits
sion, in the Whitehall building, New
York, yesterday afternoon to protest
against inadequate transportation fa-
cilities of the borough during the ear
Ely hours of The morning. Complaint
was made that no cars are run to
make connections with the new fer
ryboats of the municipal system be-
tween twenty-five minutes past one
and five o'clock in the morning.
The city runs boats every hour
during this portion of the morning,
but without any cars to meet the
boats, four of which make no train
connection, and all save those who
live within walking distance of the
pier find that the city might as well
lay up the boats and save operating
expenses.
John r. Zwiclly, who filed the petit
ton, said the patient islanders have
waited twenty years for proper facil-
tiles. They had hoped the new muni-
but excellent as this service has prov
ed to be they have found their trou-
bles by no means ended.
I'VE live in New York, and are
taxed accordingly, SO why can't the
seventy-five thousand persons On the
island get home at any hour of the
day or night, the same as the people
on Long Island or in the Bronx" eX-
claimed Mr. Zwicky. He said he is a
post Office attache, who quits work at
one O'Clock in the morning.
-Four Hours to Get Home.
Sometimes it takes me four hours
TO get home" he said. Despite this
he has lived on Staten Island twenty
five years.
Mr.. Altman, of New Brighton, read
letter from Borough President
Cromwell, who urged that if the
transportation companies would es-
tablish this service there would be q
great many more persons who have
to return home between midnight
and five o'clock in the morning who
would live on the island. He sug-
gested newspaper men, postal em-
ployes, etc, as OF this class. More
than that, Mr.. Cromwell said thou
sands of the natives would much Of
tener attend the Manhattan theatres,
dinners and social affairs if they felt
they could hope TO get home during
the hours named.
Mr. Altman said it was once ar
gued that it would not pay to run
cars all night on the Brooklyn bridge,
but il did pay from the beginning. He
felt sure the Transportation compan-
les, though possibly suffering small
loss at first, would very soon find it
paying service in the end.
MonopoIy's Side of II.
On behalf of the company it was
urged that Staten Island is the second
largest borough in the city, covering
fifty-seven square miles, while over
it are distributed 1000 persons. 1t
was urged that the population is so
distributed to make it IL semi-rural
community, and, considering this, the
companies urged, it has the best
transportation service in the world.
Counsel called attention TO the sew
eral franchises, and declared that
not one calls for cars between mid
night and six o'clock in the morning.
He added that if examination were
made it would be found that the com
pany is not only meeting the actual
demands made by passengers, but is
far exceeding its franchise require
ments in the number of cars run and
in the headway called for.
"rhe city may run its ferryboats at
loss if II thinks that a good thing to
do" said counsel, but it is hardly
fair to ask private corporation to do
that merely in the hope of helping to
build up the island y
Counsel declared that not rail
road or trolley line on Staten Island
had ever paid dividend. All had
been in the hands of receivers and
one is now facing $40, 900 deficit.
That the running of cars during
the hours named would help to build
up the island counsel did not agree,
as it had been promised for several
years that Staten Island would boom
if this or that were done. Yet the
boom seemed as far distant as ever.