New-York tribune., 1906-07-19
STATEN ISLAND HOPES.
pPOMISES OF REFORMS.
Changes Under Way IN Posoer
Fouse-H. III. Rogers Plans More.

x--ire Of Staten AslanQ IS 70 nave effect seems
s-,bable from several things that took place
yesterday.
,.r OF Richmond. who has been most active
= sbo attempt 10 get an improvement in the
.-,,rev service in an interview with II. H. Rog-
=, ,rho controls the roads. obtained from him a
..s.vafion that money would be spent on new
-.sbinery and new cars, and that improved
,.-zsoe would be given as soon as the necessary
s,sns could be taken.
:, the second place, General Manager Hazel
.xp assured The Tribune that repairs and al
.s-ations now under way IN the power plants at
r,vingsfon and Grasmere would result In such
!, addition OF power that there would be no
-oos for complaint. either 10 the trolley SER
,sos or the lighting.
:, the third place. Borough President Crom-
eli announced that he would continue 20 use
Sc hast endeavors TO see that the interests OF
- inhabitants OF the borough in regard to
,rsnsportation and lighting were properly pro-
sected.
II saw Mr.. Rogers this morning." said MI
rromErell 10 a Tribune reporter, "aad had very
rleasant interview. laid before him the facts
ss I had learned them. and he listened to me
with interest IN effect, he told me that he
meant 10 take steps TO improve the power
rlants and rolling stock and 20 give better SER
viz generallV-
Low stockholders in the roads should hcso bear
the expense Of the improvements and he would
soon call a meeting to lay the matter before
them. Mr.. Rogers said that he had already ad-
x,noed large sums Of money 70 the roads. on
his personal account. but, while he wished to
do all he could for the residents OF Staten ISL
and. he did not feel that he should bear the
burden unaided."
IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANTS.
General Manager Hazelrigg talked IN some
what similar manner.
AT the present moment" he said, I'VE are
Installing new condensers in the Livingston
plant. which will result in a material improve
ment in our facilities for supplying power.
These condensers were ordered long time ago,
but were late in delivery The work OF put
ting them in place is necessarily SLOW but all
due diligence is being exercised to put them in
working order. The conditions under which the
men work on them are so extremely hot that the
progress is not what we could wish. but we
doing tie best we can.
The recent troubles with the power, both for
trolleys and lighting. might be called an aggra-
walton Of conditions. First. we had trouble with
the Livingston plant: then. on top Of that there
was a burn-out in the Grasmere plant. All this
viii he obviated the pending inn
provements made We have plenty of en-
gnes 10 make the electric current, but we have
suffered from a lack of condensers"
But" il was suggested to Mr. Hazelrigg..
'theIe are many complaints that. even If there
were power enough to move the cars. you have
not enough rolling stock to take care Of the
traffic"
IN all my experience with the road" said the
general manager. L have never known time
when all the cars that we own could have been
used The terminal facilities at St. George only
permitted Of a dozen cars being handled there
ST the outside and if we had more cars operat-
ing could not have taken them into the ter
'ninals there would have been such conges-
iion that would have been impossible.
Conditions now are practically similar. We
have three tracks the low level, and can
handle about the same number of cars. But
there is drawback which did not formerly ex-
isl Now we have to haul cars up a steep hill,
and the current necessary to do this is very
great drain Oh the power plants. If we could
send the cars up the hill one at time. there
would not be this load On the current. but that
would mean congestion at the terminal that
the public would stand for day.
Referring to- the question of cars. the
board Of directors took the matter up in March
of This year. but yye found that il impossible
10 gel anv before September All the factories
were filed up xith orders. However, the CON-
pany has in contemplation the purchase Of new
rolling stock and next year we shall be in bet
ser shape"
CRITICISM NOT STILLED.
While there is no disposition on the part Of
those residents who have taken up the cudges
FOR better trolley service to doubt the word of
the general manager as TO the companys inten-
uons, it is urged that he confessed to a decided
lack Of foresight when he acknowledged that no
attempt made TO get cars before March of
ne present year Long before that time the
Municipal ferry had proved that # was attract
ing more people to Staten Island than ever went
There before. and il was known that big, new
amusement enterprise was in contemplation In
fsot, it IS said that Mr.. Rogers contributed $25.
VOo 10 Il himself These facts being known. the
critics say that it appears strange that no effort
Vas made by the management OF the trolley
Eoaos 10 get new cars before March.
Another criticism of Mr.. Hazelrigg's remarks
nad reference 70 the value Of the alterations and
additions now being made TO the power plants.
Giving these their fun value. it said, the
pants would be little better than at present
s1d certainty would not be equal to the highest
ueihands made on them.
Il was learned yesterday that the annual
meeting % The Richmond Light and Railroad
company was held on Tuesday at the offices Of
ne company. II could not be learned that stock
,-loefs had received written notice Of the meet
as- H. h Rogers WAS reelected president Of
S-S company, : F. HaZelrigg Vice-president and
n rogers, jr.. secretary and treasurer
onder the terms Of the mortgage on the prop
~. Inc directors hold their Offices until June
y next year They H. H Rogers, W. L.
2 'g r > Hayes. John Greenough and Walter
DaHf,ar-- The directors are supposed to meet
S.-asl0nallg. but n cOuld ascertained