New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-09
ILLINOIS CAR TAKEN UP
1RD NAY ORDER 1T.
Hedley admits 20 Per Cent of
Trains Haze Straphangers.

I7rOr
v wins. special counsel for the Public Service
Commission, in examining Frank Hedley, gen
al manager of the Interborough Rapid Transit
[-.r,nanz about the operation of the Illinois
,or,-al tyne of car at the fifth hearing of the
T,o-i,orourt Metropolitan investigation yester-
So i, was the general opinion that the NJ
mission intended 10 order the merger to operate
,bs, type Of car in the subway The car has
-, ,,sed with great success in Boston, IT is
said
=, rresent there are 491 wooden cars in
=, .ba subway To replace these with cars II
-rs I1spois Central or Boston type, with doors
a.. she centre Mr. Hedley said, would cost op-
.,-o,tnarely S. 10000. He also said he thought
5aa ,e,y steel cars could be built for the sub
,.- within fourteen months one-half to be
..ar for delivery within seven or eight months
60 tbe other half within another nine months.
NJ the longest
A. ,be hearing yesterday another failure OF
S. merger 10 live up TO its agreement with the
%, vas brought out by Mr.. Twins According
. .-orision of the agreement the Manhattan
,,o,,-oas Company, operating the elevated
,,,es contracted TO furnish seat except be-
,ureea $50 and $50 a m and and a p m
ssor every passenger upon any train VINO oe-
-. ~ demands such seat; otherwise and
,e,, during said hours such passengers shall
:. entitled to travel without payment of fare
THAI The company had failed to live up to the
agreement Mr. Twins said was shown by the
sacr that passengers Were forced TO deposit
rbeir tickets before entering l. trains ana
t.roa before knowing whether they could or
eauld not get seats Admitting this. Mr. Hedley
said that any other arrangement would be i'm
marketable and impossible. Acknowledging
that the agreement existed. he held that viola
.ion Of il was unavoidable.
Commissioner WILCOX presided at the hearing
Yesterday. although suffering severely from a
sick headache. He has been advised by his
physicians that an immediate rest is imper-
alive. The strain under which he has been
working since being appointed a Public ser
vice Commissioner has proved too great, ana 10
avoid physical breakdown he VIII take
few DAYS rest next week.
There will he only one hearing, or possibly
two. during the coming week Chairman WILL
cox 7ril not be present. Another commissioner
wifi preside in his stead 1t is intended. how
ever merely TO start the inquiry into the Brook
lyn Rapid Transit Company and enable MI
Iyins to enter on the records mass OF docu-
nlentary evidence
Mr.. Hediey testified yesterday that on so
per cent Of all the trains there were no standing
Messengers and that there were standing pas
now said Mr WINS, you have admitted
that vour greatest profit comes from strap
hangers. and you have also admitted that there
was no PRACTICAL way by which the passenger
having 20 hang TO a strap could have ms money
refunded under the terms Of the agreement be-
tween the city and your company Is there no
remedy"
Nj Hedley admitted that there was no REM
edy that ne knew Of
: letter from r, J. Home 10 President Shonts
complainIng of ruffianism at elevated stations
was read by counsel
i had a similar experience 70 the one com
plaired Of by that gentleman" said he Il have
had my hat knocked of while riding in an ele-
waited train and 1 have been hit in the face by
q rough carrying a clublike bundle Of papers
Who walked down the platform striking people
in the cars with his papers 1t was hard
blow, too
Mr WINS told his experiences with such an
air OF outraged dignity that the narrative ap-
Tealed 10 his auditors. who seemed TO enjoy IL
Even Ny Hedley smiled and smiles with the
witness have been scarce since making MS one
very frank answer"
The congestion at the station at both street
On the Ninth s,venue Il" Iine-the Polo Grounds
staton-was then gone into Mr.. Hedley said
the officials Of the road followed current events
closely and - whenever there was baseball game
Or other affair scheduled that would tend largely
10 increase traffic arrangements were MADE lof
.increased service to meet it
Thrd-trackfng the Ninth avenue L from
il6th street TO 125th street came up next. ana
Mr.. WINS wanted to know why that had not
been done, so that express trains might be run.
The witness referred counsel TO MI Bryan
president Of the Interborough Rapid Transit
Company There followed an interesting battle
Of words between him and the lawyer, result
ing in Mr.. WINS returning TO Mr. Hedley some
What bafIled. During the tilt MI WINS relerred
70 the fact that the merger had operated the
bird track on this line despite the fact that
the Appellate Division had declared Its con-
struction Illegal and had been virtually sus-
tsined IN its decision by the Court Of Appeals
Mr.. BRYAN insisted that his company would
have 10 be sure that further third-tracking
would not be disturbed before any more OF IL
Tas done. He said the company had ffluch 20
say IN favor Of building additional thlro tfachs'
After taking up some minor matters tne eH-
animation turned again TO the ILLINOIS Cefluai
type Of car after much questioning MT hed
ley said that he could see no advantage IN ihe
car over the ones used here. FROM opser'"
lions he had made he believed that the type useo
here took no longer TO make stops tlah Iiie one,
ased IN the Boston subway. MI Wins proposed
that representatives Of the Public Service Com
mission and Of the Peterborough metropolitan
should meet Jointly and lake observations. thus
preparing data that would afford an equilaoiT
comparison OF the two systems
During the examination at this point the VIII
hess frequently evaded questions Mr. WINS be
came impatient and the same time sarcastic
HE following dialogue amused the AUDITORS
Mr. Hedley-There many things that % inlshI
- IN Boston that perhaps would not De oeeiie'i
satisfactory New York
NT. I-ins-You understand that New York praihs
1V-d not 90 IL Boston: that you uIaers''iiiu '''9
q. ne counterpart OF your proposition -.
Ar. Hedley-T don't understand your question:
ar. Ivins-Ayeil. YOU understand that IL Is gen.
eaily supposed there that New YORK oral'is az
'st rs good Boston brans2
Mr. fiedley-Tiat supposed in New YORK
AZ. ivins-Tron Boston point of view .
Tl,sw DHa