New-York tribune., 1907-08-28
ASKS TRANSIT BOOKS.
oRDER TO COME NEXT.
p,b1;c .Ser1ice Hill Test Its POzrer
IN Court If Necessary.

--..,--nsn Wilcox of the Public Service Com
.,.sion yesterday informally requested the Inter
bo-ough- Metropolitan company TO give William NJ
wins special counsel for the commission, access
:. ;-s hooks and to permit him to have his
rourtants examine them
p.r, d Craoath of cou sei for the merger
s,le5 On Mr Wilcox in the afternoon and had a
.sort conference with him. Neither would discuss
that was said If the request OF Mr.. Wilcox is
,efused the commission VIII. it is said. immedi-
s,elv issue order TO the corporation commanding
n 10 give the commission and its counsel and ac-
countants TO the books Should this be re
FUSED then the Will go the courts.
The result viii decide whether the board has
jurisdiction holding as well as operating COM
panies The Interborough- Metropolitan refused
Mr. Ivtns's request for its books the ground
that IL holding company. and hence not
under the jurisdiction of the commission. Many
,hnk I; highly probable that II will also refuse the
request made by Mr. Wilcox. d:sobey the order
that the commission will then issue and force the
natter TO s court test.
Il have been expecting hear from counsel of
the Interboroush- Metropolitan all day. said Mr..
WINS late yesterday afternoon. ss to the decision
they have reached in regard TO letting examine
.heir books. but I have not heard far
II they refu.e, what action viii you take7' he
was asked
why. the commission will then order them
sornally give their books for inspection, and
4 they refuse obey the order we shall carry the
matter into the courts
Mr WINS yesterday confirmed the statement OF
Mr. Teee an accountant employed by the Dis
,rict Attorney TO examine the books OF the Metro
roltan Street Railway Company, who said that
TIE books of that company were extant in April
lsg Mr. WINS refused to say whether he expect
ed 10 take any action in regard TO these books 1t
Is said however. that he has some doubt about
ther actual destruction.
Owing to the death OF Orcn Root there Will be
no hearings of the Public Service Commissions
inquiry into the Interborough- Metropolitan COM
pany this week. Will there be any next week.
II is probable that the next hearing will be
held or Tuesday. September 10 Mr.. WINS had
expected TO call Oren Root jr-. general man
srer Of the New York City Railway Com
rany. the stand when the hearings OF the In
ouiry resumed this week The commission
cid consider II proper under the circumstances
ask Mr.. Root to appear before II for several
DAYS. When the hearing is resumed the surface
roads will be taken up and Mr.. Root will be the
chief witness
During the remainder CT this week and ali next
week the commission xiii work hard dispose
business tnat has accumulated Next week Chair
nlsn Wilcox Will leave the city for few days as
viii two IF the Other commissioners A
quorum. however. wifi always he IN .he city Pub
lie meetings Will be had as usual each morning
and business will be transacted
The commission held its first p,rhl.r meeting q.
fts Offices IN she Tribune Building Yesterday
morning All Of the members present except
NJ McCa-Toll report received from Chief
Engineer Rice in regard to stairways the
18th end 1z5th street stations cf the Broadway sub
way After some discussion the report was re-
.erred back TO the chief engineer sor further in
Formation II was estimated that the
proposed stairTays would approximate slaesN
reports were received as to the progress of the
Inspectors Of the commission in making obeerva-
ions Of subway schedules and trains
Brooklyn residents have begun asking the com
mission why work on .h- Fourth avenue subway is
delayed Commissioner Bas.ett and the other COM
iissioners simply declined 20 discuss tre question
Rurors Of all kinds have been circulating in re-
Fsrd 70 this work. but far none OF them have
had grounds for slhstantiation II IS q fact how
ever that the commission IL giving serious though.
eed an unusual amount Of study 70 this problem