The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-03
.INFLAM MABLE CARS IN THE SUBWAY Recommendation of Rapid Transit Commission Not Considered
 An Order.
 7T BROUGHT OUT AT RAILWAY HEARING Shonts Says Bad Service is Due in Part to Inferior Calibre of Mo-
 tormen.

New York, Aug. 2--Offlcials of the Interborough- Metropolitan company were quizzed again to-day by William M Twins, special counsel to the public service commission, in the desperate hope that by once more turning over the mass of information possessed by these witnesses, the commission might discover solution of New York city's transportation problem.
 Conditions familiar to every one who travels within the city limits were dis cussed and at the days finish the in- vestigators found themselves confront ed with the old puzzle of how to put three pints in a quart measure. In other words, the one fact that stood out prominently throughout the exam ination was that the growth of the citys population had outstripped the traffic moving facilities.
 It developed that the company had taken no definite action as the result of the resolution of the rapid transit com mission on July, 1906, condemning the use of infiammable cars In the subway. President Bryan of the Interborough Rapid Transit company, had said he did not consider the resolution equiv alent to an order to change the sub way cars, and General Manager He'd ley of the subway division of the Inter- borough company said 1t had never been brought to his attention official ly.
 Theodore P Shonts president of the Interborough Metropolitan company ad- mltted that the inferlority of the mo- tormen might account In some measure for the bad service He placed the blame on labor conditions which neces- stated the employment of men of in- ferior calibre.
 During MT. Shonts examination Paul D. Cravath, counsel for the railroad people, volunteered the information that the stock of the new Belmont tun' | nel was owned by the InterborougE Rapid Transit company.
 Interesting figures regarding the cost of some of the street car lines were spread upon the minutes. Mir. Twins referred to the fact that the Forty second street cross town line had cos according to the Interborough- Metro polltans books $954,446 per mile ant | that the Fulton street line which was 1 built as a horse car line, had cost $2,' ono 1a ment. He asked Mir Shonts If he hat ever heard of city railway line tha 1 had cost so much, MT, Shonts admit | ted that he never had.
 Mir. Twins referred to the 34th stree cross town line, which he said. had cos s6472,2S per mile Mir shonts said ht was not sufficiently familiar with thu history of the matter to comment or
 the cost of the various street railwa. lines.
 1 Mir. Wins read long list of various
 railroads and the figures, in the swori
 reports, showing the cost of road ant
 equipment per mile.
 The New York city railway compan! cost $S,254, ASA per mile The 2sth anc 2eth street cross town lines which ar hcrse car lines with mileage of 28S cost for road and equipment si,2l4,27 per mile. The Southern Boulevard railroad, with a 3,50 mileage, cost $l63, 43N per mile. Tarrytown and White plains railroad, mileage 2S.5S, cost on l ly $42, ,S6S per mile for road and equip ment, Union railroad company, mile age 2i.27, cost per mile s207167.
 Mir. shonts agreed with MT. Twin suggestion that the company furnisl tho commission within thirty days a statement of the physical values O | it's various properties,
 The inquiry was adjourned to nex 1 Tuesday.