New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-10

The Railroad Gazette" will print to-day a re-
view Of the work Of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
and the progress rehabilitation the road by its
| president. f. w. Winter. In part The Gazette
VIII say:
From the time the surface lines we're electrified in
1893 there began IN tine borough Of Brooklyn an un-
tcal cqaageetlon betweeh, isTookyn and Manhattan
surface cars we're nrs operated over the Brooklyn
Bridge, the yearly traffic was 5o"ooc0; IN 1906,
nine Years later, The estimated traffic over the
Brooklyn bridge alone. not counting pedestrians,
WaT I5ot"9g' Ia ssensGrs and IL addition the
Iies 100 c1o5t, The increase in travel between 1893
handling the traffic. The power houses were over
loaded the partly completed Identification OF the
machinery which relatively and untred,
yate! lines was Inadequate and the equipment
could not be spared from service long enough for
proper Inspection and repairs Breakdowns and
failures OF all kinds were the natural result and
s1oy6S not b n@ s PAM f the
vas as II st'll Isl an insult to the decency of the
and Of the every Ps da 70 fhe c en Way w @a
blamed for this well as for its own faults and
time to time. ana the expenditures, even il well
g4late 70 provide the Increased facilities needed
ne 1g s 5ed3 was und,eniahy bad .,-,,
Iation or INC property. he faced trying and com
pie, TE , situation The citizens were hostile, The
property was wreck. The first undertaking was
which absolutely and Immediately necessary
his was done through new refundng mortgage
securities of Of the constituent companies and
the remainder required for improvements The
next work 10 effect complete reorganization
ana consolidation Of the personnel and duties Of
the subordinate officers Having the money and
the men TO carry out his plans Mr. Winter began
his far-reaching reconstrncticn
Perhaps the hardest fight has been to free the
company from the Influences of political graft and
70 steer clear Of tho eutanglements of city politics
The effort has been reasonably successful For
years the ward politicians and their favorite CON
tractors. Insurance agents and other followers
for immunity from the petty annoyances so easily
applied. volume might be written about the
political nrigues which Mr.. Winter has had 70
face in dealing with the bridge terminal problem.
less important questions affecting the relations he
tween the company and the city.
Results of the Improvement policy were not ap-
parent first. and the admin stration came
in for quite much condemnation rs the Old
but the attitude Of the public has heen gradually
changing The innumersbla civic organizations I'm
Brooklyn longer hold frequent meetings 10 de
nounce the company: only occasionally Is at
tempt made 20 make political capital out or II;
the newspapers ready and willing to give
praise whore praise is due. From a financial ana
operating standpoint the results of the improve
fnents have been even more clearly marked. For
the year ended June 20. 1902, the gross earnings
after fixed charges $l0332l. For the year
ended June 30, 1906 gross earnings were S!s4t5SzS
net earnings SS03l. 95l and net income ~
with an increase of IS per cent in gross earnings
net earnings increased S6 per cent and net income
2,l50 per cent The 1902 surplus after deducllng
after deductng sl652,l13 for betterments and spe-
cial appropriations the surplus was Sz"'9oe' ne
operating ratio in 1902 SIS per cent, ana IN SVn
had been reduced to SIS per cent