The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-03
NO HOLIDAYS FOR THE BOARD
prBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SITS
EUERI DAY ~ THE NEAR.
from : 4 N.,ouP y. VI. Somebody WIN ne
On Hand Telephone n s07s worth
Travis u. whitney Secretary - Rice
rorce ue,ained-Doub About Funds.

teri man with a complaint 10 make against
The characterization lines or the lighting
,crranie, 10 find some enc to complain
., nm to the tlmo when most good people
RI N bed Beginning with last night the
oec. n the now Public Service Commission
an 10 AZ ms disrosal. providing that he
,r,s IA, 70 by II p VI The Office for a
.ble vill 10 Al the old Offices Of the Rapid
Transit commission NJ 800 Broadway Sec
.,,a,v. telephone call 1928 Worth.
Chairman Wilcox and his associates got
:, work arain Yesterday trying 20 digest
,be law and GO, their bearings. One OF the
rr,, things they did was 10 put out a sign
N the Offices at $50 Broadway reading;
Public Service Commission Of the First
strict. Oefcc hours 8 A. NJ. to II p. M
Inc law provides that tn ofhss shall be
or.n from 4. N. until IL Pm every day
, the wear The commissioners looked
,hrough the law but failed 10 find that
,,v dav would I've sunday for them, or that
ne Fourth. or any other holiday, would
re them a cay III - i'tuihSN e'e'
nv railroad company shall give imme-
dat. notice at the Office of any accident
harrcring on its line immediate. at least,
io,weens 4. NJ. and II p. NJ.
TIE commission has appointed Travis
Whitney secretary. His salary is fixed
" law al $4,000. Mr.. Whitney got on the
,rh Immediately and was at the Office last
night until II. He also said that he would
Re back at : O'Clock this morning. Mr..
Whitney VAS assistant secretary OF the
citizens u-ion and for the last four years
has rerresented that organization during
The session al Albany. He has had the
confidence Of Gov. Hughes and his work in
erecting ont jokers in bills has attracted
.ttsntion. lie is 81 years old, was born in
indiana and is a graduate Of the Harvard
law school. class OF 1898. He married
2osa,ie Loew. the woman lawyer. His APP
cintment is attributed TO Gov. Hughes.
counsel, who will get $40. 900 a rear, has
.Nt 10 be appointed Oliver G.. Semple, who
vas an assistant under Corporation Counse
Rives, was in consultation with the com
mission yesterday and there was a rumor
hat he would I've the man.
Another thing the new commission did
Sas to retain Chief Engineer George G.
Rice and his entire staff and direct them to
continue their work in regard to subways
md other matters formerly under the
Rapid Transit board. Mr.. Rice's salary
6 $4,000 a year and his assistant. Alfred
raven, gets s 1000. They have a force of
20 men.
The five commissioners have already
decided 10 take no summer vacations.
We are going TO have two or three meet
'ngs a day until VIZ can get at hearings
Commissioner Bassett said after yester-
days meeting. We are going to keep
right on, regardless Of vacations and hours.
his summe at least
When asked If the commission expected
TO improve transit conditions in Brooklyn
and Manhattan Mr.. Bassett said:
We certainly do expect to improve
hem. 4 great deal can undoubtedly be
done IN improving the method Of carrying
reople over existing tracks and more peo-
RE can be accommodated. Much Of the
congestion can be prevented with the
existing facilities. Until now no one has
had adequate power TO do this. The State
abroad board could not enforce its orders.
We are not necessarily going to compel
he use of the existing facilities 20 their
.ulles, extent. but to the extent that public
,rsvel demands. We can't do everything
- once"
Nr Bassett said that the board had not
1eclded which problem to take up first.
Already letters are pouring in from citizens,
but Chairman Wilcox refused to give out
the text of any of them yesterday. One
nan wants the Lexington avenue subway
rlan adopted and built at once. Another
:sSed that the bridge jam be ended by
tomorrow.
While these are not in the nature Of formal
Complaints the new Law provides that any
u'i1en may make a complaint regarding
4 common carrier and it's service to the
commission and then requires the COM
MISSION 10 forward a cop Of the COM
plant Immediately 10 the railroad corpora
ton, accompanied by an order requiring
that such matters complained Of be remedied
or that the charge be answered by said
corporation in writing within a specified
tine
State Civil Service Commissioner r. C. r.
Brown had a talk with the commission yes
terday regarding the immense clerical force
to be employed.
Comptroller Metz announced yesterday
mat there was a balance OF s4OO 900 left over
IRON the appropriation for the old rapid
transit hoard which might be used for the
expenses of the commission, but he is going
70 md out about 1t first from Corporation
'ounsel Ellison. Mr.. Metz had previously
announced that he wouldn't pay out a cent
Tor the commission until the constitution
alty OF the law was tested. Yesterday he
sent a letter to Mr.. Ellison containing four
questions addressed TO him by Commissioners
bassett, asking whether the unused moneys
Of the Old board would be available, whether
present employees could be paid under some
temporary plan, whether the Offices Of the
old rapid transit board could be used, and
! he had any suggestions which would
facilitate the beginning Of the commission
work. In his letter to the Corporation
counsel Mr.. Metz said
NJ TAR as the law relat rs 20 the city Of New
l'rh have come 20 the conclusion. after
'l'tlre consideration. that there is a grave
question ~ to the constitutionality of the act
therefore request that AZ your earliest
''h'enlence YOU advise me as % It's con-
-,ltntionality, and II constitutional what
should he the policy of the cit Of New York