New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-28
?. s. BOARDS POWERS.
MEIIBERE INDEPENDENT.
Bat Nu&t Submit Conclusions to
Al for Endorsement.

Most people have the idea that this investiga-
ton Of the Gnt@rh7rough- Metropolitan merger Will
take up 10 entire time Of the Public Service Com
mission" said Mr.. WilCoX, The chairman 20 a
reporter for The Tribune yesterday. such is not
the case 81 sl. = VIII occupy nost Of my time.
but it eed not. matter 90 fact. take up Z
single minutes time If any other commissioner
until have prepared ana submitted my findings
T:.en. Of course, the commission sitting q com
ri,;ce Of the whole. viii have 10 pass upon what
: recommend. But during the investigation the
other commissioners viii be able 10 on with
other work uninterruptedly. our object is 10 give
each nan some particular problem 10 deal with,
appor1icnng the work $ far possible that
each VIII be called upon 10 deal with III" questions
that he is most familiar with.
For example" Nj. Wilcox said. Mr.. Matbe
has hac experience with gas and electric lighting
Companies To him, then. will be assigned far
possible such questions. Ny Rassett IS a Brook
Ign man. ana has studied problems of transit in
Brooklyn ho VIII nave the major part OF that
work his hands. Commissioner Eusts comes
from The Bronx and naturally problems affect
ing that borough will he under his care"
The public service bill was drafted with that
idea - mind The powers given 70 each commits
sioner we're commented on as being relnarkab bile
when il first came before the Legislature for con
sideratioI.
Each commissioner mas the right 10 subpoena
witnesses take evidence conduct investgat tons,
and so forth provided by Section Il Of the act,
which, in part, is as follows:
ANY investigation. inquir: hearing which
either commission has power 10 undertake or TO
lula may be undertaken or held hy before any
commissioner. All Investigations. inquiries. hear
ingS and decisions Of commissioner shall be and he
deemed II be the INVESTIGATIONS inquiries hear
iugs and decisions Of tie commission. and every
order made iV 4 commissioner. when approved and
confirmed by the commission and ordered filed in
its Office shall be and he deemed 10 he the order
OF the commission
u is clear. rhrn. from this section that any
con missioner can conduCt an Investigation sepa-
laely with all the power and authority Of the COM
mission ~ his disposal
This. according To Commissioner Wilcox. IS the
Tls- that VIII be followed by the commission fcr
Ills district. and there are likely 10 he five dis
5inet Investigations 90 phases Of work going IN
a the same time-one 10y each commissioner-the
commission. whole. meeting only approve
orders e the commissioners individually or 10 pass
resolutions
These are the only two things which the commits
siorars inai,-duaf}- h.. the hin have not The
power 10 do: No commissioner car issue an order
unless # mas first been passed on and approved by
The commission whole. and no commissioner
the commission until q majority vote has adopted it,
The problems that the commissioners will first
consider individually are these:
An investigation Of the Metropolitan INTERIOR
Ough merger. and later Of the BROOKLYN Rapid
Transit system under charge Of Chairman Will
cox
. Third tracking the Second and Third avenue
u lines and other minor Bronx problems. under
charge Of Commissioner ECstis
s. Matters pertaining 10 the reorganization Of
the work Of the old board of gas and electricity
and gas meter inspection. under charge OF Com
missioner Naltbie.
4 The Brooklyn Bridge crush and the question
OF the ACCESSIBILITY Of the installation Of the mono
RaSSett.
o The proposed Fourth avenue subway and the
question Of a fve-cent fare 70 Coney Island. under
charge Of Commissioner McCarroH
Besides these questions there ara many others
that have benn referred 10 subcommittee Of the
commission, and still others that have been re-
ierred TO commissioners individually
While these problems being struggled with
by the members Of the commission the complaints
daily flowing in viii not b. neglected.
No one has any idea OF the amount of routine
business and the work Of orea nizati0n that this
commission has had do itself" M Bassett said
bon
lis work u was delayed and handicapped by the
refusal Of Controller Metz honor any Of its bills
until the Corporation Counsel had passed upon
the constitutonality Of the public service act We
Inadequate force Of stenographers and clerks and
were forced ourselves to attend 10 many matters
lhat should have been done by a clerical force.
Iheh there We're questions about employees.
recessilating the advice and direction Of the State
tA'lI service Commission. An while done with ex-
leutloh TOOK time II has only been recently that
We have been able 10 devote our time to matters
mat the commissioners themselves should attend
10. Inc work OF organization and getting the COM
mission running srnoothly las been "A large task
and has taken up much of our time When we get
settled in our Offices the public can expect ac-
ton. We will then be able to attend strictly TO
transit and light AMI power problems. and not
waste time minor matters
The commission, while il hopes to alleviate some
OF the present and worst forms OF transit cungaz-
1ion ana poor service promptly, will do its work
future.
only. Mr. Wilcox said. Had attention been
given TO the growth IF traffic fifteen years ago
there would have been such problem that Of
the bridge crush to-day. Had a little foresghteG-
ness been observed prepsrat would have been
made gradually and steadily for handling the in
creased traffic that no clairvoyant would have -
tell would increase with each succeeding year. W.
hope 70 look TO the future well as TO the present
We shan try 10 provide remedies for the present
IN such way that transit facilities for the future
may meet the increase Of population.