The sun., 1907-12-19
GOV. HUGHES WANTS RESULTS
THREE HOURS TALK WETH The
p. 8. COMMISSIONER


ALBANY, Dec. lS.-Ths leading feature Of
the visit of the members Of the New York
City Public Service Commission 10 Albany
to-day was the prominence Of William NJ
WINS. ono OF tho special counsel Of the
commission. 1t was Mr. WINS who ea-
cOrted the Commissionersinto Gov. HMghes'a
presence at the Executive Chamber to-day
and II was the same Mr.. WINS who aat on
the right Of the Governor during his dinner
at the Executive Mansion tonight to the
members OF the two Public Service COM
missions. In fact. William NJ. WINS seems
to be Gov. Hughes's premier on public
service problems.
Mr.. Twins and Gov. Hughes have been
friends for a long time. When both were
young at the practice Of the law they oo-
cupied adjoining and conHeoted offices.
though they were not partners. This
accounts for the appointment OF Mr.. Ivins
as special counsel for the New York city
Public Service Commission. Gov. Hughes
was anxious because Of the lack Of results
in solving the New York city transit
problems, and Mr.. Ivins was appointed
as special counsel at the suggestion Of
the Governor for the purpose Of stirring
| up both the commission and the traction.
companies.
While Mr.. Ivinss delving into the affairs
| OF the traction companies did not bear as
much fruit as Gov. Hughes expected, still
the commission has begun to realize that
J the Governor wants solution Of the trans
| it problem on Manhattan Island and be-
tween the boroughs OF Manhattan and
Brooklyn, which was the main reason given
by the Governor for the enactment Of his
| Public Service Commission law. This is
shown by the cOmmission's announcement
yesterday that il will at once provide for
the construction of an East Side subway.
That Gov. Hughes is disappointed in the
work of his New York City Commission
and that he is seeking aid to solve the transit
problem elsewhere was evidenced to-day
when he had long conference with Theo-
| dore p. Shonts. the president of the Inter
borough Metropolitan Railway Company.
The Governor and Mr.. Shonts had a long and
earnest talk together. and before Mr.. Shonts
left the Executive Chamber Gov. Hughes
took occasion TO warn him about talking to
the newspaper men regarding the object OF
the conference. Consequently Mr.. Shonts
refused to discuss il. But the fact that
Gov. Hughes had a talk with Mr.. Shonts
this afternoon before he had his confer
| ence with the Public Service Commissioners
at the Executive Mansion tonight waA
taken as significant of the fact that the
Governor was trying 20 get the traction
companies TO aid his New York City Public
Service Commissioners to solve the transit
| question.
Gov. Hughes in his annual MESA % %
the Legislature last January took advRnos
steps on this question. and now as be a.
about 20 write anoher message to the
Legislature which will be read to tho
Senators and Assemblymen two weeks
from to-day. on January I. he finds that
he is no nearer a solution than he was then.
| except that he has Public Service Com
mission with more power than the Car of
| Russia but apparently with no initiativs.
The dinner to the Public Service Comnlis-
sioners tonight was prompted by the Cow
ernor's desire 10 have full and frank
| talk with them prev ious 10 his writing
that part of his coming message to tbs
| Legislature which VIII deal with this quss-
tion OF transit facilities in New York citv.
Tho members of the New York city COM
mission reached Albany just before noon
to-day. With them were William NJ. Ivins
and Edward y. Whitney, thc special counsel
Of the commission; Abel +. Blackmar. the
regular counsel, and Travis II. Whitney.
the commissions secretary. FIRST they
paid their respects to Gov. Hughes at tbs
| Executive Chamber and then we're enter
tanned by tho members of the upstate Pub
| lie Service Commission at luncheon in tho
Fort Orange Club. Mr.. WINS stayed bshind
| after the Commissioners left and had talk
with the Governor in a corner Of the EXecri-
tive Chamber reception room
At the Governors dinner there u ere nine-
| teen at tho table and the Governor sat at
the head with William NJ. Wins A. the
| opposite end of the table were seated the
chairmen Of the two commissions. Wilcox
| Of the New York city commission and
Stevens Of the upstate commission. The
dinner began at 4 O'Clock and ii was after
| II before the Governors guests departed
twas over the cigars and coffee that Gov.
| Hughes gave his Commissioners his much
heralded heart to heart talk on tho prog
ress Of their work. While the Governor
seldom dictates to his sppointees how they
shall perform their work he made IL plain
10 the Commissioners, especially to the
members Of the New York city commission,
that the result Of their labors az yet had
not justified tbs passage OF the Public
| Service Commission law or the prodigious
expenditures they have undertaken.
Gov Hughes reviewed in general terms
the reasons which led to the enactment
of the law, and while he said he did not
pretend to tell them how TO conduct their
work he made it plain that there were
conditions which should be remedied and
he insisted that the remedy waa about
due, more especially relief for New York
city. In this view OF the situation u Ia
unlikely that the city commission will
waste much more time picking over ash
heaps for political financial bargain bones
but will at once endeavor IN formulate
plans. such a. providing at Once for an
Rast Side subway. which viii afford the
New York city transportation public relief
at the earliest practicable period. Az the
rate tho New York city commission has
prooeeded along practical lines Gov Hughes
10 afraid his term will expire with no actual
relief being Afforded
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