New-York tribune., 1907-08-01
TRANSIT PROBE TO-DAY.
STONTS FIRST IFTTNESS.
PuL15, Scr7TcF Commission Re0dy for
Searching Investigation.

Theodore 2 shonts president Of the Inter
borough Metropolitan merger. will bc called as
tha nrSt witness In the Investigation Of New
York's great rapid transit system by the Pub
Ii Service Commission q :: O'Clock this after
roor- Chairman Wilcox viii conduct the in
vpstfEation ana William NJ WINS special coun-
SCI xiii put he witnesses through rigid ex-
animation.
Commissioner Wilcox SAID last night that
everything was in readiness for the opening Of
TIE investigation After Nj Shonts has been
examined H II. Vreeland. president Of the
metropolitan Securities Company: Oren Root.
gr-. general manager cf the New York City Rail
vay Company and vice-presidenr Of the Metro
politan Securities Company: Frank Hedley. gen
eTal manager Of the Interhorough Rapid Tran
ST Company. and Edward Z. Bryan. president
RI the Interborough Rapid Transit Company,
VIII be called in that order.
4 think" said MI Twins that as a matter
= fact Will consume ali the afternoon in the
examination Of Mr. Shonts- ! don't believe
there VIII be :iIne for any Of the other Wit
rcssas-
lyius was asked.
! O. not know. Il is Impossible 20 say-per-
F.ars 70 eternity he replied. smiling broadly
The investigation will be continued Friday
There Nil be no session saturday Mr..
zvfIioox said he had not determined whether 70
hold one session TWO sessions a day The
,,-,babiIi1ies are said ne. that we Will hold
ore session each day. with the exception of Sat
7,rser That vil be in the afternoon. But this
r0int We shah definitely determine later
NJ wilcox declined again II say whether
--l~.1as 2 Ryan and August Belmont would he
called as witnesses Mr.. WINS has prepared q
long list Of officials Of the merger and the roads
that compose Il SUbpOenas VIII be served on
-haee as they are needed. Mr.. Wilcox signed
Yesterday number of blank subpPnas. send
ing them down TO Nr. Ivins's offices
After short conference between the chalT-
,-s-7 Of the commission and special counsel Il
VAS said that plans had been fully matu7ed Tor
30 Investigation There IS a lot 81 work sun
- do said MI Twins but we are well pre-
Tsa-e5 for the start
v Tvf-s has been putting in a large amount
- -7-lz on the case. and his friends say that ne
-yfl r,sh the investigation with more thah HIs
s-,si energy. He was selected by the coFnnls-
son for this task because Of his intimate hl'""f
edge of transit methods and afalrs-
-, --7-,,,,ieeir-e- wilcox Will have entire
,,,a-ge y the investigation the other n1eInoerS
,f re pilhfic Service Commission VIII piV'"0'S
attend to-day's hearing ,,-,,, has
a,-.-g fa The amount Of work Ny Nl4lc"A Hos
= =. - i, This investigation he has not nao
.,-==~5anr time for the other Work o. M I1+
mission although he has nol sI'aI .I, 5.
M his account Il Is thought lnd' ~ ~ -. -
- :, fs1-or of carrying on the investigator @ ~
-. - ..a-irrs in the afternoon II ms -
z - z,-o,1l5 have the morning u ue>"'e -
-ha other work Of The coInTnlAS-o.L- ,,-,,,- .--s
N conducting the hearings Ny -
= -, 4,,sicial capacity. After all IS orFl
," - ,,,,,+ ~. testimony. together with ms
- -eco-77-aenderions 70 the commission si'lI,9
= '.-,,7-,i+tAe Of the whole. as PROVIDED pF t7
rubl:c service act
T TO COME NEXT
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit COMPANY ~.-.
oor,1rv the centre Of the stage as Sooi d. Ia.
r-7-erhoro7,gF- Metropolitan Is disposed Vi. -.
..ls 20 mis- system will follow the investigation
q f1DG out Nfk1I ttiSH
--a,- exrecr when their turn comes
= .,,ra0+ior with these TWO Investigations
-F.a essed willingness q oTclaiS W ::
e,-ere-7s - aid the work Of the coiiliiliS9-'t. "
ever --av and 70 furnish i WIN every
= -a----f-F IN its Investigations has seemingly
- ,s-a-as comment and the commission
. 5-zfyfs,.alv and as a body are n1uch Tieaseo
- re ATTITUDE the TWO transit systems nave
-aEe7 To quote Commissioner WILCOX ies
f77--e -7e- rs more than half way ana nave
shown pleasing ~liilIlsii77> w
fu--ra- our work
a.. ---oz-5sion Of the public service bill eX-
-,-es=rz- states that no person shall be prose
c71-ed ullnfshed or subjected 70 any penaiE VI
forfeiture for or on account q any act traflsac
-fo- --7a--e- or thing concerning which he sAaIl
under oath have testified OF produced docuIneh-
-z-v evidence provided, however. no person so
tegtjfving shall be exempt from prosecution or
r,rsF-77er- for any perjury made by him in his
1es- Iu7ony-'
Under this provision any witness caAIeo py
tn commission during the investigation cannot
he prosecuted even Il clearly shown that ne
otherwise would be liable 10 prosecution
The hearing beginning al p. m to-day, VIII
he h=l5 In the aIderrnanic chamber in City Han.
sn6 VIII be public
STATISTICS OF INTER R-NETROPOLlTAN.
The InteTborough- Metropolitan merger con-
trols and operates al the subway and elevated
Ines in Manhattan and The Bronx Besides
these i controls q large number Of the surface
lines operating in those Two boroughs
lisr OF these surface Zines, with the capital
,+o,. funded debt and mileage Of each, fol-