New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-16
TO STUDY B. R. T. FARES
n p. S. BO4RD SUBJECT.
Commission Can Order FiUe-Cent
Rate to Coney Island.

| that while the rate to Coney Island had not come
| before the commission officially II had been the
| subject of much informal discussion among the
! members and would undoubtedly receive official
| consideration
THE rate to Coney Island is matter which this
! commission has the power to deal with" said
| Commissioner Bassett yesterday; ut is a matter
| which should be considered and settled, as so
many of the citizens of New York proper Brook
| Ign and other places close by flock to Coney Island
| during the summer months.
IF they legally and legitmately entitled 10
! trip the island for fare. . cents they
| should certainly have It, If, on the other hahu'
| the one fare rate would work a hardship on the
| road and would not be fair remuneration or
rate the people should know this and learn ueh-
| nitely what they can count on"
Other members of the commission were equaliy
| sure that the subject was one which should be
dealt with by the commission. None would express
| definite opinion on the merits OF the case;
The power investigate and order d ci!eaptt
fare Coney Island is given 10 the commission III
Sections As and 49 OF the public service ACT Se
| ton As Subdivision l. is: ,
Investigations by Commission kach coiht'S
sion may, of it's own motion. investigate OK ma ~
| inquiry, in manner to De Determined ny II, % -
any thing done omitted 10 be done Dy any
common carrier railroad corporation or street ran
road corporation subject TO its SUPERVISION ana ue
commission must make such INJURY in regard TO
any act thing done or omitted 10 be uoie pS
| any such common carrier railroad corporation or
street railroad corporation in violation OF any pr
vision of law or in violation of any o'uei u '''
commission" .
Section 40, which gives the cOilillSH''' hN''' ~
regulate rates. is in part: -,
| Whenever either commission shall be of the
opinion, after hearing, that the rates Idre7 "a
| charges demanded, eXacted. charged or Coile0'eN
| by any common carrier. railroad corporation OF
railroad corporation. subject to It's 1urisdc
ton for the TRANSPORTATION of persons, freight or
property within the state, that the regulations
or practices OF such common carrier. railroad OF
railroad, affecting such rates are unjust, u
reasonable or in any wise In VoiaIIoH vi
any provision Of this law. the commission shall de,
termine the just and reasonable rates, fares ana
charges TO be thereafter observed ana IN Io'e as
| the maximum to be charged for the service TO DC
| performed. and shall fix the same by ORDER 10 DC
| served upon all common carriers, rairoad corpora
| tons or street railroad corporations. by whom suCh
| rates fares and charges are thereafter 10 De oo-
| served"
COMPANY MUST OBEY ORDER
These sections. the commissioners think. as do
several lawyers who have studied the Dill CIV
them ample power TO order hve-cent rare 10
Coney Island II they want 10. II the br"oAlyH
| Rapid Transit. Company is ordered by the conf
mission to give such fare. and II the company
refuses. It will forfeit TO the state 5000 Tor each
day Il refuses TO obey the orders OF the commits
| sion. provided in Section &c. SUBDIVISION l. OF
| the public service act.
and purposes 20 prevent common carriers or other
public service corporations from refusing TO heed
| its clever lawyers take the order in question 10
the courts and by full use OF the laws delays IN
| definitely or for years postpone obedience 10 the
order.
| Yesterday morning the Public Service Commits
| sion held another public session and was again
/ the recipient Of numerous complaints one f-ASt
| Side woman came in and. insisting upon seeing
| member 81 the commission, complained ptterY
| that the gas company wanted 70 take out her
| meter to test IT, which she would not permit be
| cause she would not trust the company; ana why
couldn't thay +es. her mater ANYHOW without TAX
| ing It out?' When told that It was impossible to
test tho meter unless that was done. she insisted
that the commission have the meter tested TOR
| the gas company shouldn't touch IT,"
| Commissioner Bassett chairman OF the bridge
| crush remedy committee announced a public hear
ing on the crush for July 2. at 80 O'clock, Inc
| place for the hearing Will be decided on later
| The special committee appointed 10 investigate
| the Brooklyn Bridge crush said Mt. bassett ls
seeking for all the light II can get. we want suE-
| gcstions as 10 practical methods OF improving the
| bridge transit problem. particularly from citizens
| OF BROOKLYN and Queens who have studied the sub
| ject AT this public meeting. We don't want 10 he
| told there a crush the bridge We are ali
| U,eu avara az mat fact 1t would be idle for
US TO 60 into collateral matters. such as the con-
strlcton Of loops. etc, because It is well known
that we have jurisdiction over tho bridge Itself
it's approa and its terminals being the property
OF tho city. We have control OF the movement OF
| the cars over the bridge and supervision or the
| corporations operating those cars
| Printed proposals for contracts for five sections
| ~ the Fourth avenue subway IN Brooklyn were
submitted to the commission 10y MI Kice' the chleI
! engineer. A hearing was set Tor july 90 at 10
| o'clock There fourteen sections in all OF this
| proposed subway. Tho total cost is estimated TO
be i23 600 600 The commission is giving the hearing
to learn objections TO the features or the form or
Chairman Wnlcox's attention was called to the
| disoontinuance of the Seventh avenue and Broad
| wav surface line by the Now York CITY Railway
| Company Travis Whitney, secretary, was d-
| rected to communicate with the company, find out
| why the service discontinued. whether IL
would be renewed and all other pertinent infor-
! nation the subject. AS the road re-
| plies the commission Will take up tho question and
| may order the company TO continue the service.
CONSTITUTIONAL TEST RCMORED.
There was persistent rumor that the road
would disobey such order II it we're issued and
take the matter into the courts This would result
in a OF the CoustiJutiouality OF the public
vice BILL and it is said that the idea suggested
by the opinion OF Corporation Counsel Fendletou,
who in IT said that there grave doubts as
10 constitutionality certain provisions of the
measure, which should be decided by judicial
body.
Tho commission received applications from heads
| of city departments for the transfer OF some ~
the employees taken from the former Board OF
| Rapid Transit Commissioners. Some OF these era
plOyes who have been retained by tho new com
| mission have found that things are not as they
were. To their sorrow ard disgust. they md
that the new commission is Industrious one, and
not only keeps its own members grinding all the
| time but insists that its employees shall do a lot
| of work. The result has been that many OF them,
are trying to get shifted to some city department
| where sweet leisure is more plentiful.
r. c. r. Brown. State civil Service Commits
sioner. called at tho offices OF the Public Service
| Commission yesterday and Strengthened out the
| payroll OF civil Service employees for that bndv
| There were some mistakes and discrepancies that
had To be corrected. The roll will 20 To Controller
Metz and will be honored by him
The Citizens Union yesterday sent TO the corn
| mission statement as to the position It took on
future subways After saying that II had initiated
and successfully pressed passage the F,sberg
act of 1906. it went on to give its views on the
| separation OF construction and operation
This separation. the Citizens Union thinks has
| many advantages II also recommended to the
| commission that, I'm order obtain the advan-
| tage actual competition by small as well 40 nv
| construction be invited in the usual manner th,t
large railroad construction contracts let. name