New-York tribune., 1907-01-11
RAP CITY RAILWAY.
Committees Report Little attempt
Made to Better Service.

The New York City Railway came in for
severe condemnation yesterday. when various
sub committees of the committee of thirty-fve
appointed by President Herbert Parsons of the
Republican County Committee. made their re-
ports. The committee appointed in No
vember to investigate local traffic conditions for
purposes of legislation The meeting held
at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, Robert Kelly Prem
tice the chairman presiding.
The subcommittee transit said 1t found
the merger Of traffic lines made in January.
1905. 1t took reports sent TO the State Railroad
Commission by the Metropolitan Street Railway
Company for the first three-quarters Of 1905, and
compared them with the same periods in 1905.
These comparisons showed increase IN cash
fares paid of II, 100000 for the same period
But 1t found there was a decrease In car
mileage of $4,000 car miles. In the course of
the investigation It was found that consol-
idated load line," so-called of the Metropolitan
gave the number of on September 4. 1901.
In Manhattan between the hours OF and g
o'clock In the evening, as $3.50. The average
number OF in daily in Manhattan in
November, 1906, was l. 719, but was increased to
1,775 in December. Mr.. Prentice was asked why
this decrease of nearly four hundred took
place in four years. He could not tell but
said he believed the disposing of the old cross
seat Third avenue cars had much to do with It.
eight After the Metropolitan acquired control
of this road. sixty-nins of these cars were sold.
two were used for freight and twenty nine
which were kept had the side seats ripped out
and smaller seats put in. to allow for
standing room. OF the in at present.
the investigation showed 800 are Of the short
type. "a allow for only twenty eight seats %
allow for forty seats and 1.150 OF the stand
ard Metropolitan type seating thirty-six.
On November 26, 1906 the Railroad Commits
sion ordered an increase OF 10 per cent in the
service Of the Metropolitan From letters and
figures the committee found facts which
were admitted by the company, that the in
crease In the number of cars has been less than
per cent and the Increase in the actual service
less than l per cent. Since Governor Hughes
message, however. there he's been still further
increase. The committee reported that the
principal trouble is that the service is In the
hands OF q monopoly and the control itself Is
IN the hands OF so many subordinates that IL
Is impossible TO fix the responsibility.
The law subcommittee recommended legisla-
ton substantially on the lines advocated by
Governor Hughes. 1t proposed that If a new
state railroad commission is appointed it have
all regulating of surface, elevated and subway
traffc The companies may appeal direct to
the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court
orders must be complied with while awaiting
judicial decision 1t was also recommended
that the appeals thus made take precedence
over other court cases, and II the defendant
companies do not obey the orders they be found
guilty OF crime and the corporation and of1-
GERS be tried.
The committee Of thirty-fve will meet next
Thursday just before the monthly meeting OF
the county committee at tho Murray Hill
Lyceum and report TO the entire committee.