New-York tribune., 1908-08-12
ACTS ON TRANSFERS
ORDER TO GET TOGETHER.
Metropolitan and Belt Line Must
DeUise Plan in Ten Days.

As was expected. the Public Service Commission
took hand yesterday In the ''to transfer or not
transfer game In 5eth street by summarily or
dering the receivers OF the Metropolitan Street
Railway Company and the officers Of the Central
Park. North & East River Railroad Company TO
get together within ten days and establish through
joint rates of fare. TO be in operation
for at least year. The rnanagenents OF the two
companies have ten full working days-untl August
24-to report to the commission what arrangement
they have been able to make in restoring transit
facilities between the lines of the two companies
The order of the commission passed by
unanimous vote of the three commissioners now In
town-Messrs Eustis. McCarroll and Maltbie-after
a public hearing the proposed order to compel
the two companies establish joint rate of fare
which would be satisfactory TO the public Follow
ing their custom. neither Of the receivers of
the Metropolitan degned to appear at the hearing.
which attended by some hundred or more
representatives of civic organizations and others
who were eager to find out what the Metropolitan
receivers and the crosstown officials would have 70
say about the abolition of transfers and what the
commission would do in there should be
pointblank refusal to make a joint fare arrange
ment. Neither was Oren Root. the general man
ager under the receivers, present, any repre-
sentative of the firm of Masten & Nichols. the gen.
eraI counsel for the receivers.
RECEIVERS ASK TIME
Instead. the receivers polite note. bearing
date of yesterday. acknowledging receipt of the
notice of the hearing and suggesting that 'fnas-
much as this is largely a legal matter, not
prepared to make any definite statement concern
ing the subject matter of the order until we have
been afforded opportunity confer with our
general counsel. who is at present out of town and
viii not return until the latter part of the week
In this particular the receivers Of the Metropoli-
tan may have been nisinforrned. for at the offices
of Masten & Nichols. less than half hour after
the close of the hearing. it said that Mr.. Mas
ten had left the city Monday night for the
northern part of the state, but would return to-
day. No explanation made Of MIR. Masters
departgre the night before the hearing the
transfer situation. Of which he had had notice.
nor of his probable return the day after the
hearing
Augustus H vanderpoel and Henry Thompson,
OF the firm Of vanderpoeI Thompson & Freedman.
counsel for the Central Park, North & East River
Railroad Company, with George ". Linch. who
has been acting as general manager since the lines
of the company were turned back 10 It by the
Metropolitan receivers last Thursday morning, were
among the earliest arrivals at hearing. To
Commissioner Eustis Mr. Thompson, who did the
talking for his company, said that on receipt Of
the commissions notice Of the proposed order for
joint rate, his company had tried to get into
communication with the receivers and their coun-
sell but got no more information than contained in
the letter sent TO the commission. Mr.. Thompson
r1esded for more time in order that the officials
OF the two companies might have chance 10 get
together. This plea seconded by J. Parker
BfrIin on behalf the stockholders Of the Metro
politan Street Railway Company, who thought
reasonable time ought TO be given the receivers to
consider the matter.
MR. MALTBIE AROUSED.
This caused Commissioner Maltbie TO remark.
1T did not require very long time for the re-
cevers to inconvenience the public by doing away
with the transfers and think equally as prompt
action should be taken to restore them
Mr. Kirlin thought ten days adjournment would
be time enough. but Commissioner Eustis, who
presided at the hearing, and who was plainly
nettled at the attitude the receivers decided to
90 ahead with the hearing.
Mr Thompson said that the only objection that
he knew of the part of his company to the
adoption of the order compelling the companies
to get together and establish a joint rate of fare
was the difficulty TO be experienced in making
enough to pay expenses and keeping out of the
hands of receivers
THE other company, we understand, he SAID
'Gs already in the hands of receivers with dencft
of something like a million dollars year. 1 do
not see how the commission could make an order
that we should divide revenue with that COM
nsnv As to the general necessity for transfers we
agree upon that heartily. That is one or the
strong reasons We urged upon the United states