New-York tribune., 1908-06-29
A YEAR OF REGULATION.

The creation of the Public Service Commission
is fully justified by Its first year in office II
the state had undertaken the effective regulation
of public service companies decade or SO
earlier than it did, the traction situation In
New York would not now be in the demoraliZed
condition in which it is. The commission mas
put an end TO the old abuses which nave
brought about the present conditions and mas
initiated reforms which have already effected
some ameoration and which are sure TO work
out substantial benefits to the public in the end
1t is no longer possible for traction operators
I'm this city to starve the service on their lines
in the interest of the stock market Repairs OF
equipment cannot be sighted. for instance, in
order TO make good showing in annual reports
When the commission took supervision OF the
service the cars of the surface roads were in
shocking condition. through the habit Of not al
lowing sufficient sums for repairs and deprecia-
ton The commission began the policy of re
uuiring cars TO be put and kept In good order
and in short time II will institute a system
of accounting that will provide sufficient annual
allowances for depreciation Keeping the cars
in proper repair effects great Improvement in
the service by minimizing breakdowns and their
attendant delays. Besides this. the commission
has actually increased the service by compelling
the running of more Especially in the
subway have improvements been accomplished
many more express trains being now operated III
the rush hours than were operated a year ago.
and the commission has plans which will still
further increase the subway's carrying capacity.
OF course an enormous task still remains be-
fore the commission The evils of years of mis-.
management cannot be corrected in a twelve
month and moreover. untoward conditions have
hampered the advancement of the policy of pub
lie regulation and have seriously hindered the
provision of additional facilities When the
commission began its work past mismanagement
had brought the surface traction companies TO
the verge Of bankruptcy Consequently, the
financial condition Of the roads and the question
of the jurisdiction of the commission over them
while they were in the hands Of federal court
receivers have interfered with the development of
the regulative policy and reduced its effective
ness No more difficult problem is before the
community than how to obtain reasonable ser
vice from companies which are impoverished
through the payment Of excessive sums for leases
of their subsidiary lines. If an abandonment Of
the leases is practically forced, it Will mean q
reduction of transfer privileges. If the leases
are kept up for the sake of continuing transfers,
if will mean that the leasing companies must
economic upon their service in order to meet
the rentals.
So far as the building of additional subways
is concerned. the general financial situation has
been unfaVoraDle- and the 1nunlclpal admlnlSIra-
tion's policy of devoting the public funds TO any
thing rather than to the city's traction require
ments has effectively blocked the actual begin
ming of constructive work. AS the law stands,
the city cannot obtain subways unless it
furnishes the money for their construction, and
the Board of Estimate and Apportonment has
ignored the citys needs. The commission has
planned subways which meet with general ap-
proval and the construction of which would pro-
vide much needed communication with important
parts of the greater city. But for the carrying
forward of any comprehensive plan of subway
building a change in the law is necessary, and
a change in the local administration. too into
one in sympathy with the commissions policy
/ In all its work-and we have mentioned only
few Of its features-the commission has moved
in A fair-minded way, protecting the peoples
! interests without demagogy. Its course has been
remarkably free from criticism.