New-York tribune., 1908-06-30
TO TRY. SIDE DOOR CARS
p. s. c. TO ISSUE ORDER.
InterbOrOugh Doesn't Want to Make
Suh,cay Experiment.

Without much question the Public Service Com
mission viii order the Interborough Rapid Transit
Company to equip its with side door
frances Abundant indication that this course
would be followed given yesterday by Com
missioner Eustis at hearing held the proposed
order issued to the Interborough about month
ago. based on the recent report of Bion J. Arnold
Remodelling the now in use, it is estimated,
would cost about $3.50 900. The probability is that
any order issued by the commission will be for
trial Of the scheme fifty cars: then If
the trial proves successful, the order will be ex
tended to all cars. Mr.. Arnod's plan contem-
plated four doors, two for entrance and two for
exit arranged at the ends Of the in a man.
ner similar to the doors of the pay -you-enter
cars running in Madison avenue. 1t would be i'm
practicable to have doors in the centre OF the sub
way cars. because of the curved platforms and
the danger arising from wide gaps between the
platforms and centre of the
Frank Hedley, general manager for the Inter
borough. testified yesterdays hearing that side
door Of this type would not aid in reducing
existing traffic congestion. He believed 1t would
not be feasible to teach the travelling public to use
the separate entrances and exits made necessary
by the plan. Alfred A. Gardner. Of counsel for
the company. enlarged the difficulties which
| would be experienced If the scheme were tried
| He said the passengers would haye to be guideo
| by ratings to the proper entrances and 1t would
be extremely difficult to have the trains stopped
| at the right places along the platform. He esti-
! mated that the extra doors would cause 10 per
cent reduction in seating capacity. but Mr. Arnolds
report had answered that objection by hgurn9
f! that this loss would more than be made up In
the additional speed obtanable through facilty In
| loading and unloading at stations Mr.. Gardner
said that any experimenting with this new type
| of would be ineffective and probably danger
| But what you doing to provide for the In
crease of traffic." asked Commissioner kustls-
| There subways elevated lines be-
tuph huil 6vIIre ShOu an
per cent each year in the number of passengers
being carried there will be increase of % per
cent over the present number in TWO or thiee
/ years. What you doing to provide FOR IL!
Mr.. Gardner replied that the subway now was
not running at its greatest capacity during iuS"
| hours but that otherwise the company was DONG
| everything possible TO furnish the best service
Commissioner Eustis indicated his belief that cars
| of the type suggested by Mr. Arnold "ouio pe
| great improvement, and suggested that twenty or
| thirty cars be remodeed and tried out Mr. caro-
replied that nothing could be learned from 'ha'
| kind of experiment
Mr.. Arnold estimated that it would cost S2'o'
each 10 remodel steel cars and about 1880 each
for the composte cars There $50 steel cars
and 500 of the other type making total cost VI
| 81 10000. The InterbOroughs engineers Sd! 'he'e
| figures are too low. Mr. Hedley testified IN Nay
that It would cost 81 100000 to transform the cars
now in service. .
In the course Of the hearing it was brought 10
| light that engineer named Putnam OF NO j"
| Broadway had served notice the company lh'''
| he would claim the protection of the patent laws
| for the style of car recommended by Arholu. No
missioner Bassett wanted details. Mr. 'ie naiune
said that the company only recently had rece''eu
! notice of the application for patent
The commission held its. regular meeting yes,er-
day. instead of to-day because Commissioner n'
sett will sail for Europe to-day. lie Will nispec,
city RAILWAYS there among others the suspenoed
| railroad Elberfeld.
By resolution the commission decided TO return
| the certified checks deposited by the thlro lo"ts'
| bidders on the Fourth avenue subway. ohecN>
| deposted bv those whose bids were larger nave
lready been returned and those deposited pS ''ie
lowest and second lowest bidders Will ne returned
| if the bidders give bonds The BOARD oi . ia,
has not acted the bids. and the co"lilssioii '
| this action because there may be considerable de-
lay which might put the bidders to conSideraoie III
| convenience.
A complaint that the Interborough company "AS
| causing a nuisance by the Of soft coal "hlch
| nroduced undue smoke its powerhouse. was his-
| missed The commission decided. on 1nvesusa-
| ton. that the smoke nuisance was mlhniiAeu a
| much as possible. hearing on proposed III
crease of service the Brighton Beach hhe Oh INC
! prooL1yn RAND Transit was set for July TO-
| Various reports as alleged excessive cost OF
| the commission drew sharp denial irolh Chail
| man Wilcox yesterday, in which ne showed IN ue
tail that the commission actually had cost less 'hah
! N. Rand Transit Commission in its last year
though this body is charged with far greater duties
and broader work. He said:
| We have comparative figures for the first six
| ,nonths of each year and they show that from
January to July. 1907, the Rapid Transit Commis- mis-,
I Ie0s The Public Service Commission spent s4e2-
| a0S 81 Apparently the Public Service Commission
| lost 50 i6s 26 more than the Rapid Transit Com
mission for a similar period but this excess IS
| more than counte balanced by the additional eH
[ nonses which this commission has '1ncurred IN
prosecuting the work of the State Board OF Kan. an
/ rroad commissioners the State Commission OF Gas
| and Electricity ard the State Inspector OF Gas
| Really the total the year, sS63312 sS is prop
| erIv not all chargeable TO this commission Tor ~
Includes about S12 600 which this commission palu
| during the first months OF Its existence Tor the
| comnensatfon of the former Board of Rapid iran
! Sft commissioners Hence the actual cost OF the.
I,1hc Service Commission for the first year of ITS
| existence is only about $o530oo