New-York tribune., 1909-01-15
P. s. C. REPORT FOR 1908
REVIEW OF WORh IN
FIRST DISTRICT.
City's RaiIzcGys Carried I 200, 900, 900
Passemgers-s5e. 10000 Spent
for Gas and Electricity.

-, .,.,r+ ,f the Public Service Ccrlmis-
sio- for the Ist District for the year eIieieU ~
December 81. 1893. was presented yesterday 10 -lI
g.sla+re al Albany. j deals, naturally, IN great
-. NTH the New York City traction SITUATION
sa the commissions efforts TO improve 'he IoCa'
.rsnsportation service. one section deals WIN Tue
so,as gas and electric companies broanIE spear
ina the summary of the commission : "Oth l14is
,,ada- the general heads Of Rapid Transit ana
..l,re, y;siol' By way of Introduction the report
says;
The surface elevated and subway companies @ on IN
~ ,.ii.t, IS over 6S per cent than
the total number OF passengers Cai Glasa COM
panies have capitalization of over SVVs sss 90
derive annually from their passengers % oHe. mi
f0 The gas and electric companies nave a e4ll-
;alizatiOn Of over S3S6 Goo0 and the amount % S
sold annually is over 32croo'9eb CUBIC Zee Iee' d1c a.
Is mere than ~ per cent OF Ie f inco7n from the
lion in the United states ne & sSo a,o 90
sale of electricity IN the city IS over N-o''''cV'
The report says the commission will soon require
sbe installation on all surfaca cars Of tenders ana
wheel guards and more efficient brakes Inc re-
port says:
Under its power to require changes In equlprn@eht en-
and appliances 1he commission has ordered the the
complete and thorough oyeThauling OF az ne D
Iace cars operated in the bororghs OF MAJ tai
and The Bronx. As a result 5it nots 10. I,itb IA
incident 10 the running OF rafting cars "oo @ &c sf
5Scienc, has been increased the appearance mas
been improved. the cost OF operation oeS5 I e"o ~
The cars Of the Metropolitan system proper hleh
were in such wretched eondiuoa& ma ma service with
so1t being run in for temporary repairs, have Dee
ogerhaued under specifications prescribed by me {
commission. that now the daily runs III io'
TTeirs have dropped to per ,vster has tes-
ffihed that expected TO find gong gong IoGbt
additiosl eqipnne1lli Iice @ as TO have reduced
INerv materially the complaints against inns Iodu
= Eo1-IPMENT AND SAFETY DEVICES.
Ese,a,se Of complaints and because Of lack Of
,,roneT eficiency in service the commission ma:
haG eaTsIn1 ariot I6e disrict and found i
necessary order practically az oi II Ih{ r9,,ei o in
10 be completely overhauled or TO oe imp mn +be eur
certain specified particulars Inc cars @ Oh d olI tbe
face lines in Manhattan and Idnd nme So3n1anv were
in such bad operating and sanitary @ Conu'ioI '
7heir 7 1arrneus number Of accidents reaching
ne iry 50ooo in yesr ana rne attention L
the lack Of safety devices and the COMMISSION ma @
lers and wheel guards open 20 all manufacturers ~
this country and abroad 10 deternllne VIZ. ,s o.
- Sc dore 10 save life This work was completed
,s3gst before the end CT the year ..,o.. :.
ne 1sn3es ena after hearings require the in
staIIaton the of Tenders and Whee gusfe fis
fsctorily. . ,-,.,,.+s,1, will
s,a the proper types ~ brakes. Already the Broon
lyn Enion Elevated RaiIToad Compa4y mas fa ggsn a
Use of proper safety devices and & n5Kes rer he o
lserioYs accidents The next largest class OF acGl
dents arises from the fault Of employees ot tm1t m
roads such overspeeding and apparent .aGh nor. 70
proper instrction Ihss use ~ The Is human elenen
,s,1.olz,e5 tIJt lis Importance is unQuestioned
-rhe commission found in its exannation %
-T,-ha sed nv the companies. that II was 8dVisa pie
and ordered, that the companies shoulo ne spec
5lestions in advance nf purchases; BY this mean mean
n has been possible point out important delecu
before equipment completed, aild AZ d In IN
when their elimination was less eXpensiHe 70 "a "a
companies than after the cars were put "a uS- r
"a natter -0f legal authority the commission prom
6y dgss 4g{ 9r hs5s Ssnee s9e p 5 equipment until
equipment is put in public use
F1FTY-NIATE STREET TRANSFER BASE
The efforts ma de by the commission to force tn
EJeropoIitzn and Third Avenue systems TO eXchang
transfers with the Of the Belt Line runnin
<scross 5etn street are summarized as follows;
on August s. 1905 the receivers of the Metro
..olfrar Street Railway Company ceased TO operal
5be 5gth street crossIown line and other lines O
the Central Park North & East River Ralir0aa ga
Company under the lease from that coInpahy- II
-Htne Central Park company Ihls terminated IN
1ransfer privileges at the intersection OF the 5St
kstreet line and the north ana soulh lines oL III
Metropolitan system.
Because Tilis required the payment Of three
cent fares TO travel in generally diagonal dlreC
son in the territory between 34th and l6th streets
sn Manhattan. The commission. following the re
o numerous complaints ordered the receiver
and +be Central Park company establish throug
sa9-,as a-S Sofn+ rates This they failed 10 do
t=he commission then began the taking or testlnon
so Determine the proper joint fare ana us dIElslO
taiso given opportunity TO present evidence and
After careful consideration the commissio
ordered the establishment or n scent JOINT Tar
on the Hines Of the two companies in the terTitor
between S4th ard 10th streets. TO be divided 81
tceafs to the Metropolitan company and IA cent
10 the Central Park company Thereafter tn
tronpanies obtained writs Of certiorari to revie'
afhs action OF the commission Counsel to the com