New-York tribune., 1909-05-14
NO WORK ON CROSSINGS
FUNDS DENIED p. S. BOARD
Com missions Members Disturbed
Orer Cmtdilment of 44ctiUities.
.rBy Telegraph to The Tribune J

Albany. Nav 13.-Notices have been sent out by
the Public Service Commission for the % Dis
trict 10 ell applicants for elimination Of grade
crossings that owing TO the refusal Of the legisa-
tive committees to make the usual appropriations
Tor that purpose the commission will be unable
10 undertake any new work OF that character. The
Automobile Club Of America. which recently called
the attention OF the commission a number OF
very dangerous crossings. has been told that the
commission is Powerless to do anything in the cir
cumstances
Members Of the commission are much disturbed
al the forced curtailment Of that bodv's activities
along this line and the necessity Of abandoning a
comprehensive scheme for study Of railroad equip
ment, operating conditions and the discipline and
ability Of employees. in effort to prevent disas
trous accidents, as well as abandoning actual in
vestigaton Of accidents. Chairman Stevens de-
cared to-day that the failure of the Legislature to
make the appropriations for these purposes re
quested by the commission would practically keep
that body at standstin and prevent its carrying
out duties imposed on it by the Public Service
commissions law.
The commission wanted the and the means
90 study the accident problem scientifically and
work out logical solutions of the problems, said
Mr.. Stevens. Certain conditions underlie about all
she accidents If with trained minds. such
we proposed to hire. could study these conditions
broadly and scientifically. believed some method
could be devised Of giving the travelling public far
better protection than is given 10 IL But the
Legislature cut out the appropriations necessary
for that work The further elimination of grade
rest until another Legislature chooses to make an
appropriation for that work The S5ooooo we desired
ssor that cut out Of the bill"
LARGE SUN REMAINS OK HAND.
Since 1895 when the grade crossing law was
passed. annual appropriations for carrying that
work have been made. save in 1902 1903. They
have varied from sSooo0 10 $4,000 in 1905. when
$4,000 was appropriated, with an extra $1,000 for
work in Schenectady. in 1907 $4,000 was appro-
and las
money must be aPportioned for work actually in
-surogress and final payment cannot he made on any
work until that work is completed Thus large
sum remains hand. but is pre-empted Tor the
work nearing completion. The Public Service Com
mission cannot order the elimination Of grade cross
snEs unless il has hand the money necessary
10 nav the states share-onefourth OF the expense
Thus IL will unable because OF the refusal or
xpuropriations this year TO order the abolishment
of many bad grade crossings in the electric zone
IF the New York Central. Hearings on applications
regarding these crossings have been held before
that body II is estimated that II would cost about
s7s aa 10 abolish grade crossings outside the cleo
fric zone regarding which protests have been lodged
with the commission
At 7resent there about six thousand eight
hundred unprotected highway crossings in the
state Reports to the commission show that last
xesr = persons killed at grade crossings and
12s injured the previous year 12s were killed and
6s injured
Tbe F,,,hljr Service Commission now has in
.nectors of steam railroads and detailed TO in
spect electric railroads Last one of the rail-
road inspectors was assigned 10 make study or
accidents and the Of his investigation deter
mined the commission 70 go into that auestfon
thoroughly and systematically Therefore it asked
for appropriations for the salaries OF TWO ACCIDENT
,s,ecto-s one electric inspector, who should have
technical electrical knowledge two inspectors OF
locomotive equipment, and an engineer 10 take
charge of the inspection bureau. The salaries and
estimated expenses of the entire aggregation would
have been about $4,000 year.
APPROPRIATIONS WERE DENIED.
After considerable explanation and negotiat ation
IN. aporopriatious desired were denied, save that
for the salary OF locomotive equipment lnsPSc
tor No expense allowance was made tor MIN Inc
result is that No man is likely to be appointed as
he would have sit around the once OF else PaE
his on expenses amounting 10 500 or Sl20 rnon'n
while at work Also. railroad inspector oet4lleu
20 investigate accidents has been ordered TO return
70 inspection Of railroads. the commission having
determined TO do that branch Of the Work thor-
<sushIy. rather than TO try 20 cover poth hnes o-
work half way.
Chairman Stevens in discussing the handicap
which lack of appropriations Will be 10 me cum
mission said he appeared before the Senate FL
nance Committee and explained the situation tullS
1T was a matter where the lives Of the traVel-
ling public might be AT sta Ee. SAID ne. CuI M
complete investigation Of accidents showed US the
,1eoessitv for taking thorough measures. 1t seems
rstenf TO US that railroad equipment must be IN
spectsd and watched carefully at ell times for on
that depends not only the safety Of the PUBIC ana
= the railroad employees but the efficiency OF he
railroad service All this told 10 the legislative
committees and the situation presented 10 them IN
.lursfalabIe fashion. I never have asked the rea-
sons for their cutting out the appropriations
Senator lothian ?. Aids. chairman OF the Finance
Committee. when asked about this situation said
the commissioners were rather ignorant or misun-
serxtood affairs greatly. The grade crossing mat
ter he declared, within their control without
sporonriation, because any highway Of sufhcient
s-npo-tsnce TO be improved could be freed from
grade crossing by money drawn from the State
T5Ishray Commission. He contradcted the COM
missions attitude the question Of inspectors
s7atly.
The commission has not been badly treated,
said he sron the contrary, treated it more
literally than some other state departments. We
sve IL an inspector, who Ril be used for accident
inspection think you'll find. We didn't give the
commission sH # asked. and now, IL the members
are trying str I'd fuss. they're not playing
fair our committee had detailed Information
sbout what the commission wanted or any num-
be- of inspectors except this one we gave IL II
;snylody says anything TO the contrary it's
not so There isn't any letter scintilla OF EVIL
dsnoe 70 the contrary Of what I'm telling and
body can produce unless he fakes up carbon
copy Of q spurious document We treated the COM
rnissson bs<tsr than did good many state de-
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