New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-22
COMMUTERS PUSH FIGHT.
Aim Now Is to Delay Raise
Pending Court Proceedings. i.
ROAD TO REPLY TOMORROW
Mount Vernon, Affected to the
Extent of $4,000 Year,
After Injunction.

The Mount Vernon commuters, repre-
scented by Hugh N. Hewson and William
L. Ransom, have presented supplementary
evidence TO the Public Service Commission
at Albany, and the commission has ordered
The New Haven Railroad to serve its an
svver in writing by tomorrow Mr.. Hewson
said yesterday:
This supplementary proceeding is part OF
the rlan laid out when we took up this
fight. We foresaw that IL the rate went
into effect reductions could not be obtained
until the fair and reasonable rate was de-
terrained by the commission and that rate
affirmed by the Appellate Court The pro-
ceedings to determine fair and reason
able rate are similar TO the Scent gas
cases. recently decided. except that more
intricate questions will be involved. and the
reduced rate viii not he in effect during
the hearings
Pending the formation of an organized
resistance. and until some assurance OF
real relief should be afforded TO the COM
muters. il seems advisable TO strike first
and attempt TO prevent the raise taking eff
feet An assessment OF 81 IS to So 10 a month
on every New Haven Railroad commuter in
the county of Westchester is no light sum,
and unless the raise in rates is prevented
SUCH StSStSSlilclIAS wiz W A'N'SN oiANAi '-4N
final determination Of the rates.
Each Mount Vernon coumuter (whose
increase is the lowest. assuming that no
additional increase should be made in the
mean time, would pay the railroad company
SS3 d year in addition TO the present high
rates. Assuming that there are two thou
sand commuters in Mount Vernon under the
monthly arrangements, that means SEE. 900 a
year from that one class from that one city
alone The total increase for the commut-
ers in Westchester County is appalling.
That in brief is the condition which
confronted US. The commuters were threat
ened with no theory but real, live facts.
After elaboration We concluded that there
was one way. and one way only, in which
this threatened raise possibly could be pre-
vented. We then proceeded TO gather the
evidence covering the stations from Mount
Vernon 10 Port Chester. and commenced
our proceedings upon the monthly commu-
tation rates from Mount Vernon, leaving
opportunity for the other stations TO join
in the proceedings.
The commission is following the law
rapidly possible, and our proceedings are
progressing in accordance with our plans.
They Will eliminate, We confidently expect,
next week in the obtaining of an injunc-
ton preventing this raise in monthly rates
from taking effect on June ! In Mount
Vernon.
The same court has been open TO the
users Of every station from Mount Vernon
- Port Chester, and the evidence is easily
obtained for each of those stations, but the
efforts Of the objecting commuters seem TO
have spent themselves in talk and unless
they take exceedingly prompt action it
seems almost certain that they will have TO
pay the increased rate on and after June l."
The question of the commuters on the
Erie and the New York Central railroads as
70 what is to happen 70 their pocketbooks
Will. it is expected, be answered soon. The
directors of the Erie, it is understood will
take action at meeting this week
officials Of the New York Central are
now busy with new schedule of rate6.
They are working on the principle of equal
izing the rates so that they Will be on the
same basis on different divisions. The re
suit expected is that the rates TO a few
points will be lower. but in most cases
higher. The new schedule Till probably be
announced on Tuesday.