New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-08
CONTENT IN SUBW AY
STRAP HANGERS WILL
NOT SIT DOWN.
Interborough Manager Giues
Figures to Proue 1t at
u. S. {. Hearing.

! of the list OF necessities and put INTO
/ category of uHuiies-iuxuries which tn
! average New Yorker, particularly h
who travels in the non-rush hours on tn
| subway. viii not deny himself. according
10 the testimony of Frank Hedley. vice
| president and general manager of th'
! Interborough Rapid Transit Company
| al the continuance of the hearing before
| the Public Service Commission yester
day.
Nh Hedicy took the figures made by
| the commissions inspectors, he said
from which they testified last week that
90 per cent of the express trains leaving
the Grand Central Station in the non rush
hours southbound on January p had
standing passengers aboard. and testified
that in the period of that inspection,
which was joint one made by the COM
missions s inspectors and the company $
engine ers. there had been $4,000 seats
on express trains southbound from
Grand Central and only $4,000 passen-
gers.
No comment was made by the operat-
ing head of the subway, but there stood
the 24.040 seats which those passengers
absolutely refused to use, and he testi-
fieG further that. upon d similar joint
inspection of local trains southbound at
the 2Sth street station, there had been
SO per cent more seats than passengers
in the cars.
The inquiry into subway service. which
was begun shortly after the trying ex-
perience of President Shonts in d sub
way train became known, ran through
yesterday afternoon, enlivened by numer-
Gus sharp passages between Mr.. He'd
lev and J. L. Quackenbush, counsel to
the Interborough, and Chairman Wilcox
and Commissioner Eustis, of the Public
Service Commission. The inquiry will be
resumed at : O'Clock on Friday.
Chairman Wilcox was particularly
anxious TO learn from Mr.. Hedley
whether the speed control system in
stalled a Goth street had really increased
the carrying ca apacity Of the subway to
the extent promised by Mr. Hedley when
the company applied for permission to
put in that improvement. Also, the
chairman was interested in the question
of car equipment as related to the posi-
DlillE OF tIiS COiilPohS SCINihS INC
press service below 96th street down to
the basis of a ninety headway, as
ordered by the commission and accepted
by the company last May.
MR.. HEDLEY CONFUSES FIGURES.
At one point in the hearing yesterday
Mr.. Hedley said that a ninety second
headway was impossible, at least impos
sibIe on the basis OF the commissions
order but when it was pointed out to
him that he had testified previously that
the installation Of the speed control sys-
TEN at 9fith street would increase the
capacity 53 per cent, he conceded that.
" ith side door cars and heightened plat
forms. the ninety y-second headway might
become possible
But you'll be lucky if you get ninety
second headway;' it'll be a devil Of job
he added.
Let us forget the side doors and the
heightened platforms" said the chair
man. for time and tell us what per-
centage of increased carrying capacity
the speed control gave. We hadn't or
dered side doors when you said the speed
control would increase the capacity ;53
per cent. You were fighting side doors"
But had the side doors in my mind.
even before this commission was Gre
sted by the LEGISLATURE retorted Mr..
Hedley.
Chairman Wilcox looked up IN sur
prise You kept it remarkably we'll
hidden. then" he commented slowly.
Finally Mr. Hedley admitted that if
station stops and side doors we're cut
out the speed control system would
Weld 3i per cent increase in capacity.
That is. it would If It wouldn't" said
Chairman Wilcox, angrily. Il want to
know what benefit the speed control sys-
TEN Is or was"
The Interborough general manager
finally put it at from four to five trains
an hour increase, and added that with
out the speed control system q. ninety
second headpay would never be pos
sible,
lie stated then that the subway's pres
ent e111ipment was S23 cars. and that
Iart Nav. in compliance with the COM
,nissio,1's order, he had given orders for
additional cars. Altogether. go new side
coor cars we're ordered at that time AR.
HedIe7 said. or shortly thereafter,
though the commissions order called for
ONLY sixtv-four additional cars.
That. however. was based on Mr.. He'd
1n,,'s PREVIOUS testimony that siXtY-four
nov cars. to.ether with the added side
doc, eouipment by changing present
care yyoi,ln enable the company to give
= niuetv second headway service south
Of q6th street on the express tracks.
Commissioner Eustis had been doing
~,u1e ouiet figuring during this part of
the hearing. and he wanted the witness
tn Tell then about the distribution of the
eo.1ipment, present and prospective, un
dor the ninety second headway system.
The Commissioner had figured out that
with rhe present equipment, plus sixty
four cars. Mr.. HedIey, according TO his
,v.-, statement of the necessary number
of cais Tor the lInety second headway
syste;7. could no, operate at that speed.
Mr. Hedley looked over Commissioner
Eustiss figures.
Figures don't lie said the commits
sioner.
yours do. retorted Nj Hedley.
sharply.
prove IT," returned Commissioner
Eustis sharply.