The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-01-15
WH|TR|OGE R|O|CULES
CENSOR OF BUSINESS
Traction Man Says Public Service
Commission Should Be Held
Under Town Pump
AND IT'S FULL OF WINS
Third Avenue Executive and Former
Member Of Body in Slam
Bnng Debate.

NEW ROCHELLE. n. Y. Jan Il l-Befor.
an audience which packed 3the New
Rochelle Theatre this afternoon. an in
teresting debate on "ls the Public Service
Commission a Public Benefit" took plac.
between Thomas Mott Osborne Of Auburn.
y. Y. former Public Service Commls
sioner and Frederick " Whitridge. prest
dent of the Third Avenue Railroad Com
pany Of New York. The debate was
under the auspices Of the New Rochell.
Peoples Forum. founded by supreme
Court Justice Keogh.
Mr. Osborne. who drew the Public
Service Commission act. took the affirm
ative side of the debate. while Mr. Whit
ridge spoke in the negative and IN a
humorous vein. told of many of the
unusual whims, and what he classified "A
ridiculous orders issuc,i = him, a, re-
ceiver. by the Public Service Commission
Mr.. Osborne at the outset said the law
had been enacted Cor the benefit of tho
whole peopl" Of the State and doubted
II many persons would vote TO repeal
this law if they had an oppor;u
Mr.. Osborne told how many corpora.
tions have watered their stock and a. an
illustration said that u trolley line ono
and half miles III length not far from
New Rochelle which owned only two
cars was sold recently for $500. And vet.
he said, this corporation was capitalized
al $50 900 900.
That's the kind of high fnanciernc
that is being stopped by the publc Spp-
vice Commission" Mr. Osborne added
Mr.. Whitridge caused much laughter
his # ha al. d.,
lie Service Commission had given him
while he was receiver of the Third tvenu.
Railroad Company. lie also 80 id tn.
commission had gone outside of its pro-
ince III his own particular case. He mau-
a comparison between the large number
Of engineers of the Public Service Com
mission of the First District. which. ha
said. numbered 34i, and the engineering
staff of the Panama Canal Commission,
made up of 2i7 men
Mr. Whitrdge among other thiu-s
said
The commission has made an order
virtually undertaking to regulate tho
weather. One of the most freuuan'
causes Of complaint against the street
car company is the temperature Of the
cars. II is almost general rule thai
women complain thai the cars are intol-
erably hot and men that they are in
,oleretiv cold.
The commission, however. undalintedlv
started to solve the whole difficulty and
made an order directing that the tenpera-
ture in all cars between October Is and
April II be kept at between As and e5
degrees. ! wondered how that result was
10 be accomplished and | ventured 10
suggest that the means Of doing ~.
whatever il was. should be applied -
steam railroads shops and private houses
This commission has moved it's vast
powers for a period of four and one half
years. IL ] had beef charged with tho
job and had accomplished no more in the
| time in which II took the United States 10
suppress the rebellion than the commits
sion has accomplished in the building of
subways ! should feel that an indignant
population would hold my head under The
town pump"