The evening world., 1914-07-21
CATSK|LL LINES SAY.
THEY CAN'T PAY Up .
LIABILITY PREMIUM
Confess They're Not in Finan-
cial Shape to Appropriate
$1,000 a Year.


State Workmen's Compensation Com
mission decided to-day mt it's meeting
at No. | Madison avenue to defer
further consideration of claims until
Monday morning, Jul" 81, at 1890
o'clock. This course was taken after
Mr.. Golden e the claim department
had reported that not enourN claims
were In readiness for tho attention Of
tho Commission to keep II sitting this
week
Perhaps. tho most interesting feat
ure OF this mornings session was the
hearing given to the Messrs. II. Il.
Jones and w. Y. Hawley. Superin-
.tendent and Vice-President respect
lively of tho Catskill Mountain Rail-
way. the Otis Railway and the Cats
kill and Tannersville Railway.
Supt. Jones. who was the spokes-
man. said that he and Mr.. Hawley
had appeared before tho commission
at tho suggestion OF Commissioner
sion that no sought relief from the
law that compelled his railroads to
put up $1,000 as premium for State
insurance. He declared his railroads
were unable to comply with that
provision OF the law and he asked
the commission II II could not sug-
gest some way out OF the difficulty.
Tho Commissioners did not at first
grasp the superintendent meaning,
until Chairman Robert T.. Bowling
asked the question:
DO you mean to say that your
companies cannot comply with tho
law because they are not financially
sound?"
II mean Just that" exclaimed Supt.
Jones.
9. do you realize that by your own
statement you admit that your rail-
roads are insolvent?" the Chairman
asked.
We'll I wouldn't say that the rail-
roads are insolvent." replied the
Superintendent. but their financial
condition Is not of the best, as you
readily realize when l tell You that
one Of the roads bonded for $500, 900
IL only paying interest on $4,000. The
roads just barely earn their operating
expenses"
: Commissioner Darlington at this
point exclaimed that Superintendent
Jones was making some serious ad-
missions regarding the financial al
f.g A., H.
Superintendent IL he knew that news
paper representatives were present.
Superintendent Jones looked rather
uncomfortable. and when Commits
would prefer to tell the remainder of
his story In executive session Mr..
jones' readily assented.
Chairman Bowling disapproved of
any secrecy and said that any In
forrmtion Superintendent Jones hat:
10 give tho commission, whether
financial or otherwise. should be CIV
en- In the presence Of the newspaper
men a. tho petition OF tho suporin-
tendent was decidedly . public mat
ter.
Tho Chairman thereupon instructed
Secretary Spencer to write to the
Public Service Commission and inquire
what Il knew Of the roads In question
II was ordered by my Board OF
Directors" explained Superintendent,
Jones, ito take UP this matter with
tho commission and after discussing
it With Commissioner Mitchell he ad
vised me to appear before you. CAM
you give us some SUGGESTION"
The only suggestion that I would
make" answered Chairman Downing
sis that your board of directors raise
the necessary money in some man.
ner."
After a brief discussion the COM
mission decided that nothing could
be done for the three railroads.
The New York Central. the Com
mission has been informed. will
bling test suits in the Appellee Divi-
sion protesting the payment Of claims
from the moneys that 1t has already
paid to the commission as security
and premium, contending that the
corporation, being an Interstate cor
poration, is not amonable to the new
State law for workmcn's compensa-
ton, but rather to the Federal law
which gives il the right TO pay It's
own COmpensatious.
The commission adopted a rcsolu-
ton to the effect that in all cases
claims fer legal services would be
considered solely with reference &c
the actual service rendered upon q
statement submitted to the commits
SION upon the conclusion Of the SER