The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1915-02-13
B R. /. SERVICE
NOW INADEQUATE,
WILLIAMS ADMITS
Commissioner Comedies II Has
Not Kept Pace With Gain
in Patronage.
AGAINST CHANGING LAW
Says Mayor Couldn't Con.
sistently Name Board to Di-
rect Subway Construction.
AGAINST CHANGING LAW

Inquiry into the sssvics on the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit linss sasassd
the attention Of the Joint Legislative
Committee during to-day's session Of
it, Investigation Of the Public sar-
vice Commission In the Council
Chamber Of City Hail.
Public Service Commissioner q. v.
q. williams resumed his place In the
witness chair and was clossiy svss-
toned By Senator Lawson Of the
Eastern District Brooklyn. - to the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit service a. hs
had observed II
Senator Lawson took up report Of
Joseph johnson. head OF the Transit
Bureau Of the Public Beryics Com.
mission. dated Dec. ~. 1914. In which
no reported that the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit had not provided increased
facilities In proportion to the increase
In trafnc.
Q. Do you concede this. Mr.. will
iamsf A. A. q gene Il statement. I
think Mr.. Johnson's Ii fairly accurate.
Q. Suppose told you that on the
Lexington Avenue elevated line and
the Lorimer Street surface line the
Roadway during the rush hour was
ten minutes. what would you say7
4. There must be some mistake about
that. Senator. There In NO line In
Brooklyn or Manhattan which has .
ten minute hsadway In rush hours.
Senator LAwson-Dut I use those
lines. Mr.. Coutmisslonsr. A. % Dc I.
The fact about 70 many complaints
- to service 10 that people tst on .
car at rush times. In theatre hours.
for example. f,nd Il filled with
standses and think the service 10 In
adequate. No thought 10 given 70
the car coming Just behind which may
have . number Of vacant seats. That
accounts for 20 many Of the strap.
hangers In Brookiyn.
II vas announced to-day that dur
inn the next weeks sessions OF the
committee the witnesses to b called
would include George b. Cortelyou.
President OF the Consolidated Gas
Company: Theodore p. shonts. PresI-
dent of the marlborough; Howard
Elliott. Chairman Of the Board Of
Directors of the New Haven: Timothy
8. Williams. President OF the b. II. r..
and Saith Low and william M. wins.
representing committees OF citisens.
In explaining the number Of cars
In service In one part OF Brooklyn
during rush hours. Commissioners
williams said:
"In that period there are :Ss cars
an hour In Fulton street between
Fiatbush Avenue and Borough Hail."
After a few more questions Com
missioner Williams leaned forward
earnestly and said:
II think. gentlemen. that It's time
someone told what the Public Service
Commission has done. We've heard
a lot here about what II has failed
to do.
But am afraid II would take
longer to tell Of it's accomplishments
than this committee has the time to
sit.
'-Take one thing we've done-wSve
nut cars into service In the Centre
street loop, which was lying Idle and
costing the city $1,000 a day. The cars
20 out OF that loop crowded with ITS
people to the car. We have caused
the Williamsburg Bridge to carry
10000 more people q day than the
mans work to-day.
"The bridge has the safest signal
system In the world and It's carrying
forty crowded trains an hour, the
maximum II Gun carry. Perhaps In
future another signal system may In
crease this to sixty trains an hour.
Now, as TO the Cypress Hills ole
waited transfer station. ! went out
there myself to investigate the crowd
ing and I almost had my clothes torn
on In the crowd. An many As sixty
four cars an hour come into the Cy-
press Hills transfer station from Ja.
maica In an hour.
"The elevated road 10 now TO be ex-
station done away with.
q. (By Col. Hayward) II has been
suggested to transfer the power Of
this Commission to some other body:
what do you say? A. am opposed TO
any change at this time. A. TO turn
ing over the supervision of subway
construction to the Board OF Estimate
or committee appointed by the
Mayor. ! am strongly opposed to this.
1t must not be forgotten that tho
Mayor was the arch enemy Of the
dual contract system, a. he and two
mem bers called II a steal. Now, either
ne waa wrong or IL II was put under
his control II would be his business to
stop 1t Mt once.
Chairman Thompson showed Com
missioner Williams broken car strap
which he said had been sent 20 him
by a Brooklyn car passenger.
Commissioner Williams said that
ntne out Of ten complaints to the
Commission were like that about
the strap" They were an annoyance
to the Commission. the witness add
cd. land the man who sent you that
strap 10 probably here now. losing
half a day thinking he's bothering
me. II he got wrenched hack II
will probably be on tho supreme
Court calendar . year from now"