New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-27
STARTS FIGHT
FOR GERM-FREE
RAPID TRANSIT
Health Commissioner Or
ders Two Car Companies
to Increase Service.
ACTION FOLLOWS
REQUEST BY MAYOR
Gust a Beginning" DR.. Gold
water Says-Companies Can
Ask for a Hearing.

ASK lot I1tdI lliS'
DR.. S. s. Goldwater, Commissioner OF
Health, yesterday struck what he de-
clares is the first Of many blows to
stop overcrowd!ng of germ-infcsted
cars by forcing the transit companies
TO increase their service. His action Is
based on his finding that overcrowding
Of cars is a menace to health.
By authority Of the Board OF Health
he ordered the New York Railways
Company and the Belt Line Railway
Corporation. operators of the cross
town lines at Eichty-sixth and Fifty
ninth Streets, to regulate their service
so that the total number Of passengers
on any car at any time shall not eH-
coed one and one-half times the seat
ing capacity Of the car.
These orders were served on ofhcials
Of the two companies by patrolmen at
o'clock yesterday. Under the city
charter. which is DR.. Goldwater's au-
thority for his action, the companies
have three days in which to ask for
hearing II they do not, the orders go
into effect FIVE days after they are
served.
Mayor Asks Action.
DR.. Goldwater received letter yes
terday from Mayor Mitchell calling at
tention TO the fact that accomnoda-
tions which are offered to passengers
on many of the city's transit lines are
not what they should be, and that
citizens, despairing of obtaining any
relief through the Public Service Com
mission, look to the Department Of
Health for help" The Mayor quoted
Section 1l76 of the charter, which pro
vides that the Board of Health may
enter in its records as a nuisance any
business pursuit which is dangerous TO
life or health, and may order the same
to be abated.
"You have shown that overcrowding
is menace to health" said the
Mayors letter, "and the courts will un-
doubtedly sustain you in vigorous
attempt to obtain relief from the pres
ent notorious and intolerable condl-
tions, which offend not only against
health, but against decency. Please
take this matter up at once
A few hours later the Board of
Health was in session with DR.. Joseph
J. O'Connell, Health Officer of the
Port, and Frank Lord, Second Deputy
Police Commissioner, representing
Commissioner Woods.
Gust Beginning"
understand that this action is just
a beginning" said DR.. Goldwater after
the meeting adjourned eve use no
discrimination in selecting these two
lines | might say that the Eighty
sixth and Fifty-ninth Street crosstown
lines were chosen because they are in
parts of the city through which travel
twice a day. ! know from personal OBJ
servation that conditions as &c over
crowding are very bad, and that those
conditions are easily remedied.
81 do not say that these lines are
any worse than many others in the
city don't suppose that they are
worse. But we make beginning here,
with the intention of extending these
orders to all the others which offend
in the same way.
I'VE have patrolmen at work inves-
tigating conditions on the Brooklyn
lines.
Will Go After Others.
"lf the order applied to these two
lines is complied with, we will not ex-
pect much opposition from operators
OF other lines whore overcrowding is
known to exist. We will deal with all
the transit lines in due time. This is
the first step in our final campaign TO
extend the authority of the Depart
ment Of Health over city transit lines
and to make them give the best service
possible from their physical equip
ment."
There are two ways of enforcing the
orders, the Commissioner Of Health
said, either by order Of the courts or
through the sanitary police.
81 would prefer TO use the sanitary
police" said DR.. Goldwater, because
they are under our own immediate
jurisdiction. We might find it neces-
sary to station two policemen at each
Of the most congested places along the
crosstown lines"
On December /, 1914, the Depart
ment of Health called the attention Of
the Public Service Commission to this
menace TO health. Two days later
Chairman Edward E.McCall wrote to the
Health Commissioner saying "the limit
of human endeavor has been reached
until we receive the aid that the new
and additional facilities OF the dual
system will give"
When asked if the stand taken by
The Board Of Health was intended as a
criticism of the Public Service Com
mission, DR.. Goldwater said:
"As the Public Service Commission,
which is empowered TO act, has utterly
failed TO do so and still continues its
lethargy., ] have decided, as has the
Mayor, that the time has come to show
the citizens Of the city and the public
scrvic. corporations that We will not
remain inactive.
81 do not expect any trouble with the
companies regarding our order, as
feel that they will increase the car
cspacity of their lines. II ;hcy fail TO
obey. then | will use all he power
vested in the Board Of Health to see
that they do
ThaW Trial Off to March 8.
IL. L rb.yr's trial for consDiracy