The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-16

aasbs ~ NV NlAil
tion. When taxed win delaying better
service on the B. r.. T. he offered en-
phatic contradiction and solemnly re-
marked hat he had heard that even the
Legislature and state officials we're slow
about some things-that the Capitol In
Albany was some time in building.
Hints Rt Early removal.
At one point in the inquisitton he sand
thd> he was responsible only for what
had been lone or NOT done since he
joined the commission and that ~"respon-
slbiLty will be gone In a short time. Just
Is s)on as my successor is appointed"'
Whereat enator Thompson, who had
been'chiding Mr.. Williams for ~loduacity.
leaned forward and said - congratu-
late the witness upon answering this
question properly"
Serious points advanced by MIR. Hay
ward against the commission were
these:
That It had wasted several hundre ed
thousand dollars by digging the I.eNlng-
ton avenue subway below Forty-second
street, which work was later abandoned.
and had permitted the Bradley Contract
ing Company TO earn $1,000 a day on
nis contract for forty days after the
commissions chief encineer said the
work should be stopped.
That the b. Il. T. was buying o5o new
cars a year before tho commission was
formed. but in the eight years since
then it has added only l0l cars. while
traffic has been increasing by the
million.
That Commissioner Williams. who had
charge OF Brooklyn supervision, adj
jcurned hearing after hearing without.
ordering more elevated cars and without
putting any reason for Adjournment
into the minutes.
That both the p. r. r. and the In
~terborough violated the COMMISSIONS
orders and that Mr.. Williams didn'.
know 1t until last December, which he
admitted.
Tried to stop Waste.
When the matter Of the Bradley con-
tract was broached Mr.. Williams said he
did his best to stop the waste OF money.
Well, why didn't you stop it," Mr..
HAYWARD demanded.
Why. the matter never came up,
explained Mr.. Williams. and he seemed
n little puzzled when everybody else
laughed.
Mr.. Hayward said the city had been
"eOuged' in the Lexington avenue case.
Can YOU say he asked the witness.
that not n cent of the city's money has
been wasted"
"Td like to say this returned Mr..
Williams. w have built a great fou
track subway IN broadway. and there
mas never been a charge that the preSsn.
commissioner Or their predecessors did
anything improperly-never a cent mis-
appropriated. II Boss Tweed knew |,
ned turn over in his grave
Mr.. Hayward bored into the Il. r. 7.
service when the hearing started. II
appeared that Mr.. Williams's predeces-
Spr 'nnoD1iE.tnn. Mot rrnn in an npin-
on had said that more cars ough; 10
he ordered for the elevated lines. When
Mr.. Williams entered the commission, ia
June, 1911. he continued hearings begun
under Mr.. McCarroll. NJ. Hayward
wanted 20 know why, since MI. Nc
Carroll had sald Brooklyn should have
more cars. Mr.. Williams didn't order
the r. Il, T. TO buy them,
waited on Dual system.
Nj. Williams replied that il was be-
cause the dual rapid transit system was
then being worked out. that the new type
Of car had not been decided upon and
that the commission would not have been
justified in ordering news ears which
might have 10 he thrown away because
they were useless ON the new system.
Mr.. Hayward read letters exchanged
between Secretary Whitney and Chief
Clerk DagEett Of the commission, writ
ten before the appointment Of Mr.. Will
Jams, saying that additional service was
needed on the Il Il. 7. lines. Mr.. Will
Jams at this point began what Mr.. Hay
ward called another speech Chair
man Thompson interrupted
"Now, Commissioner I'm going to
make a little rule that when the Colonel
asks a question you are 70 answer yes
or no. and II You can't answer you
can make a little explanation. So II he
asks YOU IL the moon as made OF green
cheese o. might say yes and then ex-
pain.
VERY we'll" said Mr.. Williams. A
little later ne said that the dual con
tracts were a burning question when
he became a commissioner,
"That's not the only thing that's
burning. Cans have burned too com
ineutcd Nj. Hayward.
Yes. they have. and the commission
has been blamed for it, and that's why
you're down here retortcd the witness.
Didn't You kuO tha, COMMISSIONS
NCCarioll said IL was the policy Of the
commission 10 ordo~ new ears no matter
whether they were suited to the dual
system or not"
Dom know anything Of the sort.
Can't conceive that he said anything
like that"
Strnpi,nngrrs In Brooklyn.
"How many years did you intend ia
let Brooklyn people hang on TO tn.
straps"
Mr.. william. pointed a forenueer
saving: "Noy, my dear man, II TINS
~straphangiig condition were not pres
rnt We would not be Justified m spend
Iur MILLIONS on new lines, When
went on the commission only realized
one thing, that vas going to brine