New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-10
Committee More Anxious
for Enforcement than to
Make Changes.
SINGLE COM MISSION
NOT FAVORED
w. J. Schieffelin Presents Views
of Citizens Union as to City
Subway Construction.

tee investigating the Public Service
Commissions are not so keen to make
radical changes in the law as they
were before they began their work. 1t
is understood many of them feel, after
their study Of the subject and of the
testimony already taken, that the law
is fundamentally good one, but that
the trouble has been in its lack OF en-
forcement by the commissioners.
This, of course, may not represent
final conclusions. However, members
Of the committee have been receiving
many suggestions from men of promi-
nence, and most of them have been
along this line.
The opinion has been expressed that
enough mas been shown IN the investi-
CATION TO date to warrant the Governor
in using his power of removal and
appointment of new commissioners
! The law gives him ample means to get
! an efficient commission without re-
course to legislation.
/ IL is conceivable, then, that the com
mittee will recommend no sweeping
changes in the law, out. will bear
strongly on the necessity for having
: better enforcement.
When the investigation was hrst
taken up Governor Whitman had IN
mind the possibility Of abolishing both
] commissions. organizing single com
mission for the regulatory work OF the
entire state and transferring the con-
struction work now done by the com
mission in this district to the city.
! Then il was shown that the regulatory
problems here and upstate were of such
an entirely different nature that two
| commissions were preferable. 1t was
/ suggested that there be two commits
sions of three members each at $4,000
a year. and that a department of sub
way construction be added to the mu-
nicipal organization to care for that
work.
1t is agreed in many quarters that
while the construction of subways
should be under the control of the city
/ through the Mayor and the Board of
/ E. innate, it would be dangerous thing
/ to try and saddle the completion of the
/ dual subway system on the Board OF
/ Estimate at this stage of the proceed
/ ings.
/ 1t is pointed out by those opposed to
divorcing the construc on from the
= regulation that there would be many
| opportunities for a conflict between the
! two activities. For instance, the con-
struction body, says the Board of Esti-
/ mate, would locate the stations on
new line. Then the regulatory body
would decide they were not at places
where the service needed them, and
" Id order changes.
! On behalf of the Citizens Union
L. 4T 80 H.,
to Senator Thompson, of the legis alive
committee, a letter arguing that it
would be most unwise to divorce tn
construction from the regulatory work.
| He said:
| IF the situation were that Of twrntY
years ago, with the city about TO start
the construction of its rapid transit
lines, it might be logical to require
I that the work be intrusted to the city
authorities Certain conditions have
arisen, however, under the dual con
/ tracts into which the city has entered.
which would render such change a.
! this time not only inadvisable but
necessarily fatal.
These contracts involve not only the
construction of new lines, but the re-
construction of practically all the ele-
waited roads in the city. During this
| period of reconstruction service must
| be maintained. and its regulation and
control co-ordained with the construc-
| ton work. A concrete example of what
/ this means is the present situation at
/ Times Square, where the Seventh Ave
nue. subway is being joined to the old
! subway line This connection must BE-
effected without interruption to the
present service. If the commissions
/ engineering staff did not have the en-
! tire situation in hand and there were
a conflict of control between regula-
| ton of traffic and supervision OF con-
/ struction, disputes and delays would
doubtless occur and serious accidents,
with loss of life, might result.
From the standpoint of the city's
| finances also We believe that division
Of control would tend to be disastrous
! Under the dual contracts, until the
! lines are self-supporting, any increased
/ cost in operation would tend to reduc?
the amount available for interest and
! sinking fund payments on the construc-
ton bonds which have been issued by
! the city.
"While il is estimated that of the
/ annual expense of the First District
! Commission only Is per cent is now
I. chargeable to regulation work, it must
be taken into consideration that the
construction staff is used very largely
in an advisory capacity on problems OF
regulation. II ia safe to say that II
the work we're divided the cost of the
regulation work, owing to the main
tenance of separate stats, would be 20
per cent to 80 per cent more, and we
are confident that il the functions OF
the commission were now divided the
duplication of organizations would
greatly increase the total expense 10
the city.
THE dual system. when completed
will more than duplicate the rapid tran
sit mileage in New York City. The
greater part of that mileage will be in
city owned subway and elevated lines,
the cost of construction of which is
estimated at 1926, 100000. The commits
sion now has under contract sixty-four
of eighty-three sections of this work,
and the aggregate OF these outstanding
contracts is about s142 100000. The
conduct Of this work involves a month
/ ~ expenditure at present of nearly 3d.
100000, and rapidly increasing as add
tional contracts are let. All OF the
contracts have been awarded under a
settled policy which calls for the CON
struStion first of the sections which II
will take the longest time TO complete
and under engineering methods when
have been devised by the engineering
department of the commission. Any
upsetting of this policy would create
confusion and hamper md delay the
ultimate completion Of the work"
The legislative committee will con-
tinue its hearings in the Aldermanic
chamber at City Nall at 1880 this
! morning Commissioners Wood will be