New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-23
Whitney Hits Mayor
Passes Question from p. S.
c. to Board of Estimate
ATTACKS BODY'S
"DILATORY TACTICS"
Ten Years Late in Adding
Transit Facilities, Com
missioner Says

A sort of shuttle system, between the
Public Service Commission and the
Board of Estimate, by which they pass
the buck" on complaints, one against
the other. was operated again yester-
day when resolution asking the COM
mission to report to the board on sub
way congestion came up for comment.
The resolution had been introduced
into the Board of Estimate Friday.
Commissioner Travis II. Whitney took
occasion to pass the trouble back to
the Board Of Estimate and make few
pointed remarks on that body's "dila-
tory tactics"
The commission, he declared, had
been unable to provide additional plat
form and stairway room at Grand Cen
trial Station because the Board OF
Estimate would not appropriate the
money. Mr.. Whitney suggested that
the board provide $4,000 for the stair
way there; that it act promptly on the
approval of orders for the remaining
work on the dual subway system, and
that the Mayor approve bill enabling
the commission TO finish the work OF
tardy contractors. which. Mr.. whitney
said. was vetoed by the Mayor last
year, but would be again introduced
in the Legislature at the coming ses-
sion.
Mayor Replies to Criticism
Replying to the criticism that he had
vetoed subway legislation, the Mayor
said:
"If the Public Service Commission
wants legislation to enable 1t to carry
out its plans, suggest that 1t hrst
confer with the city authorities before
sending bills 20 Albany for passage
which affect the city's interests. Every
bill on public service matters that
vetoed was for specific reasons"
Speaking of the general conditions
of congestion on the subway, Commits
sioner Whitney said:
"The commission recognizes. and has
time and again pointed. out, that there
will be extreme congestion on the
TRANSPORTATION lines during the coming
winter. Minor things can be done to
alleviate this. The fundamental thing
is, however, that we were at least ten
wears behind time in commencing add
tional rapid transit facilities, and &C
tually began them at time when the
travel of the city, already congested,
was increasing at the rate of lOO,OOO,-
900 messengers a year and will have IN
creased 500, 100000 passengers by the
time the dual system is completed.
additional congestion plus the IN
creased travel is so extreme that ad6i-
tional facilities are hardly noticeable.
This congestion was deemed to justify
what will amount to an expediture OF
mora than $3.50, 200 900, adding 325 ad-
ditional track miles to the facilities OF
the city.
Eighty Miles Now In Operation
"The public is apparently unaware
that while the date of final completion
has been delayed there are in actual
operation more than eighty miles OF the
1926 additional track miles, and that by
the commencement of another winter
there will be $50 additional miles,
which will include Lexington and Sew
enth Avenues, the Bronx and Queens
lines, Broadway and lines in Brooklyn.
"The public is also apparently I'M
aware of the difficulties the commits
sion has labored under and the expedl-
ents it has had to adopt to insure an
uninterrupted continuation OF the con-
struction work in the last year and
half on account of the difficulty of OBJ
tanning labor and material due to war
conditions, which involved the scarcity
of labor, increased rates, absence OF
shipping, freight embargoes and strikes.
"For example, the longshoremer'
strike in the Gulf ports tied up the
shipment of ties at time when the
commission had finally succeeded in Sc
curing ships for the transportation of
such ties.
The Commissioner pointed out that
conditions might have been considera-
bly relieved if prompt action had been
taken in deciding upon the point OF
connection between the Lexington Ave
nue. line and the present subway. and
the question of whether the Times
Square station on the new Broadway
subway should be local or express.
Should Have Been Settled
These should have been settled i'm
mediately after the signing Of the dual
subway contracts in 1913, he added.
and the blame for the delay he placed
Jointly on the Board of Estimate and
the Public Service Commission. The
work had been set back year on that
account, he declared; but despite the
delay the Broadway line can be used as
far north as Fourteenth Street some
time this winter. but beyond that not
for another year.
The Broadway Association, with