New-York tribune., 1918-03-18
Hylan Threatens Action if
Commission Does Not
Improve Service
SubwayDelay Assailed
People Losing Millions by
Contract Time Extensions,
He Charges

Mayor Hylan returned yesterday to
the attack in his controversy with
Travis Whitney, which began when the
acting chairman of the Public Service
Commission beat him in a race to
City Hall over the elevated lines Of
the B. Il. r. q few weeks ago.
The Mayor gave out a letter address,
ed to Mr. Whitney, which warned him
that unless the B. r. 7. was directed
by the commission very soon to route
more of its cars over Brooklyn Bridge
he would ask the authorities "in the
very near future" to act
Commissioner Whitney replied
promptly, declaring that the Mayor
was misstating the situation, insulting
him and carrying out "a programme
that distracts attention from any gen.
uine municipal progress and creates an
atmosphere of popular irritation under
which, at favorable opportunity, de-
terioratcd public utilities can be
dumped on the city at fancy prices"
The Mayor, in his letter. reiterates
his poor opinion Of the Public Service
Commission. He AYERS also that the
commi misson is perfectly aware that
electric lighting rates in both Brook
lyn and Manhattan are too high, and
that Mr.. Whitney himself is advocating
the release of subway contractors from
their contract commitments on account
Of war conditions-a proceeding which,
the Mayor asserts, will cost the people
from six to ten million dollars in un-
necessary expense.
vPeople Disregarded'
II say to you now that you have
no regard for the peoples interests
or the taxpayers money" he tells Mr.
Whitney.
The Mayor further adverts to his
complaint that the Public Service Com
mission supinely permitted the B. r. T.
to retire 1872 old cars in Brooklyn and
replace them with only 1O1 new ones.
and those mostly on the Coney Island
subway Then he proceeds to the gas
and electric light questions:
THE reduction of electric light rates
and the Improvement of the quality of
gas furnished by private gas COM
pancs were wrung from the Public
Service Commission after q most siren
uous fight by the people. notwithstand-
ing that they pay you your salary to
protect their interest
"You, no doubt, remember the Stat
lander case. known as No. 1895 in your
records. where the persistence and
courage of citizens compelled the
Public Service Commission to acknow-
edge that the 10-cent rate for electric
current was excessive, and I say to
YOU that the 7-cent rate kilowatt hour
for electric current is also excessive,
and if you were working in the in
terest of the people you would say so,
too.
"You favored the dual subway con-
tract for which the people are pay
ing millions of dollars interest each
year. You also favored and allowed
to build the subways, some of which
ought to have been finished over a
year ago. and now many of these con-
tractors have sued the city for mil
lions of dollars for changes and DELAYS
made by the Public Service Commits
sion.
Action Threatened
"At this very moment you advocate
the release of the contractors on their
contracts, which, ii allowed will cost
the people from six to ten million dol
lars more and relieve the bondholders
CT their responsibility
UNLESS your commission directs the
B. K. I. to run their cars over the
Brooklyn Bridge to its New York term
inal. instead Of dumping people out
at the Brooklyn end to get into cars
already overcrowdcd, will ask the au-
thoritlcs in the very near future to
act"
Commissioner Whitncy's reply fol-
lows, in part:
"You charge that the commission has
been and Is too favorably disposed
toward corporations. Are YOU aware
that your accusations serve these cor
pocate interests, which arc doing all
they can, in the courts. before the Leg
lslaturc and in paid advertising in the
papers, to discrcdit this commission =?
AS to whether the commission is. in
TACT, friendly to the corporations.' !
prefer to take the statements of their
acknowledged representatives. For ex-
ample, while you were at Palm Beach
and this commission, through it's coun-
sci, was fighting in the courts for the
maintenance of reasonable gas rates
tor the people of Brooklyn, the at
torncy and representative of the allied
gas and electric interests of the state
filed in opposition a brief in which. at
page 13. he charged in behalf of his
corporate clients that
"'rhe Public Service Commission for
the 1st District enjoys the distinction
of being practically the only commits
sion in the country which has not af
fordcd relief to a single utility from
rates which have been rendered made
quate by war conditions. although manv
applications forSsuch relief have been
filed with the commission. 1t is cx-
traordnary shat it appears unable to
visualize the situation in which utili
ties under its jurisdiction find them
| selves, of being ground between the
upper and neither milestone Of incrcas
ing costs and a fixed maximum price
for their commodity. That the COM
missions conception Of the situation is
not shared generally is not only cv1-
dcnced by the hundreds of cases where
relief has been granted by public ser
vice commissions throughout the coun-
try, but by a letter addressed to Secrc-
tary McAdoo by President Wilson in
reply to letter from tho former on the
subject
"As to construction work, it is uo-
true that | advocate the release Of the
contractors on their contracts AS to
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit cars,
venture to suggest that you cannot
sho" IN any Of your speeches (Which
understand you read in order not to
Dc misquoted) That you used language
or meaning identical with What YOU
now say you said. Briefly stated. YOUR
present criticism is chat up to and