New-York tribune., 1918-08-17
Hylan Says There Is No
Excuse for "Intolerable
Conditions" Existing
Sees Sure Remedy
In City Ownership
Letter Addressed to P. S. G..
Calls Attention to Big
Dividends Paid

Mayor Hvlan began new drive yes
terday on the Public Service Commis-
sion and the traction companies. In a
almost time for Investigations to cease
and some radical action be taken "to
give the people of this city the trans
portaton facilities for which they are
paying millions"
The Mayor said there was no excuse
for the "intolerabe conditions" which
exist on the new subway lines. The
new lines had been under construction
for several years, he asserted, and the
lnterborough company should have
been fully prepared to operate them.
He said big dividends paid to subsdi-
airy companies and big salaries paid to
officers were two Of the present causes
Of the financial difficulties of the Inter
borough and .hc B. r. T.
The Mayor referred the Public Ser
vice Commission to the Boston and
Chicago plans of operating the traction
lines, where stockholders and the
people are cooperating" and said the
commissioners could render no better
service to the people of this city than
10 iamiliarize themselves with arrange
ments made in those two cities to de-
termine if similar arrangement could
not be made here. He indicated that
municipal ownership of the transit
lines was the only sure remedy The
Mayor said:
Hints at City Ownership
These stockholders must be salts
fed with a reduced financial return
on their holdings, so the people may
be given the transit service for which
they have paid and are entitled to-
These railroad properties could be
taken over by the city as the eac-
c"uing profits would permit. This
would eventually result in the rapid
transit lines becoming, the property
of the city, and end the intolerable
service that is rendered by the
trarsi. companies.
The time is rapidly approaching
when investigations must be discon-
tinued and some radical action taken
to give the people of this city the
transportation facilities for which
they are paying millions.
"The city is expending millions for
new transit lines, and when these
lines are placed in operation, the
company reduces the service on the
old lines in an attempt to equip
and operate the new lines. This in
tolerable condition should not be al
lowed to exist, and the Public Ser
vice Commission should compel the
transit corporations to provide suf-
tcient number of cars to operate
these lines properly for the conven-
renee of the people.
"The excuse that the company has
not sufficient equipment should be
given no consideration, because these
lines have been in the course of
construction for many wears past and
ample provision should have been
made for sufficient equipment to op-
crate them properly.
Cause of Difficulties
One of the causes of the financial
difficulties of both the Interborough
and the B. r. T. is that they are
paying to the subsidiary companies
under their control 10 to 81 per cent
and possibly more on their holdings.
Another cause is the large salaries
PAID to the officers of the company,
m IN some instances as high as $780,
ooO year. 10 earn the salary of an
oftlcer receiving 100000 a wear, two
million passengers must receive
transportation
II these large salaries and tho 10
TO II per cent guaranteed return
on the holdings of the subsidiary
companies were curtailed, the Inter
borough and the B. R. T. could then
give the people better transit ser
wee. If 1T were then found that
TINS could not be done on fve-cent
fare, an application could be made
tor an increased rate of fare.
The additional revenue which
would be derived from such increase
could be put into equipment to give
petter service. In addition to this.
fund could be accumulated which
could be used by the city to purchase
> these lines. The people object to
paying extra fare so the salaries of
100000 officials and 81 per cent
dividend can be paid to these transit
corporations.
In Other Cities
"In Boston and in Chicago the
stockholders and the people are CO.
4 operating. In Boston trustees have
been appointed by the Governor to
operate the Boston elevated proper
ties, which includes its surface lines.
A similar plan has been consummated
in Chicago, and the people there have
voice in the management and oper-
alton of their transit lines."'
Before going away yesterday for
few days vacation, Chairman Charlie
Bulkley Hubbell of the Public Ser
vice Commission left suggestion a
possible means of relief for the con
gestion at the Grand Central subwa,
station. He pointed out that commu
ters on the New York Central and New
Haven railroads by getting off at tn,
l25th Street station and crossing owe
to the subway station at 125th Stree
on the Lexington Avenue line coult
be more certain of obtaining seats al
we'll as Of diminishing the crowd a
the Grand Central station.
The chairman said the commission
was "keenly alive" to the difficulties o.
the situation on the new subways, ant
was engaged in making a searching ex
animation of every feature that coult
in any way contribute to the better