New-York tribune., 1918-03-27
Hylan Denounces
6-Cent Fare Plan
AS Plunder Move
He Asks, However, for De-
tails of Traction Earn
ings and Expenses
Scores Finance Plea
Mayor Insists He Will Not
Have Anything to Do
With Proposal

Mayor Hylan added another letter
yesterday to the voluminous corre-
spondence which ne has been exchang-
ing recently with Theodore 7. Shonts,
president of the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company on siX-cent fares. The
Mayor asked Mr. Shonts for bill of
particulars of the expenses and earn
ings for the subway. elevated and sur
face lines which the Interborough con-
trolls, but fatty declared that he would
have nothing further to do with the
six-cent fare proposition.
He characterized all the recent pro-
posals for financial assistance for the
traction companies and the subway
contractors as "an imposition and de
libcratc attempt to plunder the tax and
rent payers of this city"
~ note by the press that Travis II.
Whitney, the head and tail Of the Pub
lie Service Commission" said the
Mayor, land the Commissioner who
appears to be very anxious for the SIX
more to the contractors. whose work
is already delayed, announces that the
city's deficit in the dual subway con-
tract No 4 with the B. K. 7. is about
100000
Calls Plan "Plunder'
Take this $4,000 900 deficit into con-
sideration, the deficit of about S600o,-
900 for which the city will be obligat
ed on the Interborough part Of the
dual subway contract. the action
against the city by the contractors for
about S6,000.O00 more for damages etc.
for changes in contract and route and
neglect on the part of the Public Ser
vice Commission to have the plans pre-
pared in time. together with the
$4,000, 900 or SS 10000 the contractors
want to get over and above their con-
tract price for performing their con-
tract. which Mr.. Whitney seems to
favor. and along with all that now a
demand to increase the fare to six
cents. is an imposition and a deliberate
attempt to plunder the tax and rent
payers of this city.
Will Hear No More Plans
"No further propositions need be
made to me. | will not become in
volved in aay plan that connects me
in any way with those who have been
in sympathy with this method of plum
dering the city. l shall direct the
Commissioner OF Accounts, the Corpo-
ration Counsel and every other public
official that l can command to look into
these transactions and see if some
thing cannot be done to protect the
city
The Mayor asked the lnterborough
president fer the figures by years for
Il period of FIVE years for the subway.
the elevated and surface lines. Full
details under chart submitted were
asked.
"And kindly let ne have a memoran-
DUN showing how the foregoing items
have been affected by war conditions."
the Mayor added; also your estimate
of the result of an increase of fare to
six cents.
The only reason the Mayor advanced
for asking for so many details was "in
order that The city may have a full
understanding OF the subject"
In a statefsent submitted at meet
ing Yesterday Of the Public Service
Commission Com missioner Z. J H.
kracke accused Mayor Hylan Of being
''completeiy and hcpeicss.y ~ error" in
some Of his recent criticisms of the
commission and its connection with
subway matters. The commissioner re-
ferred particularly to the Mayors re-
cent statement that the million dollar"
subway loop at the Brooklyn Bridge
Recommended by the Public Service
Commission ard its engineers, is not in
operation because the Public Service
r 10
Commission Not in 1t
Commissioner Kracke pointed out
that this subway loop was authorized
by the Board Of Estimate under the Nc
Ciellan administration and was con-
structed by the city Department of
Bridges with funds raised by the Board
OF Estimate. The Public Service Com
mission had nothing whatever to do
with it, ne said.
The commissioner also declared that
the Mayor was badly in error in his
recent letter Of criticism of the com
mission fer delaying tho investigation
of the turn back OF elevated trains at
the Brooklyn end Of the Brooklyn
Bridge. The commissioner pointed cut
that on the same day that the Mayor
wrote Commissioner Delaney, Of the
Department. of Plant and Structures
asking him to have some of his men
check up on the number Of trains and
passengers turned back" representa-
tives OF Commissioner Delaney were at
The Public Service Commission present
ing the very information which the
Mayor asked them TO gather. Further
more, the commissioner said, a COM
piete investigation by the Public Ser
wee Commission had been made and
finished two weeks before the date If
the Mayor .etter, and the corornission
would have been ready to act before
MIS- letter was written at all if II had
not been that delay was requested bv
Commissloner Delaney in order that
additional time might be granted hIs
mon Hio