The sun., 1918-08-23
HEDLEY DEMANDS
100000 OF CITY
Must Have Money to Give
Wage Increases to Subway
Employees, He Says.

Frank Hedley. vice-president and gen.
eral manager OF the Interborough. an
nounced yesterday to the Public Service
Commission that he proposed increasing
the pay of subway employees $4,000, 900
a year. and that the public-either in
taxes or extra fares-would be called on
to pay the bill.
when / 60 from here to my office"
said Mr.. Hedley. ct am to meet two
committees of employees representing
practically all conditions of the service
on the subways and elevated roads. They
will demand more money, as they have
already for several months. They are
entitled to II and will quit IL they do
not get 1t. which would. OF course, tie
up the subways absolutely.
But the subways must not be tied up
and there Is no reason why they should.
The Interborough's contracts with the
city make 1t mandatory that the cost OF
subway operation shall be met either
through sufficient fares or taxation. The
increase OF 100000 a year, which will
have to be granted. cannot be met out OF
the revenues OF the Interborough. which
Is already giving away two cents worth
Of free transportation with every nve
cent fare"
Commissioner Travis II. Whitney, who
was presiding, interrupted Mr.. Hedley to
ask whether he thought II wise to prom
Use the subway employees an increase II
there were no funds on hand to pay II
with.
81 will be back here in three days to
ask for funds" responded Mr.. Hedley,
land do not see how this body is going
to refuse it."
Mr.. whitney said It was his under
a. hot . la yp,a rl,o right IN
additional compensa ton was contingent
upon entire performance OF its own COW
enants. but Mr.. Hedley was not to be
cab!ned or confined:
September 1 is the day SET by the
men as the day when they must have
their answer. The proposed increase
will advance wages about % per cent
! have already advanced our surface car
men $3.50, 900. and am not altogether
sure where that money In coming from
F either. You can't sell seven cents worth
of transportation for five cents any
more"
At Yesterdays hearing into subway
conditions the commission took Mr.. He'd
ley over the facts OF subway operation
since August /, when the II system
was opened to the public. and received
his frank admission that the lines have
not been operated on announced sched-
ules He gave the same excuses as be-
fore-seven cents worth OF Transports
! ton for a nickel and the impossioility OF
getting men.
81 have been quoted as having prom
| ised two and three minute expresses" he
said. but never promised anything ex-
cept TO do the best 7 could That prom
| Use have kept. was informed Just
| before I came here that our trains were
only two minutes apart at Atlantic ave-
nue., Brooklyn, this morning. and that is
| maximum service"
Charles A. Standfast, supervising in
spector for the Public Service Commits
sion. made a report on train service dur
| ing the rush hours of Tues day, Wednes-
day and yesterday. On basis Of trains
| an hour his testimony gave Ninety-sixth
| street and Broadway credit for 10 TO % ;
Grand Central. IL to 10: Bowling Green
20 to 25; Lexington avenue and Eighty
sixth street. l6 to 20 Borough Hall, IL
to Is: Thirty-third street, to 10, and
| Sixty-sixth street, 10 to 81. Schedules
! require thirty expresses an hour on the
East Side and twenty on the West.
The hearing was adjourned until next
Thursday. Before he went 10 his Office
! to meet the committee OF employees Mr.
| Hedley said that the subway now needs
about 400 men and will consider the APP
| plications OF men up to 60 years old.