New-York tribune., 1918-05-09
Whitney in Bronx
Shows How Hylar,
Fought Its Subway
Mayor Opposed Any Rapid
Transit for That Section
in 1912 and 1913

Travis H. Whitney, Public Service
Commissioner, speaking last night on
rapid transit matters before the Tax
payers Alliance Of The Bronx, quoted
from letters written by Mayor Hylan
in 1912 in opposition to any rapid tran
the Mayor for his present attitude tow
ard the Public Service Commission and
rapid transit matters generally
Referring to the delays On subway
construction because of war conditions,
Commissioner Whitney declared that
"war" was not the only difficulty con-
fronting the commission in its efforts
to secure for New York City the trans
portation which it needs.
II therefore venture to speak frankly
in criticism Of the attitude of the
Mayor of the City of New York." said
Mr.. Whitney.
The commissioner quoted from a let
ter written by. Mayor Hylan on De-
cember 20, 1912, to Chairman Wilcox,
criticising the dual system contracts"
and threatening that if the Southern
Boulevard route, the West Farms eX-
tension and the Jerome Avenue extern
Sion to Woodlawn Road, all in The
he would task the District Attorney to
lay the matter before the grand jury
to make an investigation and find out
why the peoples money should be di-
verted to part of the city for the
purpose Of building railroads where
there is absolutely no need, while other
and greatly cpngested sections of the
city are crying out for relief and are
denied it,"
The commissioner also ref Erred to a
statement made by Mayor Hylan at a
hearing when the latter referred to
the "wasteful expenditure of the city's
funds in constructing railroads in the
wilds of Westchester County" The
Mayor at that time, according to Mr.
Whitney, said that there would be no
need for many years to come for an
elevated road, or a third track on the
elevated road, in The Bronx
"These quotations represented Mr..
Hylan's attitude toward The Bronx in
1912 and 1913" said the Commission
er. "He thought then that any one
who desired to construct rapid transit
in The Bronx should be indicted. APP
parently it is still his attitude. You
may rest assured that the commission
considers it its duty to do everything
possible to complete the dual system
| am willing to discuss fully the work
of the commission here or on any
other platform in New York City and
am willing to engage in debate with
any one at any time in respect either
to rapid transit matters or to the work
of the commission generally, and l do
not need to have either my letters or
speechs written for me.
"Mayor Hylan seems to think that
The Bronx needs no additional trans
portation, but he was concerned that
there should be rapid transit for at
least the Bushwick portion of Brook
lyn. You may be interested to know
that, under the dual contracts, the
amount of money being spent for rapid
transit in and for Brooklyn is about
nine times the amount spent in The
Bronx and that the Fourteenth Street
Eastern District line, which traverses
Bushwick, will cost more than the en-
tire amount being spent in The Bronx"
Commissioner Whitney criticised the
Board of Estimate for holding up an
appropriation of $300,000, requested by
the Public Service Commission on
February 20, 1918, which is needed to
complete certain cable ines and sub
station work on the new Lexington
Avenue and Seventh Avenue subways
before those important lines in the
dual system can be put in operation