The sun., 1918-09-25
HEDLEY ADMITS CAR
SERVICE is ROTTEN
Tells P. s. G. That the Com.
pany Is Headed for Finan-
cial Destruction.
HIGHER FARE IS URGENT
Two Cent Transfer Ban May
Be Lifted-Shuttle Ser
vice on October s.

Frank Hedley vice-president and gen.
eral manager OF the New York Railways
Company. told the Public Service Com
mission yesterday that that street car
service is rotten at present" He said
It was between 20 and % per cent be-
low normal because the company paid
out every day more money than 1t took
in.
He also asserted that he would not
buy bonds of the company IL they were
offered at cents on a dollar, because
the company was headed for financial
destruction II 1t was not permitted to
increase the rate Of fare and charge for
transfers.
The commission has heretofore
frowned on the idea OF allowing the
company to make the public pay cents
for a transfer, nut judging from a re-
mark made by Chairman Hubbell yes
terda$ the ban may be lifted.
HedIey Is'Chief witness.
Mr.. Hedley was the chief witness in
the first session Of the commissions
hearing Of the reasons why street car
service has been curtailed recently. Com
missioner Ordway. speaking Of the sug-
gestion that street cars be kept In the
barns in the early morning hours, asked
whether the service would not be made
more decent and comfortable" II fewer
cars were run after midnight and more
in the daytime. Mr.. Hedley said he
did not favor entire discontinuance after
midnight. but that by diminishing the
night service and putting more crews on
In the day rush hours the company
could serve the public better and at the
same time improve its finances.
James L. Quackenbush. the company's
counsel, recalled that the company APP
piled last year for permission to charge
two cents for transfers and abolish GER
tain transfer points. He believed that
IL this permission was granted now n
would relieve the financial condition and
postpone the fatal day" OF bankruptcy.
Commissioner Hubbell said: 'Tf the
company thinks II advisable TO revive
that proposition II would be Hospitality
entertained by the Public Service Com.
mission"
John Chandler Cobb. representing
bondholders. said he had been trying to
have the transfer project revived.
Shuttle Train Service.
The commission authorized the Inter-
borough company to resume operation Of
shuttle trains over the cross bar OF the
II between the Grand Central station
and Times Square on or before Octo-
Der 8. This service was started when
the new subways were opened but was
stopped in a hurry on August 3 because
~ Cnlil1n'y haDin n Ia of he hA
wildered crowds
Since then there have been changes
in the two stations. The platform used
by crosstown passengers at the Grand
Central has been extended. whereby II
is hoped that the cross currents OF per.
sons rushing both ways. which jammed
the subway early In August, will be
prevented. Iron ratings have been
placed in both the Grand Central and
Times Square stations and, more i'm
portant, It In promised that a lot OF new
signs and guide posts will be provided
to point the way through the under
ground maze.
The Public Service Commission says
THE commission urges those who have
made 1t a practice to walk to the sta
tons on the West Side subway since the
dscontinuance OF through service across
Forty-second street and have not found
1t serious hardship to do go will con-
tinue this practice as Il will tend to
relieve the congestion at both the'Times
Squire and Grand Central stations and
on the trains between those two points.
Substantially equal facilities exist
for all persons south of Chambers street,
as both the East Side and West Side
subway lines are substantially equal as
to availability. the old subway. a part of
the East Side line. being In Broadway,
while one branch of the Seventh avenue
line extends from Chambers street to
the Battery and the other to Wall and
William streets"