New-York tribune., 1919-10-04
Service Board Head Writes
Mayor City Obtained No
Sanction; Another Route
Added to Whalen List
Starts Operation Sunday
To Replace Brooklyn-North
River Cars as Company
Abandons Losing Line

While the Board of Estimate. at its
meeting yesterday was awarding an
other temporary permit to Grover Wha-
len. Commissioner of Plant and Struct-
ures. to operate fifth bus line Pub
Tic Service Commiss ssioner Lewis Nixon
dispatched a letter to Mayor Hylan'
charging him with "permitting an open
and continued vialation of the laws Of
the State of New York" in withholding
information from the commission &c
garding the 'tus lines.
Commissioner Nixon's letter to the
Mayor follows:
Il beg 20 cal. Your attention for the
third time to the neglect on your part
TO answer inquiries as to the bus lines
you arc running on the suspended
storage battery lines. You should
know that. legally such information
should be Forthcoming.
"Surely you are not cndcavoring so
to shape matters that these buses must
cease operation
at is the desire of this commission
that you try out your experiments to
the end.
Continuous Violation of the Laws"
"I again respectfully request an an
swer to my letters asking the status of
the citys bus lines.
you are permitting an open and
continuous violation of the laws of the
State of New York"
At a special meeting Of the Board
of Estimate two weeks ago permit
was granted to Louis Rcldl to operate
four bus lines over the routes of the
downtown storage battery surface lines
which had been Abandoned A certiii-
cate of convenience and necessity was
granted Redl by the Public Service
the board promised to operate at least
sixty buses the following Sunday
morning. But Ried and his buses
we're missing that Sunday. No more
has been heard of them since.
Another special meeting of the board
vas then called by the Mayor and he
had a resolution adopted resembling the
permit to Riedl and one was given to
Commissioner Whalen. his former sec
retary to run bus lines over the same
routes. Whalen. however, did not ap-
ply to the Public Service Commi SIS on
COR certificate of convenience and
necessity.
Questions Unanswered
Commissioner Nixon then wrote a
letter to the Mayor asking if Riedl
was actually operating. The Mayor did
not reply. Again Commissioner Nixon
wrote and again the Mayor ignored his
request. Then followed the letter Of
Yesterday.
The latest permit to Commissioner
Whalen contemplates the operation of
a bus line over the route of the Brook
lyn and North River Railroad Com
pany. beginning Sunday at 8 a. m. The
company, which operates twenty-nine
surface cars along the Flatbush Ave
wi
Brooklyn, and across the Manhattan
Bridge and along Canal and Watts
Street to the Desbrosses Street Ferry
on the North River will abandon the
service at midnight as losing
proposition.
In letter to the Mayor Yesterday.
concerning the new proposed but line.
Commissioner Whaien wrote:
pursuant to your direction, arrange
ment has been made for the operation
Of buses over this route beginning on
Sunday morning, October 5, 1912 at
8 a. III. These buses will start opera
ton and will continue as indicated
until such time as we receive other di-
rectons from you
Whalen also stated that more than
million people were dependent upon
the line for transportation.
When the matter came up before the
Board of Estimate, Controller Craig
moved that hereafter when any line no
tihes the Public Service Commission
that it will discontinue operation the
commission should demand the surren-
Her of the franchise to the city. The
notion was adopted unanimously.
Asks Staten Island Subway
The letter of the Brooklyn and
North River Railroad Company an
1ouncing its intention TO discontinue
service declared that the read had
been operated at a loss since It's incep-
tion in 1911.
Borough President Van Name, Of
Richmond. moved that the board in
struct the Rapid Transit Commissioned
20 make a survey of proposed sub
way to Staten Island from Bay Ridge.
A large delegation Of Staten islanders
supported the motion.
Controller Craig pointed out that
-he board had no power of initiative
and moved that the matter be referred
20 the Rapid Transit Commissioners
1hich was done.