The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-02
NIXON CALLS FOR
TRACTION FARLEY
Urges City and Railway OF.
iicials to Try and End
Transit Chaos.
HYLAN SILENT. ON PLANS
Commission Criticised for As
sisting Roads Over Quinn
by Decision.


the present transit problem in this city
in way that will be agreeable to the
city authorities and to the railway Of
ficials were taken yesterday by Lewis
Nixon, Public Service Commissioner.
He issued an invitation to all inter-
ested to attend a conference. and sug-
gested that the first meeting be held on
Monday. To the representatives of the
traction lines he suggested that they
present a plan to prevent further dis
| indignation OF the systems and at the
same time be prepared to make drastic
concession in return for whatever favors
they might get.
There was no Indication from Mayor
Hylan last night as to whether ne and
other members of the Board Of Estimate
would participate in such conference.
Corporation Counsel Burr told Mr.. Nixon
he was not prepared to speak for the
board, but thought the city would be
willing TO consider anything that was in
the interest of the city.
Henry La Stimson, counsel for the
receiver of the New York Railways
Company, said he would undertake to
say that the officials of all the transit
lines Of the city now in the hands of
receivers would be only too glad to
enter INTO such conference.
Argument mt Hearing.
The matter first came up at a hear
ing on the question OF the abolition OF
the transfers between the Eighth ave-
nue. line and the Ninth avenue line and
the. lines of the New York Railways,
from which they have been severed.
m O.
sci Burr and Col. Stimson got into a
long argument as to the responsibility
for the present transit chaos and as to
what ought to be done to end II.
"A situation has developed" said
Commissioner Nixon, where think Il
| is necessary for some one to take the
| lead and to try and bring about re-
| drafting of the contracts which are d.
rectly now operating against the in
terests of the public. Therefore, / shall
apply to each and every one of the
Board of Estimate to do something to
remedy the situation that Is now con-
| fronting u.s."
This followed direct question Of
Commissioner Nixon to Corporation
Counsel Burr:
''Will the city come here II I invite all
| the parties at interest. and discuss what
concessions would be made by the rail-
| roads, II the city would grant an in
creased fareT'
The Corporation Counsel was inclined
to evade a direct reply and to argue the
point that neither the court nor the Pub
lie Service Commission had the right to
increase fares. He declared that a state
of chaos was coming on because funda-
mental principles had been lost sight Of
He repeated his statement that the Pub
! lie Service Commissioner had sought tn
usurp authority and that il WAS the duty
of Commissioner Nixon to look after the
| interests of the people. He criticised
the Commissioner for assisting the rail-
roads in getting a reversal of the
Quimby decision Of the Court of APP
peals
IL am embarrassed" said the Corpora
ton Counsel. that the counsel who
presented the argument of the city In
the Quimby case. which resulted in the
decision that the Public Service Com
mission had no authority over these
contracts, Is now arguing the converse
of that proposition before this Com
mission.
He has seen n new light" said Com
missioner Nixon. referring to Terence
Farley, formerly of the Appeal Bureau
OF the Corporation Counsers office and
now counsel for the Public Service Com
mission"
Reason for Chaos Sought.
81 wonder what kind of light IL
was" remarked the Corporation Counsel.
ut must have been a red light"
| The transit chaos, the Corporation
Counsel added. was not of the receivers
making, the federal courts making or
the city's making, but was due to the
men who had control OF the transit
systems.
THE city has a contract with these
companies" he said, under which they
were given perpetual franchises 10
monopolize the streets of the city of New
York to run railroads at n five cent fare.
They were so enamored OF that, SO keen
to project It that they resorted to meas
ures of corruption to get It, and the
financial profiigacy which grew into that
system rotted 1t and brought 1t down to
the ground where 1t lies now.
What in my judgment is needed is
the supervision of some experienced men
who will profit by the failures and the
falseness of those who have controlled
the transportation system in the city of
New York. l do not care who Il ia,
whether it is new group of men or
whether It is the city ITSELF they cannot
possibly do worse than these great law
yers and great engineers and great