New-York tribune., 1919-10-15
Decentralization Is Sure to
Follow Bankruptcy, He
Asserts in Speech to
N. Y. Electrical League
Subway Service Extolled
Receivership by January L
Forecast Unless a Fare
Increase Is Authorized

New York's subways will be trans
formed into menaces to the lives of the
travelling public if the Interborough
is forced into bankruptcy, Public Ser
vice Commissioner Lewis Nixon de-
claned yesterday at the monthly lunch
con of the New York Electrical League
at the McAlpin.
Commissioner Nixon said that un-
less Mayor Hylan and the city admins
tration change their stand and grant
fare increase the Interborough will
go into the hands of receiver by Jan
uary /.
Decentralization sets in almost as
soon as bankruptcy" the speaker con-
tlnued. "The transportation companies
must have greater financial returns, for
they have shown they are operating at
loss, or they must reduce the stand
ard Of service.
Service Declared Unequalled
SIn New York City the service now is
the best on the face of the earth. The
subways are operated with safety and
efficiency. They are giving the only
real express service in the world. Tie
trains are run on small enough head
way to take care of the crowds.
Should they drop this headway you
can imagine how the people would jam
the stations, the terrible condition
which would arise. The subway would
be like the Black Hole of Calcutta"
Commissioner Nixon told the league
members he had inaucurated 2-cent
transfer charge on some Of the city
railway lines to save passengers the
payment of an additional scent fare.
necessitated by the breaking up of the
lines by financial disaster.
Denies Public Protests
He said no complaints had been made
against this system, and urged that the
transfers be Waintained as the lines
broke up, SO they should be in opera
tion when the universal scent fare is
restored. flexible fare, Commissioner
Nixon said, would soon result in a
charge lower than cents.
The speaker urged that the sins of
the traction operators in the past
should not be held against the present
companies, as their punishment now
would result in harm to the public first
Of all.
Commissioner Nixon discounted the
chances Of municipal operation or the
use OF the zone system in New York
City. San Francisco's ownership of one
street railroad, he said had driven all
the others out of existence The rapid
development of the city counts against
the zone fare plan. he thought.
Transfer Hearing Given
Commissioner Nixon gave a hearing
yesterday to the applications of the In
terborough Rapid Transit Company and
the New York City Intcrborough Rail
way Company (part of the Third Ave
nuc surface line systcm) to eliminate
transfers between the elevated and sub
way lines and the surface lines in
upper Manhattan and The Bronx.
by the arrangement transfers are is
sued at total charge of cents, each
company getting half. Arthur G. Pea
cock, who appeared for the INTERIOR
ough Rapid Transit Company, said that
as the corporation considered the s.
cent fare insufficient it was not pre-
pared to carry passengers for cents.
Joseph A. Devcry. Assistant Corpora
ton Counsel, representing the city,
contcnded the companies must furnish
evidence to prove their contention that
the proposition was q losing one The
annual reports of both companies were
put in evidence. and Commissioner
Nixon adjourned the hearing until Fri
day morning to allow for their exami-
nation.