The sun., 1919-07-19
Commissioner Nixon Says
Order Necessary to Save
Systems.
FEEDER ROADS FREE
Monthly Accounting of the
Gains Must Be Given
to P. S. C.
LEASES WERE IN PERIL
Manhattan Has IA No Charge
Points Left of 113, Brook
lyn 80 Out Of 1908
LEASES WERE IN PERIL

An order permitting both the New
York Railways Company, which
operates the green surface cars in
d. Manhattan. and the surface car lines
Of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com
pany, to charge cents each for
, transfers was signed yesterday after
noon by Lewis Nixon. Public Service
Commissioner. The order goes into
effect in both cases August l. It will
continue to be operative as far as the
( New York Railways Company is con-
cerned, until July Z, 1920. The B. r.
T. order is to be effective until July
30 of the same year. In each instance
the Public Service Commission re-
serves the right to extend the time at
some future date.
! All but fourteen transfer points on
the green car lines will be affected and
all but thirty points-in addition to
feeder line transfers--on the B. r. T.
In respect to the latter company. the
order specifically exempts transfers
between feeder and trunk lines. There
are at present 113 free transfer points
on the New York Railways Company
system and zoos on the B. r. T.
The charge Of Q cents is to apply
only to the initial transfer issued, In
cases where It has heretofore been
customary to issue transfers on trans
fers, the practice win be continued and
no additional charge will be made for
them.
The transfer points exempted from the
additional charge are those at which
franchises, or other agreements with the
city, preclude its collection. They are
! not only in Manhattan, but in former
separate communities which now con-
stitute a part of the city and over which,
under the Rochester fare decision, the
city authorities now have control.
Check Kept on PROFITS.
Each company Is required by the or
der to keep a careful account Of the
results of the transfer charge as affect
ing the income of the corporations. The
B. R T. is to make monthly reports to
the Public Service Commission. In the
case of the New York Railways Com
pany it is stipulated that, II the city is
dissatisfied with the valuation OF the
company's property, placed in evidence
at the hearings, 1t may, at the end OF
six months. apply to have tho proceeding
lreopened.
'sThe public should have a true state
ment Of the transit situation In this
city" said Commissioner Nixon In an
Iouncing the issuance OF the two orders
The New York Railways Company at
the present time, Is in the hands or q
receiver. That means that 1t Is insol-
vent and unable to pay Its debts. 1t Is
a vast system which consists OF many
leased lines, such as the Eighth Avenue
Railway Company, the Ninth Avenue
Railroad Company. etc. In order to OBJ
tain leases of these lines the New York
Railways Company Is obliged TO pay
rent for them. II the rent Is not PAID,
these leased lines will cancel their leases
Seine of these rentals may be extrava"
giant, but they were made years ago and
must be paid until they are changed.
~To further the public convenience the
New York Railways Company was re-
'uuired TO introduce what Is called sys-
tenn of free transfers between Its leased
lines and other railroad lines in this city.
For example. IL a passenger on the Mad
ison avenue line desired to travel up or
down the West Side he could obtain a
free transfer at Fifty-ninth street This
enables him to take the Fifty-ninth
street car to either Enghth or Ninth
avenue and then transfer to the line
which he DESIRES either up or down town.
lowing to the prevailing high prices
Of labor and material the New York
Railways Company was unable to pay
its debts, including its rents, and to pro-
tect the interests OF the travelling public
the Federal Court appointed a receiver.
That receiver Is an officer OF the Federal
Court, and that court Is practically op-
Grating this railroad.
'aThe Federal Court informed the Pub
lilo Service Commission that unless the
railroad company was granted some re-
lief. either in the way of an Increased
fare of six or seven or eight cents, or
permitted TO charge for transfers. the
court would cancel the leases which had
been made. Tho effect of this would be
that every time one person changed from
one line of cars to another he would have
TO pay an extra fare OF five cents, or II
he made two changes. ten cents.
what would any one have done un-
der the circumstances? Would they
have permitted charge of ten or fif'
teen cents when the same result could
have been accomplished for fve cents
r and q charge OF two cents for transfer
To charge that the commission is favor
ing the railroad company Is not onl,
unfair, but It is also wlckedly false and
untrue. The commission protected the
interests of the people OF this city anc
they should appreciate 1t and not bs
mIsIed by those who are attempting tc
Aeceiye them. II the commission favored
the railroad company II would have In
creased the rates Of fare so that every
person, whether he wanted a transfer
or not, would have to pay two or hre,
cents extra.
'.To repeat. something had to be don'
10 protect the public service. Operating