The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-01
NORTH RIVER LINE
TO QUIT SATURDAY
Important Link in Transit
Chain Is Forced to Cease
Operations.
FEAR OTHERS MAY STOP
Traction Officials Blame City
Authorities--More Suits
Are Filed.

3. w. Hun, president or the BROOKLYN
and North River Railroad Company.
notified Lewis Nixon. Public Service
Commissioner. yesterday that his line
would cease operation next Saturday
night at midnight. This line was or
ganized by the street railway companies
Of Manhattan and Brooklyn and oper-
ates from Canal street and the North
River across the Manhattan Bridge to
Fulton street and Flatbush avenue,
Brooklyn. In view OF the transfer priv
ilegea which II has afforded Its passen-
gers IL Is an important link IN the
transit chain OF the two boroughs.
The company was organized in 1911,
It's stock being divided between the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit, the Metropoli-
tan Street Railway, the Third Avenue
Railroad Company and the Coney Island
and Brooklyn Railroad Company, the
latter being part of the b. r. T. sys-
tern. in his letter to Commissioner
Nixon Mr.. HUFF says that all operations
Of the company since II was granted
charter In 1911 have been conducted at
Q loss, and that 1t now has a corporate
deficit of more than 100000. 1t has
been the custom to finance the company
by means of money borrowed from the
stock owning companies In proportion
TO their ownership OF stock
The company has no credit says
Mr.. HUFF land its past history offers
no prospect Of a betterment Of It's condi-
ton. 1t Ia impossible to secure funds
from any source with which to make mp
the deficit in operating expenses. ana
without that the necessary equipment
cannot be obtained. Under these cir
ctrmstances. we cannot continue opera
ton. This deter is written to advise
you formally of the circumstances and
that because Of the conditions shown
operation will cease Saturday next, Oc-
tober 4, 1919. at midnight"
city omcials Blamed.
While Brooklynites. wrathful at the
prospect of paying 10 or 10 cents for
car rides hitherto retailing for s. were
looking around yesterday for somebody
70 blame President T. s. Williams of
tho Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
IN common with others pointed to city
officials.
Had the city authorities consented to
q cent charge for transfers or to an
cent fare with free transfers the sew
erance of Brooklyn's twenty-eight sur
face lines from the B. r T. could have
been avoided he declared. Others con-
nected with the situation likewise blamed
city officials for their unwillingness to
agree to higher fares for fear Of political
unpopularity.
within six months the car lines in
Manhattan and Brooklyn will go to the
Junk heap altogether unless higher fares
are permitted in the opinion OF authort-
ties who have studied the traction prob
lem.
The Passengers Protective Associa-
ton, the Flatbush Chamber OF Com
werce and other citizen ORGANIZATIONS
in Brooklyn called special meetings to
discuss the effect OF the surface line
severance there. Although technically
the operation of the twenty-eight lines
independent Of the B, r. T. is effective
to-day. the legal adjustments necessary
10 the actual operation of the lines by
their owner, the Brooklyn City Railroad.
will not begin for several days. Mean
while the road officials are comforting
TO decide questions OF policy.
With its right under the old fran
chises to charge cents on each line the
Brooklyn City Company may now, for
example, exact Is cents for the ride
from Park Row to Bergen Beach on
the Flatbush line. and the same amount
for the ride from the ferry at Thirty
ninth street to Fort Hamilton. Sim
fairly 10 cents may be collected where
8 now suffices on many of the other
routes.
May Charge for Transfers.
Settlement of these questions of fare,
however, is still to be made by the roads
officials They have announced that they
intend to make the Brooklyn City Rail-
road lines pay II II Is possible to do so.
They have the right to impose these
charges. While no declaration of policy
has been made by them. II Is understood
they propose to charge cents for trans
NaIn khA ANon afA -txFtl.
in that form. This Is a matter the board
of directors will decide later. The COM
pany has to pay interest on $4,000, 900
Of stock and 100000 of bonds, so
that the presumption Is that no source
Of revenue will be overlooked
The meetings of citizens held to pro-
test the new condition precipitated by
r. the severance of the b. r. 7. are in
opposition chiefly to the payment of two
or three nickels for rides formerly cost
ing one Opposition to some increase to
safeguard the continuation OF the lines
appears to be small. Included among
those who protest are Peter ]. McGuin-
moss, candidate for Alderman in Green
point, who even threatened to go to
court to block fare raises. and State
Senator Daniel j. Carroll. who an
nounced yesterday that he too would
be a crusader.
Citizens Ut Bay Ridge and Fort Hamii-
ton were less concerned about the rising
rates of car riding. as Indicated by the
citizens association OF those places.
They have the subway. they gratefully
acknowledged.
Job e. Hedges not only became a de-
PENDANT in a suit yesterday, but because
of It took on another receivers job. The
Guaranty Trust Company filed suit to
recover 81, 500, 900 on bonds of the Broad
way Seventh Avenue RAILROAD Company,
due and payable in 1904, but still in ar
rears
Since Mr.. Hedges is receiver OF the
New York Railways Company and since
the New York Railways Company hires
all the assets of tho Broadway-Seventh
avenue organization he was named as
defendant. And because this railroad
business is more complicated than
Swiss watch Judge Mayer. In the Fed
eral District Court. named him as re-
ceiver with an additional 10000 bond.
Three More Suits Filed.
II. II. Vreeland, president of the
Broadway Seventh avenue line, admitted
the allegations 1t was a foreclosure and
demanded also payment Of $3.50. 900 upon
bonds OF the South Ferry Railroad Com
pany for which the Broadway-Seventh
avenue Is guarantor.
The Guaranty Trust Company also
fled three actions against the Second
Avenue Railroad, which has been In the
hands OF a receiver ten years. Judge
McAvoy in the Supreme Court, before
whom the case came, reserved decision
ON a petition to have the receiver annIv