The New York herald., 1920-01-20
CITY FIGHTS MEN
WHO TIED UP CARS
ON STATEN ISLAND
Five Cent Bus Operation
Over Discontinued Routes
Praised by Residents.

! Punishment of the officials OF the Mid
land Railroad Company of Staten Island
who discontinued service on the fiv-
trolley lines operated by the company
despite an injunction obtained by the
Corporation Counsel. William p. Burr, or
Saturday, will be sought by the city Of
ficials. Mr. Burr said last night that
when argument on the order for tenn
porary injunction and the application for
a receiver comes before Justice Cropsey
in the Supreme Court, Brooklyn. this
morning he would ask the Court Ito take
steps to deal out punishment to those
responsible for disobedience OF the Courts
mandate"
1T was John y. McKane of Gravesend
who once said that 'injunctions don't gr
here, said Mr.. Burr. Mr.. McKane spent
several years in Jail. Justice Cropsey II
man who won't let the processes of the
court be trifled with. While process
servers were hunting all over Staten ISL
and for officials of the Midland Com
pany on Sunday some of them were
hiding in their homes but managed to
talk with newspaper men,"
The Corporation Counsel said he be-
lieved that the order of the court had
been properly served on the company BY
service on the superintendent. Harry W.
Blackam who had charge of transpor-
also knew that the temporary injunction
had been issued, he declared
City BUS Service Praised.
Although the company had announced
its intention of ceasing operations Sunday
at midnight, it had become generally
known on Staten Island that the city had
obtained an order restraining such action.
and this situation led to much confusion
and inconvenience when the residents who
relied upon the trolley cars found that
service was actually suspended. Munich
pal bus lines were started over the routes
of the discontinued trolley lines, but this
service was not effective in the morning
rush hour and thousands had to walk long
distances through storm to the nearest
stations of the Staten Island Rapid Tran
sit Company trains
The municipal jitney service became bet
ter durirg the day under the supervision
of Commissioner Grover A. Whalen, OF
the Department Of Plant and Structures
and fifty buses were in service over the
five abandoned lines during the evening
rush hour. The traffic was we'll accom-
modated. Commendation OF the bus ser
vice-Staten Islands first experience OF
that kind-waS heard on all sides among
the passengers who used the automobile
Many said the buses made better time
than the trolley cars. Residents in the
saved from five to ten minutes on the
longer runs from their homes to the mu-
nicipal ferry house at st. George.
Commissioner Whalen said that while
he was satisfied with the start of the bug
service. it had not been a fair test, and
that the real test would come today, when
the residents felt assured that the buses
would make all the long hauls for flat
five cent fare. He declared that more
buses ard better service would be had
today.
Fail TO Arrest Mr.. WhaIen.
Commissioner whalen was threatened
with arrest by officials of the Midland
Company. he said, when he took force
of one hundred carpenters to the ST
George ferry house and began the plank
ing OF the viaduct leading TO the upper
floor of the ferry house, so that the buses
could unload their passengers at the
trolley car terminal instead OF having TO
leave them on the lower level. The Mid
land COMPANY leased the viaduct approach
from the city, Commissioner WhaleD said,
for about SIS. 900 n year, but owed slfo"o
in arrears. He was not arrested. Reports
were current at night, however, that en-
ployes of the traction companies would
attempt TO tear up the planking. A police
guard OF twenty-five men. under Police
INSPECTOR Liebers. was placed at the
viaduct.
The gang of carpenters employed by the
city were working under electric lights
until after midnight in finishing the
planking of the fourteen hundred foot
viaduct. Ii is expected that the buses
will be able to take on passengers from
the upper level this morning. The viaduct
will be thrown open to other motor We
hicles. Only the trolley tracks ran over
1t formerly.
Thirty buses were taken to Staten Island
from Manhattan by special trips on three
OF the municipal ferry boats early yester-
day morning.