New-York tribune., 1920-01-20
BrennerN AIMED
Staten Island
Road Receiver
Sudden Appearance of City
Buses Breaks Threatened
Tie-Up; Federal Court
Acts to Relieve Tangle
Better Facilities To-day
Whalen Bridges Trestle
Long Occupied by Troll
ley Line; Police on Guard


Federal Judge Thomas I. Chatfield
last night appointed Jacob Brenner.
Commissioner Of Jurors of Kings
County, receiver for the Staten Island
Midland Railway Company, which dis
continued the operation of it's five
trolley lines earlier in the day. Mr..
Brenner filed a bond Of $4,000 and
will assume charge of the company's
affairs to-day.
Asked if he would resume service on
the line, the newly appointed receiver
said:
AS to that, | am under the direction
of the court. understand that serv-
Ice on the line has been suspended.
put have not yet had time to 90 into
the matter"
Ofiicials of the company joined with
the Westinghouse Electric Company. a
CREDITOR in applying for the appoint
lneh' OF receiver. 1t is believed that
TINS appointment viii ltakc the ones
ton of the operation of the trolley
iines entirely out of the jurisdiction of
the state courts. The situation will be
cleared up this morning, when the Of
ilcers of the Midland road will appear
before Justice Cropsey in the Kinrs
county Supreme Court to argue on the
application of the city for the appoint
ment OF receiver.
New Tanglc Is Forcseen
AT this hearing city officials believe
the company will be adjudged in con-
tempt of court for having discontinued
the operation of the trolleys, despite a
court injunction. Just what effect the
appointment of Federal receiver will
nave on this phase Of the case could
not be learned last night.
An order signed by Supreme Court
Justice Faber calling upon the COM
pany to continue operation pending the
argument this morning on the city's
Application for a receivership was
served late Sunday night on Harry w
Biackham superintendent Of the road
lhe officers of the company declined to
recognize this as proper service and
ignored the order.
George Nicholson, Assistan: Corpora
ton Counsel, who obtained the injunc
ton. said that the officers of the com
pany, knowing of the order had pur-
posely cvaded service
Process Servers in Vain Search
although our process servers. seek
ing R. l.. Rand, vice president of the
company, at his home AL day Sunday.
were told that he was away, newspaper
men were able to reach him. The Of
fclals. 1t seems to me, were clearly
guilty of contempt Of court" Mr..
Nicholson declared.
with the cessation Of the trolley
service, approximately $4,000 Staten
Islanders were Inconvenience yestcr-
day Feeling assured by the issuance
OF the Supreme Court order many of
the commuters were caught unawares
by the te-up. When they found that
the cars were not running they started
TO walk for the nearest railroad sta
ton. Some went to the Richmond Light
and Railroad Company lines. but most
Of them were forced to walk to the
Terry. distance of five or six miles
IN some cases.
rev knew Of the busses which had
been taken to the Island during the
night and were ready for the emergency
Grover A. Whalcn, Commissioner of
Plant and Structures. went over with y
ferryboat load at 1870 o'clock in the
morning. This number was increased
to more than thirty during the day and
>>lVice was we'll in operation by the
evening rush hour.
Although five routes had heon
planned, originally, this was cut TO
three by the merger of the smaller
runs: instead Of taking the residents
OF Richmond only as far as New Dorp.
where they would be compelled to nav
an extra fare on the steam line. Com
missioner Whalen ordered that the
buses be run all the way to St. Gcor0n
inns gave Staten Islanders a chance
TO get for five cents q ride which costs
$500 In d taXicab.
The buses seemed inadequate in the
70
the machines to return and many
boarded the electric or steam cars.
inns condition will be remedied this
morning, when the Department of Plant
and Structures will have more buses
available
Flve-Cent Fare Displeases Drivers
Some of the drivers expressed dis
Satisfaction over the fve-cent fare.
Ihey said that they did not make
enough during the day. and they were
unable to recoup their losses in the
rush periods. Eight drivers were sent
back to Brooklyn. They were soon re-
placed
AS a further convenience, Commits
Sloner Whalen ordered that planking
be built over the viaduct trcstle an,
pfoach to the upper level of the ter
mlnal Although owned by the city.
the traction companies have had com.
piete use of this approach and forbade
,he pubilc to drive over it, The Mid
land Company is supposed to pav an
annual rental of $4,000 for this nrivi.
lege. The Commissioner said the cor
poratlon was about ten years behind in
It's payments
When laborcrs began to Law the
plahklng, some officials of the comnanv
came out of the Offices and threatened
10 nave the men arrested They did
not carry out their threat. and the an
proach was completed in the evcnino
1T Will be used by the buses this morn
ing. During the night special police
precautions were taken to guard tho
structure.
Frank lledley, president OF the In
terborough Rapid Transit Company
will be a witness before the Board Of
estimate when it resumes the investj
g"tlon of the traction situation to-
morrow morning.
Corporation Counsel Burr said yes
'erday that the original vouchers and
Thccks, which a corps of assistants had
pc"n examining for week would be
ready Tor presentation at the inquiry
o-morrow. The original data. Mr..
Burr sad, would be used in cross-ex
mining the witnesses in order to check
up the information given by them.
Mr. ncdlcy will probably be asked TO
ee'l all he knows of the cost of CON
s'ructlon and equipment Of the original
SUBWAY Later he will be asked TO give
information uS in nroaop, ,,h,,.,. ~