New-York tribune., 1920-01-13
Traction
Tangle Put Up
To Legislature
Nixon Asks an End Of Dual
Control and Laws Giving
City or Public Service
Commission Power to Act
Favors a Flexible Fare
Wants Legislation Prevent
ing Strike Tie-Ups and
Keeping Systems Intact

HACCPAAAS OySicI1lS lntaca
ALBANY, Jan. 12.-Lewis Nixon,
Public Service Commissioner, put New
York City's traction problem up to the
state Legislator to-day in rendering
his annual report for 1919. Legisla-
ton must be enacted, he said, giving
the commission full authority to deal
with the problem of saving the rapid
! transit system, or abolishing the COM
mission and putting sole responsibility
upon the municipal authorities. Dual
responsibility, he declared, had served
only to prevent action and continuing
1t would only further complicate the
situation.
Mr.. Nixon repeats his suggestion Of
fares based on cost Of service and
suggests to prevent tieups through
strikes like those of last summer in
Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Carried 100000. 900 in 1919
The report showed that the surface,
subway and elevated lines carried
2,079.942,604 passengers last year,
record Of 104,430,815 greater than that
established the year before and double
the total Of sixteen years ago. The
in crease In the number of passengers
yielded approximately s5,200,000 in ad-
ditional revenue, which, with fees
from advertising privileges, brought
the total receipts Of the companies up
to 10,191 ,682, gross increase of $6,-
696,919 from 1918. But operating ex-
penses increased $16,000,000 during the
year, producing defiit Of S8,000.000.
problem before the Legislature, Mr..
Nixon,s report declares that half way
measures would be mere temporizing
with d situation, already aggravated
by partial disintegration, which. if
unchecked, will result in the present
rapid transit systems being broken up
into a multitude Of small lines, each
charging five-cent fare.
Doesn't Oppose City Control
There is no conviction on the part
of this commission that municipalities
should not control their transportation
utilities" the report continues. '"The
people of such municipalities choose
their representatives, who should be
capable Of efficient administration Of
the vast business interests committed
to their care by the voters. Joint re-
sponsibilty usually ends in dead
lock. 1t is the province and the duty
of the Legislature to determine
whether it shall provide commission
whose rulings may prevail over a
the part of the municipal authorities,
and thus secure readjustments in the
peoples interests! and in such cases,
where there is conflict of opinion, it
does not necessarily follow that the
commission is right.
ut is the firm conviction of the
commission that halfway measures
simply temporize. If public service
commissions are to continue, they must
at least have power to take steps to
avoid destruction Of utilities regulated
by them.
"If it be felt that the commission
must be kept in leading strings and
that Its powers must be so limited and
qualified as to require constant Judi
clai Interpretation, many Of the So
called delega tions Of power had best
be entrusted to the municipalities.
Whether this would be step backward
on the part Of this state is a matter for
the Legislature to determine"
Favors Flexible Fare
Giving his personal view, Mr.. Nixon
says:
II wish to say that fuller and more
definite powers should either be given
the commission or that the regulatory
powers should be exercised bv tho
municipality lie also points out that
'at present, credit conditions, enabling
legislation and long-tcrm leases all for
bid the carly adoption Of municipal
ownership and operation" He CON
tinues:
This commission has not wished to
see fares Increased in The interest Of
watered securities or excessive valua-
tlons. 1t does not believe that honest
.nyestments should be secured and
such fares paid as win provide interest
on inve trhcnts-brought into the full
Ileht OF publicity-and the cost of
of-scrvice fare should also paw in
tercst on the city bonds issued for
RAPID transit constructions so that
such bonds may be freed from the debt
limit. >'~''
This commission believes an adj
vance In fare should be avoided if ade-
ouate service at present rates could be
secured. 1t does not believe that y
permanent pc increased rate Of fare
should be established 1t does be]ievc
IN hexible rate Of fare adjusted a.
tomaticaily to the cost Of service. with
such safeguards set up as will secura
savings and reductions in the cost to
the people, as opportunity offers -