New-York tribune., 1920-01-16
Staten Island
Car Lines to
Stop Monday
City Will Take Steps to Pro.
vide transportation, Says
Burr; Told of Tie-Up Due
to Refusal of 7-Cent Fare
Rut Up to Estimate Board
Decision on Legal Measures
To Be Taken Is Expect
ed at the Meeting To-day

All the trolley lines of the Midland
Railroad Company, comprising virtu-
ally the entire surface car transporta-
tion of Staten Island, will cease oper-
alton next Monday at midnight The
announcement was made yesterday at
the Offices Of the counsel for the road,
Bertram E. Eadie, at st. George, S. I.
Corporation Counsel Burr, when told
last night of the announced shutdown,
declared: "The city will protect it's
interests and take whatever steps are
deemed necessary to give the residents
OF Staten Island ade,. .uate transporta-
ton service"
Mr.. Burr said that the whole matter
of Staten Island transportation would
be taken up by the Board of Estimate
at its meeting to-day, and that he
probably would be instructed then Just
what legal measures to take. The sit
uation was presented to the last meet
ing of the board by committee of
fifteen citizens of Staten Island, who
recommended that an increase Of fare
to cents be granted for six months
in return for the giving up of the COM
pany's perpetual franchise.
After attacks by Mayor Hy]an and
Comptroller Craig or the figures and
facts presented, the petition of the cit
izens' committee was put over for a
week without action, and Mr.. Burr
was ordered to look out for the city's
interests. even if it was necessary
to apply for receivership of the de-
faulting line to do so. Several mem
bers of the board, including Calvin
Van Name. Borough President of Rich
mond, registered their oposition to an
increased fare grant, and said that
city buses would solve the situation
Mr.. Van Name said last night he had
been convinced since Friday that the
Midland road was losing money on
five-cent fare. He would not. however,
commit himself to any effort to per-
Yuade the Board Of Estimate to reverse
its stand.
Notices of the intended discontinue
ance met the gaze of the $4,000 COM
muters, who use the cars, last night
Many Of them appealed to Louis A.
Dreyfus, president of the Staten Island
OA'AS A]S-~e UCS " INC SOluc dCClOIl, DUL
he said that organization had expended
its last endeavor when the Board Of
Estimate ruled against an increased
fare last Friday. About $4,000 persons,
more than one-half of the population
of the island live in the, territory
affected.
Officials Of manufacturing plants,
including the shipyards on the north
shore, said last night they would be
crippled by the shutdown. They esti-
mated that from 20 to 25 per cent of
their employees have no other means
of conveyance to and from work than
the Midland lines. They agreed that
buses would not be feasible.
The trolleys to be discontinued,
include the Silver Lake division. Rich.
mond branch and Manor Road line.
Cars on these routes are. operated
from ST. George Ferry to Port Rich
mond; from Broadway, West New
Brighton to the Four Corners; and St.
George to Richmond and Midland
Beach.
With two exceptions, the trolley
lines do not parallel the steam rail
roads. the only other transportation on
the island, outside of occasional buses.
The cars run to all the large ship
yards and industrial plants along the
rim Of the island, and through the vii
lagos along its center from St. George
to T0ttenville.