New-York tribune., 1920-02-02
Cars Run Again
On Spring and
Delaney Lines.
Reopening of System Will
Benefit Brooklyn Riders;
Was Discontinued Sep
tember IL by Court Order
Was Operated at Loss
President Hedley Pictures
Gloomy Financial Future
Under Present Conditions

For the first time since September
IL last trolley cars were running yes
terday on the Spring and Delaney
Streets line. The system, however,
has been only partly restored, the cars
running from Clinton and Delaney
Streets to Broadway.
Coincident with the reopcning Of this
system was the formal taking over Of
the Fourth and Madison Avenue line
by the New York and Harlem Company,
and the issuance of statement by
Frank Hedley, president and general
manager of the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company, picturing gloomy
financial future for the company under
present conditions.
The Spring and Delaney streets line
is one of four subsidiary systems Of
the New York Railways Company which
was ordered discontinued on September
II by Federal Judge julius M. Mayer
on petition of Receiver Job f. Hedges,
who declared the lines had been oper-
ating at loss for ten years. It's dis
continuance forced Brooklynites cross
ing the Williamsburg Bridge to lower
Manhattan to take Eighth and Four
teenth Street cars to Broadway, where
they changed to surface cars or sub
ways.
The partial restoration of the line
will cut at least half an hour from the
time required to get downtown by the
roundabout system. In an announce
ment pasted up in cars of the New
York Railways Company yesterday Re
ceiver Hedges declares the line will
run from the intersection of Clinton
and Delaney streets, on Delaney
Street, the Bowery and Spring Street
as far as Broadway. Transfers OBJ
tanned for an additional cents will be
good on east and westbound Brooklyn
Seventh Avenue Cars and to east and
wcstbound Fourteenth Street and Will
amsburgh Bridge cars. Transfers will
also be good on the Broadway and
Seventh Avenue line and Lexington
Avenue cars.
Buses May Suffer
When the line was discontinued it
ran from Grand Street ferry to Des-
brosses Street ferry 1t was replaced
by system Of buses inaugurated under
the direction Of Grover Whalen, head
of the Department of Plant and Struc-
lures. 1t is expected that the restora-
tion of the system will put many of
the buses out of business.
The immediate operation Of the
Fourth and Madison Avenue line was
placed yesterday by James f. Hamil-
ton, the general manager, in the hands
of r. K. McDougal, Of Rochester. Mr..
McDougal was formerly head of the
accident department of the New York
State Railways Company, of which Mr..
Hamilton is president.
Mr.. McDougal announced yesterday
that by agreement with the New York
Railways Company four of the eight
free transfer points along the line will
be retained These are at Eighty
sixth Street, Thirty fourth Street, Four
teenth Street and Twenty third Street.
Transfers have been abolished at 116th
Street, Fifty-nnth Street, Eighth
Street and Broadway and Ann Street.
Mr.. McDougal further declared that
the New York Railways Company has
turned over to the New York & Harlem
Company, the original owners of the
line, 120 cars for the Madison Avenue
line and twenty three cars for the
Elghty-sixth Street line. Crews to man
the cars have also been allocated and
arrangements made to obtain power and
storage facilities at the Eighty sixth
Street and Thirty second Street barns.
No CurtaiIment in Service
He says there will be no immediate
curtaiment of the service and that
CARS will be added or withdrawn from
operation in accordance with the de-
mands. Mr.. Hedley points out in his
statement that as the result of the
present increase in travel officers of
the company expect total estimated
revenue from January / to June 30 Of
S2G,S00,000. Total operating expenses
are calculated at 1923 1859, 800, leaving
balance of $2,940,10O. Disbursements
for interest and rentals during nc
period, he says, will amount to $685.
50C and will leave the company S3,2lV,-
100 short
The statement reads:
The subject of real Importance in
the rapid transit situation is the pres
ent emergency.
"Our transit facilities must be kent
running. That is the immediate prac-
tical problem. 1t cannot be solved by
an appeal to the past. 1t is Difficult,
problem with many mplications-
financial, legal and legislative; but the
emergency is now.
ne 1HCeTDOTOuRn company oSCapeO
receivership on the first day of January
through the grace of creditors and by
dint of emergency measures which ex-
hausted the company's last resources.
These emergency measures, however,
effected only temporary respite New
obligations will soon come due calling
for emergency relief from the public
authorities, who alone have the power
to save the situation.
Nov, let us take a look into the
future, and for purposes of making
estimates we will take the six months
period ended June 80, 1920
Heavy Travel to Continue
"1hc officers of the company are of
the opinion that the present heavy in
crease in travel will continue to a Ger
tain degree during this period and
estimate that the income from passen~
gers for the first six months of the
year will be $2,264 900 greater than for
the same six months last year. This
passenger revenue, added to its other
sources of revenue, would give the
company total estimated revenue in
that period of $26,SOO, ,OOO
"Out of this money it must meet all
OF its expenses for operation and main
tenance, together with further taxes
and interest on its debts and rentals.
as follows:
"Payrolls (estimated), S13,45O 900:
taxes, $l,279,O00; March /, interest on
Z per cent notes, $S50,000; April l,
Manhattan interest and rentals, ST $780,