New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-17
Buses Serve
Strike-BOund
Queens Region
Operatives Flatly Refuse In
crease of Five Gents an
Hour, Holding Out for
an Eleven Cent Raise
Few Use City Vehicles
Mayor Hylan Asks Action
Taken Toward Revoking
Franchise of Company

The cars of the Manhattan & Queens
Traction Company, which run from
Jamaica to Fifty ninth Street and
Second Avenue, through Woodside,
Elmhurst, Kew Gardens and Long
Island City, were still idle yesterday
because of the strike which started last
Friday. The men continue to reject
the proposed increase of cents an
hour made by the company and insist
on an ll-centS per hour raise, which
the company says it is unable to pay.
Mayor Hylan ordered an investiga-
ton for the purpose of revoking the
franchise of the traction company
Grover A. Whalen, Commissioner of
Plant and Structures. set municipal
buses to covering the unused route
yesterday. The few passengers who
after reading the placards on them
stating the rate of fare, to ride from
Jamaica to New York for five cents and
were requested to pay ten.
Officials of the company remarked at
the hearing before Public Service Com
missioner Alfred NJ Barrett yesterday
afternoon to investigate the reasons
for the discontinuance of operations,
that it seemed odd that the city should
charge a ten-cent fare to Jamaica
when the imperative line charged five
cents, and the city opposed an increase
in fare to the tivecent line. The Man
haitian G. Queens Traction Company
seeks coming system which will make
the total fare from New York to ia
maica thirteen cents.
Authorized by Whalen
Mr.. Whalen said that the ten cent
fare on the busses was authorized by
him. Many persons thought that the
drivers of these carriers were charg-
ing the extra nickel unknown to Mr.
Whalen. He said that as soon as it
became evident that the buses would
be we'll patronized-that is, if the
larger part of the $4,000 persons who
used the trolley line in one day rode
in the busses-he would reduce the
fare to five cents.
The BUSES travelling practically
empty yesterday. This Mr. Whalen at
tributed to the suddenness with which
the service was begun. People did not
know about it, he said.
There are twenty-seven buses trav-
cling the route of the inactive line.
Mr. Whalen said that this route is d.
vided into two bus lines. One extends
from Fifty-ninth Street to Elmhurst,
the other from Elmhurst to Jamaica.
The buses will continue to rum"
said Mr.. Whalen, "as long as the troll
icy Hne is out OF comm SSlOn.
Residents of the districts IN the way
of the bus and trolley line did not
seem to be greatly Inconvenience yes
terday. They used the Long Island
Railroad and the B. R. T.
Watson B. Robinson, counsel for the
receivers for the Manhattan G. Queens
Traction Company, said that the only
reason for the cessation of operations
was the lack of funds. The men will
not return to work unless they get an
increase that will mean $1,000 a month
10 the company. W. B. Duncan, gem
tal manager of the line, said it could
not be afforded. He said the deficit
for the first six months of 1920 had
been $4,000, and that if he were to
grant the employees the wage they
demand the deficit for like period
would be $4,000 He said that $685.
600 would be needed to put the COM
pany in fair operating condition.
F. A. Adler, auditor for the company,
said that there was $4,000 on hand
when the men quit last week At the
same time, he said, the company had
outstanding debts amounting to $751;
900.
Mr.. Robinson earnestly requested