Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-08-21
PEOP[EFAVOR
ELECTRIC CARS
Staten Island Residents Will
Support Public Service
Commission in Its Action

By SIAN correspondent
TOTTENVILLE. Aug. 21.-That
the people Of Staten Island, and
especially Tottenville will back the
Public Service Commission in any
action it may take to bring about
the identification of the Staten
Island Rapid Transit system, has
been learned from various sources
since the hearing of the Public
Service Commission. here in X. of c.
Hall. last Monday night.
At that meeting it was announced
bv Edwin s.. Gleason, secretary to
Lewis Nixon of the Public Service
Commission, that Commissioner
Nixon has arranged plans and obtain
ed the cost at which the electrified
ton of the system can be done. This
seems to be the first step towards
the realization of the dream of an
electric railroad on the island, that
commuters have wished for these
many years.
Many of those who use the train
service, however. feel that unless h
people of the island as a whole get
behind the Public Service Commits
sion and work with this body In
demanding that the road be electric
fed, but little can be accomplished.
1t is known that In the past hen
efforts have been made to turf the
present system into an electric n
that the railroad company has put
up the plea that many thousands OF
dollars worth of buildings In and
near st. George would have to be
destroyed and the company could lot
stand this loss.
At this time. the city has taken
over the land on which these build
stand, for the erection of piers
and thus the buildings will have to
be moved or destroyed and in view
of this extra expense 1t is claimed
that it would be cheaper for the
company to turn the road into an
electric one.
People who advocate the electric
system, and nearly everyone on the
island does. point out that with the
electric trains better service can be
obtained. At the present time by
the time the steam train gets UNDER
way from n station 1t is time to
slow up for the next and thus con-
siderable time is lost, whereby with
electric trains the get away from
the station is much quicker n 1t
is much easier to bring the train to
a quick stop.
Another thing that is receiving
considerable attention in relation to
electrifiaction of road is that with
the completion of the subway from
Manhattan to Staten Island. contin-
uous service in all boroughs can be
given. The subway trains might OPP
crate on the Staten Island electric
system and when m boarded a
train at Tottenville or any of the way
stations, they could go to their des-
tination in Manhattan or Brooklyn
without getting from under cover,
and in some instances without
changing cars. With this service on
staten Island, 1t is claimed that
large apartment houses would spring
up on what now is vacant lots and in
this way homes would be furnished
for those who are being forced out
of Manhattan.
The e~lectrihcation of the railroad
system is not, however. the only i'm
p4ovement for which the people OF
Tottenville and vicinity are working.
They desire that the South Field
Boulevard, which now extends
through the fourth ward to Citing
vile. FIVE miles from Tottenville, be
extended to this place. and the bor-
ough president has promised to OBJ
tain an appropriation from the
Board of Estimate for this work.
The people also demand that better
ferry service be given between this
place and Perth Amboy M recently
by the company took action to I'M
prove the service to considerable ex-
tent.