The New York herald., 1921-09-15
Continued from First Page.


guess I think IL / made a guess at Is
per cent. or 25 per cent, I would be
entitled to regard it as quite as nearly
accurate as 20 per cent"
Transit company officials disclaimed
any knowledge of what the situation is
and refused to offer any figures or in
formation as tending to indicate the
true state of affairs. On the contrary.
they had many elements concerning
Increases in passenger revenue to sug-
gest as showing that such increases
could not be definitely traced to the
elimination Of transfers.
Huge Number Pays Extra Fare.
THE NEW York HERALD: informant,
however, declared that his researches
showed that 20 per cent. was a low
estimate at which to place the proper
ton CT car riders affected by the abol-
lshing OF free transfer points.
The annual number Of persons using
the subway. elevated and surface lines
Of New York at the present rate is now
placed at nearly $500, 900, 900. That
total would Indicate that almost 50O,-
100000. or approximately 1.350.OoO a
day. pay an additional fare for the ride
Estimates vary widely regarding the
proportion of those who merely pay two
cents for transfer and who pay one
or more additional full five cent fares.
The most generous estimate obtainable
reckoned that S5 per cent. Of those pay
ing a1 additional fare rode on the regu-
lar five cent fare plus a two cent trans
fer. while the remaining Is per cent
paid five. ten or fifteen cents additional
Those who ray fifteen cents additional,
making a total fare OF twenty cents, are
regarded as being SO few as to be al
most negligible. Those paying total
Of fifteen cents are not thought to be so
numerous now as when the disruption
of lines first began to occur because Of
the restoration OF some services, the ex-
tension of others and the thrifty i'm
pulse to walk which fifteen certs for a
five cent ride would induce.
s45,OOO,0OO Extra Paid.
Dividing the double fare payers on the
1886 basis. then, into the two classes
of seven and ten cent fare payers. a
total OF $45.0oO.0oo revenue a year is
arrived at.
That basis would mean that approxi-
mately 1,150.000 a day buy two cent
transfers. while some 100000 pay an ad-
tional five cents or more There are some.
however. who believe that the propor-
tion Is much higher in favor Of the ten
cent fare payers, especially in view Of
the fact that the two cent transfer sales
of the companies a year ago as OF
record are much less than indicated In
the above estimate. Therefore experts
are inclined to the belief that the est!-
mate Of the number of people affected
and the resultant revenue here presented
Is reasonable.
Brooklyn has been the heaviest suf-
ferer from the elimination of transfer
points. When the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company. which held by lease
the vast surface system Of the Brook
lyn City Railroad. went into the hands
of a receiver couple of years ago.
there was q total of 1880 free transfer
points on the combined system. When
the Brooklyn City. little later. was
divorced from the b. r. T. 1870 free
transfer points between Brooklyn City
and b. r. T. surface lines were chopped
Off and thirty-elght free transfer points
between surface and rapid transit lines
also were eliminated.
There remain to-day in Brooklyn only
lightweight free transfer points and
IbS points WneTe LdHsiST may Dc
had for two cents.
An indication of the tremendous up
heaval this transfer elimination caused
In Brooklyn IS found In tho fact that
in July, 1918, before the b. r. T. went
into the hands of a receiver, the B. r. T.
Unciuding the Brooklyn City, took up
total of 14,226,756, while last July the
b. r. T. and the Brooklyn City combined
took UP a total of only 3.191,453 free
transfers and 1.13s,900 two cent trans
fers There are no figures available,
however, to show by what means the
remaining 100000 of the former free
transfer users now are meeting the situ-
ation-whether they are paying one or
two additional fares, have flocked to the
rapid transit lines. or arc walking part
Of the distance they formerly rode In
order to avoid paying more.
1t Is a fact. though. that the gross
passenger receipts for the surface lines
In Brooklyn-which bore the brunt of
the transfer elimination-for the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1921, we're $19.
436,026, as against gross receipts
amounting to s16.67s,271 for the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1919. or an in
crease OF almost exactly 20 per cent.
Reccivershfp Costly to Public.
Meanwhile the rapid transit lines OF
the B. r. T., whose territory has been
greatly enlarged by the opening of the
Montague street tunnel, the Brighton
Beach and other lines show an Increase
in gross passenger receipts for the same
period of approximately 80 per cent. or
n total OF $20.252.191 for 1921 as
gainst s15.4s3,SGs for 1919. Yet in
connection with this increase In rev.
erue. It must be taken into considera-
ton that approximately 100000 pas
sengers a year used transfers at the
fhirty-eight free transfer points between
b. II. T. rapid transit and surface lines
prior TO the receivcrship. and that of
trosc thirty-eieht points only one now
remains--in an outlying section of Bav
Ridge where the traffice is regarded as
insignificant.
The report made last March by job
r. Hedges, receiver of the New York
Railways Company. TO Judge Julius NJ.
Mayer of the United States District
Court shows that of the 2s7 free trans
fer points existing prior to receivership
on the lines of the New York Railways,
which served most of Manhattan. there
remained at the date OF the report only
eighteen such free transfer points. OF
which twelve were also two cent trans
fer points, and at fifty-eight other points
two cents was charged for transfers
Concerning that condition, Mr.. Hedges
told tho court:
This discontinuance of free transfer
L.. a..