New-York tribune., 1921-11-16
5-Cen; r arc
Is Pledged by
Transit Board
tcaaslna.a frvw sass enc,


and Of their equipment, had become in
tolerahly bad. and that the system oa
free transfers cvtstinr three years ago
had been almost wholly done away
with.
Fare Increase Shown
"it will be shown" continued Chair
ticnal charges made for extra fares and
for transfer privileges, there has al.
ready been an increase of one cent in
tho rate charged each travelling pas
scnger upon the surface roads, and that
thrt ugh the carrying of the city's sub.
way deficits through taxation an ad-
ditiensl charge Of one cent for each
subway fare has been laid upon the
general public"
These hidden six-cent fares actually
amount to seven cents, II the deficits
from operation still carried by the
companies were taken into account, the
chairman said the inquiry would bring
out.
IN conclusion Chairman McAneny
said:
eve prefer to hold this inquiry
openly in order that the public may
continue to have constant information
OF the progress we are making. The
plan we presented in outline in Sep
tember has not previously been dis
cussed with any of the operating COM
panies. But we propose really to dis.
euss the plan with them for the frs.
time in these public sessions.
eve cannot doubt that they will en-
ter. into the spirit of such q proposal
and we trust that we shall have no
will satisfy the purpose Of the act and
meet as promptly as possible the re-
quirements of the city"
Mr.. Shearn, in his preliminary re-
siaw, said the various companies would
be asked TO reveal their financial con-
dition, operating aud maintenance costs
by vouchers and other data.
Addressing the commissioners, lie
continues: THE mere fact that we
have been compelled to summon here
some eighty odd companies having 1873
salaried officials seems to me to be a
very pertinent fact that you can take
judicial notice of; that this is very
strong reason and ground for your pro-
posal TO reduce that number of COM
panies to three, and that number OF
superfluous officials to a handful.
Car Crowding Increases
"you will see that, notwithstanding
the opening of important new subway
lines and elevated extensions during
the last three years, and an unprece-
dented increase in the number of pas
sengers carried, there has been a
startling decrease and continuous de.
crease in car mileage and car seat
miles, which spells only one thing
namely. that the increasing number of
people have been subjected to worse
and worse conditions of crowding as
the years and the months have rolled
by.
"We will show you that the practical
elimination of free transfers through
ths city has meant that more than
2o0,000,000 people, who formerly we're
carried on one charge, are now COM
PEELED TO alight from the cars and
walk to q destination or pay an extra
charge of two cents and in some cases
ave cents. We will show you what
that spells, so far as we can, in the
revenues of the companies.
Il an sure the PUBLIC wants to know
and the commission will insist upon
knowing whether these expenditures,
as shown in the statements filed with
the commission, have been actually and
honestly made, whether items are con-
cealed that ought to be made clear