The New York herald., 1921-11-16

Railways lines the percentage OF such
delays due to imperfect equipment was
stated to have increased In the five
years 202 per cent. For the Third Ave-
nue. lines the percentage OF increase in
such mishaps was 142.
The Madison avenue line. so called,
has had 462 OF these breakdowns per
million of car miles in 1921. as com-
pared with 81 on the New York Rail-
ways. 120 on the Third avenue, 95 on
the Eighth avenue and IS on the Ninth
avenue. The five year increase for the
overhead Brooklyn trolley lines was so
per cent, that of the Third avenue sys-
tenn in the Bronx 216 per cent and that
Of the Queens surface lines 400 per cent.
"All these" the witness explained.
ARE cases where cars have to be hauled
back to the barns for repairs or where
they have suffered a breakdown be-
cause of defective equipment or are de-
rallied and detained more than five min
utes."
Mr.. Shearn made it plain that these
mishaps are not to be confused with
mere traffic delays. which, he said, "of
course. would run into hundreds of
thousands"
Mileage Cut as Receipts Grow.
Daniel L. Turner, consulting engineer
to the commission and identified with
transit engineering work for twenty
years. produced charts proving, as he
expressed 1t, that on many Of the sur
face lines as you find your passenger
receipts In cents per car mile pushing
up you find the same line cutting down
enormously its car mileage" His dia-
grams showed that on the Lexington
1iYln trht 10 itO ty,tg IN, &c
per car mile increased from about 80 to
AZ, its ear mileage ran down from 4,000.-
600 to a little more than 2,500.000.
The Fourth and Madison avenue line,
while its receipts car mile increased
from AZ to 4S. permitted its car mileage
to shrink from 5,500,000 to a little less
than 100000 On the Sixth and AM
sterdam avenue line receipts swelled
from AZ to so, but car mileage dim
tnished from nearly 5000. 900 to about
100000. With the Broadway and Co
lumbus avenue line receipts ran up from
43 to Sc, but its car miles ran down
from just under 100000 to about
750,000
The Eight avenue line showed an in
crease in receipts a car mile from 3S
46, with a Simultaneous reduction in
car miles from 100000 down to 300.-
goo, and the Ninth avenue line. while
increasing receipts from "a to 40, cut
down its car mileage from 100000 to
not quite 20o,o The witness stated
that without exception there has been
with each increase in passenger re-
ceipts car mile a decrease in car
mileage.
Opening the hearing in the morning
Chairman McAneny defined it's purpose
and scope. Forecasting much that later
MI ~ 1, ar a
Will be shown that, through the absence
of any effort to bring relief during the
last three years the service given the
travelling public has been greatly i'm
paired; that entire communities have
been practically deprived of service
through the compulsory suspension of
lines or parts of lines; that, through
lack OF proper upkeep. the physical con-
dition of many of the lines, particularly
of the surface roads and their equip
ment. has become intolerably bad, and
that the system of free transfers exist
Ing three years ago mas been almost en-
tirely done away with"
VIII Restore Five Cent Fare.
Mr.. McAneny declared explicitly for
the five-cent fare when he added: 1T
Is the purpose OF the commission not
only to bring about physical reorgan-
lzation OF the roads for purposes of bet
ter travel and better development of the
rapidly growing city but to restore as
promptly as may be the citywide fare
and an actual and honest charge of five
cents. The commission, in it's report,
has pointed out many eliminations and
reductions of cost that ought naturally
to follow the application of the strict
est business principles in the adminis-
tration of their affairs.
Through these means It hopes not
only to restore an actual five-cent
fare but to keep the fare indefinitely
at five cents
After appearances had been entered
for four score counsel or officers repre-
senting the eighty corporations con-
cerned in the examination, Edgar j.
Kohler Assistant Corporation Counsel,
injected the first pinch of paprika into
the proceedings. He had been primed
for the event by Mayor Hylan, who
wrote yesterday to Corporation Counsel
OBrien a letter in which the Mayor
said:
II note that the Transit Commission
has begun public hearings on the transit
question to-day. The programme of the
traction interests is to unload on the
taxpayers at an exorbitant price the
antiquated surface lines of the CITY.
The taxpayers do rot want these milked
dry. worn out surface lines, and would
not take them as a gift. The traction
interests hope further to secure the
valuable bus franchise privileges OF the
city. =
"Fight these interests every inch OF
the way and protect the peoples rights,
and the Board of Estimate and the peo-
pie will back you to the limit"
Thus commissioned, Mr.. kohler, ex-
pIaining that he appeared for Mr..
O'Brien, couched his lance at the COM
mission and said: "Mr. O'Brien wishes
again to record the objections OF the
city of New York and OF the people OF
the city that the statute under which
YOU are attempting to proceed is uncon-
stitutional. invalid and void. and that
all proceedings conducted by you. all
your orders, made or TO be made. are
void and without effect"
Kohlcr Asks for Delay.
Mr.. Kohler referred to certain suits
pending upon appeal, in which the COM
missions authority has been challenged.
He appealed to the board to suspend
further examinations until after the
Court of Appeals shall have spoken. OF
at least for a month and a half, until
the representatives OF the people of the
City of New York In the State Lesisla-
ture shall have passed upon a bill re-
pealing entirely the statute under which
you now assume to act"
As Mr.. Kohler sat down. Mr.. Shearn
asked utietly. 'Now Mr. Ch n ir,>, N =,