New-York tribune., 1921-12-21
Police Withhold Reports
ON Accidents and l48
Crashes i'm % Months.
Transit Probers Hear
lO Surface Lines
May Be Dropped
Aid to Traffic i'm Uni
hcation; Interborough
Routes to Cut Fares

o'9e' operated under the supervi-
SION of the city caused the death Of
eight and the injury of 29s persons
curing the period from November. .919
to September, 1921, according to evi.
dence introduced yesterday at the
transit Commission investigation
IN addition to these casualties tbere
were 14S collisions betwoen s,rfaoo
cars and the vehicles directed bv the
department of Plant and Structures il
also was established.
An additional high light in tho nro-
ceedlngs of the committee Yesterday
was the presentation of plan caIl;no
Tor radical changes in the citv's sur-
1ace car system in the interests Of
enlclency and less traffic congest;on
Accident Inquiry Hampered
Clarence j. shearn, special conn
sci OF the commission, charged that
when he communicated with the Police
Department for complete information
regarding accidents involving CITY
ousses, he was told the blotters were
not available for public inspection. He
suggested that if the facts were NOT
oo'alnaple from Grover A. Whalen.
Commissioner of Plant and Structures
the commission make official demand
1or the data from the Police Depart
mcnt.
GT
Il don't think that would be diff
cult matter" commented Chairman
George McAneny, indicating that the
commission would exert it's authority
to procure police cooperation and also
to interrogate Commissioner Whalen
on the subject.
In presenting this evidence, which
he said he had CLEANED from news
paper reports, Mr.. Shearn declared it
was but partial picture of the seri-
Gus condition affecting the city busses.
He recommended that the commission
summon the owners and operators of
the routes under municipal supervision
for further information and for the
purpose CT ascertainng whether resti-
tuition had been made for the havoc
wrought on life and limb.
Whalen Fails to Appear
The commission had expected yester-
day to get the real story of city bus
operation by examining Commissioner
Whalen, but the official, who on Mon
day admitted that the administration S
contention that it operated the Staten
Island Midland troleys at bona fide
profit was unsupported by facts, failed
to appear. He sent word that his
physician had vetoed his desire to
testify.
To bring out further by contrast the
operation of the city busses, Mr.. Shearn
called Herbert C. Moser, superintendent
of transportation, and Robert F. Field
er, mechanical engineer, of the Fifth
Avenue Coach Company.
Mr.. Moser testified that accidents to
buses of this line during the period
from January 1, 1919, to December 18,
1921, included one collision with a sur
face car and four collisions with other
vehicles, resulting in the injury of less
than a score of persons.
Mr.. Fielder discredited the charge
made by Mayor Hylan in a recent
statement that the Fifth Avenue buses
often were in danger of capszing. BY
scientific data he proved that the man
ner in which the busses were operated
and laden precluded the possibility of
an overturn. Other evidence served to
substantiate the recent testimony of
John A. Ritchie, president of the Fifth
Avenue Coach Company, that many of
the city busses were not only loaded
like cattle, but to dangerous degree
Surface Line Re-routing
During the hearing yesterday the
commission made public tentative
plan for the re-routing of the surface
lines of Manhattan. 1t was prepared
by Daniel l.. Turner, consulting en-
gineer of the commission, as illustra-
tive of what the commission proposes
to do in order to bring about improved,
adequate and profitable surface trans
portation as opposed to present con-
ditions.
The plan provides for consolidation,
re-routing, the elimination of unneces-
sary duplicated service and the restric-
tion of certain thoroughfares to We
hicular traffic. Its chief features are:
All surface lines to be operated by
CONTINUED on page sx)