The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-02-01

increase for the year l9EO OF SAL
has expended The city for this pur-
pose would be called upon to finance In
excess of $500, 900, 900. And, even then.
the city cannot take the whole system,
but only an East Side or a West Side
line. as 1t might select. and not both"
Mr.. Quackenbush. counsel to the In
terborough. who Ii intimately familiar
with all aspects OF the transit situa-
ton. prepared for THE NEW YORK
HERALD this summary from the point OF
view Of law and equity:
THE Public Service Commissions OF
the state have long recognized the des-
perate financial condition Of the rail-
ways and have repeatedly asked the
Legislature to amend the Public Service
Commissions law so as to give them au-
thority to make rates that would give a
proper return on the property OF rail-
ways. The Interborough Rapid Transit
Company has been on the verge OF
bankruptcy for the last year or two and
has sought for an increased fare from
the Board OF Estimate and Apportion-
nlent, the Transit Construction Commits
sioner and the Public Service Commits
sion. 1t has failed In all It's applica-
tions and has now under q court review
by certiorari the refusal OF the Public
Service Commission to consider It's last
application for an increased fare.
I'm Manhattan the once great New
York Railways Company has been
broken up after going into the hands OF
a receiver. Where In 1917 there was a
system with 1910 route miles and sl3
free transfer points. enabling passengers
to travel everywhere. the system oper-
ated for five cents. There are now only
92.013 miles Of route and only seventeen
free transfer points on Its lines and
other lines. and twenty-five points where
two cents are charged for transfers to
cars Of the same system. The Eighth.
Ninth and Fourth and Madison, avenue
lines have been returned to the owners.
most of the storage battery lines Sire
discontinued. and where the charge was
In 1917 five cents for a ride over the
system, the same ride now costs. 5, z
and IL cents.
Brooklyn situation Serious.
I'm Brooklyn the subway and elevated
lines and all the surface lines except
those Of the Brooklyn City Railroad are
In the hands OF a receiver. In 1917
there were 1908 free transfer points on
the trolley system and approximately
seventy points where passengers were
transferred free between surface and
elevated lines. all for Ave cents. These
have all been abolished. Only few
free transfer points remain In the entire
borough The Brooklyn City Railroad
Company has gone to charging the rates
permissible under It's franchise grants.
In 1917 II cost FIVE cents to travel from
Richmond Hill to Erie Basin; to-day II
costs twenty cents. In 1917 II cost nve
cents to go from Ulmer Park to ia
maica: to-day II costs twenty cents.
Hundreds Of ordinary rides that In 1917
cost Ave cents now cost ten cents.
"Of the Brooklyn lines the following
have ceased operation. chiefly because
Il ey could not pay expenses according
to the Public Service Commissions an
Iral report for 1890: Brooklyn, Queens
County and Suburban Railroad Com
pany, Metropolitan avenue line. wyckoT
avenue line. Nassau Electric Railroad
Company. Ocean avenue line. Thirty
ninth street ferry-Coney Island line,
Church avenue line. Park avenue line.
Rogers avenue line. Hicks street line,
Seventh avenue line and Ralph avenue
shuttle.
I'm Queens county the New York and
North Shore Traction Company. oper-
ating lines from Flushing to Whitestone
and frbm Flushing to Little Neck. where
II connected with its lines In Nassau
county, gave up the ghost last February
and has not attempted to run its cars
since. On that company's petition for
an Increased rate Of fare the Mayor held
public hearing In Flushing. where
hundreds of people announced them
selves as in favor OF more money for
the company and none opposed an in
crease, yet the city did not act. The
Public Service Commission divided the
linec into zones shortly before the COM
pany discontinued operation and gave II
p slight increase. but II was too late.
For months patrons Of this line volun-
tarily paid a fare OF cents In the hope
OF saving It. Now the road is In the
hands Of n receiver and the property Is
10 be sold under foreclosure.
10 Cent Fare on Queens Line.
The Manhattan and Queens Traction
Corporation, running cars from Fifty
ninth street and Second avenue to ia
maica. has been in the hands Of re-
cciver for several years. and when Its
employees struck In the summer of 1920
II shut down. II is now receiving 10
cents for the ride from Manhattan to
jamaica. L. I.
The New York and Queens County
Railway Company. which operates the
biggest system In Queens. running cars
from New York and Long Island City to
astoria, steinway. Woodside, Winfield.
Corona. College Point. Flushing and ia
maica. for years has had AN annual
operating delcit OF approximately 5000
900, and has an entire corporate deficit
Of more than 100000. Two other
companies operating In Queens are the
New York and Long Island Traction
Company which runs cars from Grant
street. Brooklyn through south Osone
Park and Rosedale. oncecting with its
line running to Freepo also from
jamaica along the He k;rnpike
to Belmont Park. an the
Jericho Turnpike "a u
the Long Island VIC
pany. opcratlng
Brooklyn, and