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


has expended The city for this pur-
pose would be called upon to finance In
excess Of $320,000.000. And. even then.
the city cannot take the whole system,
but only an East Side or q West Side
line, a. Il might select. and not BOTH
Mr.. Quackenbush counsel to the In
terborough, who - 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 ana have repeatedly asked the
Legislature to amend the Public Service
Commissions law 30 ~ to give them au-
thority to make rates that would give
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
tho Board Of Estimate and Apportion-
ment the Transit Construction Commits
sioner and tho Public Service Commits
sion. 1t has failed in. all Its applica-
lions and has now under . court review
by certiorari the refusal OF the Public
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
q receiver. Where In 1917 there was a
system with 1910 route miles and 3l3
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 Madisoff'~ avenue
lines have been returned to the owners
most of the storage battery lines sirs
discontinued, and where the charge was
In 1917 five cents for a ride over the
system. the Same ride now costs. 5,
and IL cents.
Droolxlyn 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 receiver. In 1917
there wers 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 a 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 It
costs twenty cents. In 1917 It 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 I'VE 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. Wycko6
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-
atins lines from Flushing to Whitestone
and from Flushing to Little Neck. where
II connected with its lines In Nassau
county, gave up the ghost iaet February
and has not attempted TO run It's cars
since. On That companys petition lot
an Increased rate OF rare the Mayor neIu
public nearing IN FIusnins wnere
HUNDREDS OF people announceo tnsm-
selves as IN favor OF more money TOT
tne company ano none opposeo =" IN.
rre s, &C. .ne Ivy s.s.sss az
ruor es.v ~ua.s'., 80. az 80
I'nss nv, n,e ." 49,. 49, 80 800 4,
p""y -. s."."s - a. So. 49, ,ss.
s"sn. ,.h" .".rcrs =, thts IT, vc,vr.
Al, s",x rsrs - , can't. a. ~. hons
- ..,,,r~ a. Nos, ,hs rced a. A. ~
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% :. so,6 vn6sv Soreclosurs
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