New-York tribune., 1921-12-22
Transit Board
Plans Tunnel to
Staten Island
CONTINUED from page ops)

for reorganizing the transit lines.
Club, which presented condemnation Of
the plan, based largely upon a hypo-
thetical analysis. In a thirty six page
the club attacked the plan on twenty
two points, but offered no alternative
ideas.
Nelson S. Spencer, president OF the
club, said the plan was admirable on
many points and suggested that "con-
structive criticism" would be forthcom-
ing later. Henry G. Wright, chairman
of the clubs public service committee,
declared that the club never had stood
for municipal operation.
Flexible Fare Assailed
The clubs main criticism was di-
rected at the proposed barometer fund
for q flexible fare and the proposed
board of control.
"It would SEEM" said the statement,
"that the experiences Of other cities
combine with sound theory to indicate
that an unlimited, self-acting mathe-
matica device for fare regulation is
Utopian in its virtues and Machja-
vellian in its vices. Arbitrarily the
tive-cent fare is to be retained for one
year. and then the lid will be off and
the fare will go where it must to sat
sfy the condition that it will have to
produce the goods. A board Of control,
as propo8ed. would have two masters to
serve. The city should have control, not
minority representation, If the public
interests are to be predominant"
DR.. Wilcox prophesied that at the
beginning Of the fourth year of the
barometer funds operation it would
bring an eight-cent fare.
The commissioners took frequent is-
sue with DR.. Wilcox on the clubs con-
tentions. After stating that the clnb
had opposed the legislation under
which the Transit Cormissi"n was
formed, the criticism said, in part:
because Of the differences in the
strategic position of the several COM
nanies and several classes of security
holders, it will be difficult to arrive at q
valuation on a conservative basis with
common acceptance by all Of the
parties. 1t is questionable whether the
commission can induce the INTERIOR
ough and its bondholders to surrender
the benefits Of the preferentiaAs. It
would be grossly unfair TO the public
to buy off the Manhattan stockholders
without deducting the amount of the
ransom from the estimated value OF
the Interboroughs subway leases.
ut is math ematicaliy obvious that
the amortization cannot be completed
or the basis outlined in less than one
hundred years. The mere consolida-
tion of existing lines with readjust-
ment Of operating conditions would not
satisfy present requirements. to say
nothing Of the immediate or more dis-
tant future. At this point the plan
breaks down unless the corporation Of
the city is secured. The plan cannot
succeed without the city's cooperation,
while the very legislation under which
the commission is acting invites the
city's antagonism.
Living Conditions Reviewed
"With definite official recognition
that fare regulation in New York shall
be based upon charging, if necessary
all the traffic will bear, and that new
transit facilities in New York must al
ways wait upon the development of
traffic revenues to sustain their fixed
charges, the prospect for tolerable liv~
ing conditions is not bright
Inc power of cons solidated group