New-York tribune., 1921-10-07
Transit Board
To Paw Claims
OF s5,000,0OO
Holds Death and Personal
Injury Judgments Com
stitute First Lien on
Companies Properties
Many Victims Need Money
Orphans, Widows. Disabled
Among 10000; Some
Awards Due Last 3 Years

Clairs OF 10000 persons who, be-
csusc OF deaths and personal injur;es
ID sccidents on surface, elevated and
su5ways lines have been awarded judr.
r,snts aggregating s5,oo0,o 900. but who
have been unable TO collect the monev
OF account OF receivcrships. are to DC
paid promptly by the Transit Commis-
s!or IN It's reorganization OF the trans
oortation systems.
Members OF the Tort Creditors Com
nittee, So Park Row, Il group OF Law
yers who represent q majority of the
claimants, we're Informed yesterday By
the commission that IL the valuation
O. ths transit lines property the
amount Of claims resulting from ecci-
dents is 20 be considered s first lien.
The money is TO be made available and
the claims paid as a first step in the
generalization.
Claimants Wait Years for Relief
For more than three years the claim
arts, some OF whom src widows and
orphans, whose sources or living have
been curtailed or stopped by injury or
death 10 heads Of families, have waited
in vain for relief, although the courts
Nave declared their claims valid. I'm
der the Hylan plan of opposing the
transit reorganization scheme, the
claimants, it was pointed out, probably
never would be able to recover SO
long as the receive rships continue the
claims will not be paid.
Many of those entitled TO relief are
persons who are described as having
been manned for life. Some Of them
have been dependent on charity which
pr mise that the courts judgments
would be pad eventually.
OF the 10000 cases judgments were
rendered for $50 deaths, seventy-tive
frs ctured skulls, nineteen anputated
limbs, zoo fractured legs or arms and
about 1000 serious injuries. such as
broken ribs, broken collar bones, in
,ured spines and broken shoulders.
On the strength OF the commission S
position that persons who have SUI
fered loss through accidents must be
given relief before any other step is
taken IN the readjustment of the mud
died tran sportaeion situat on, the com
rittee OF lawyers has given hearty ap-
proval 70 the reorganization plan. The
committee is composed OF Samuel Sea-
bury. chairman; John V. Bouvier ir.,
Robert II. Ernest and Charles Steekier.
They represent claimants who have re-
covered Judgment against the New orS
Railways Company, the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit, the New York Municipal Rail
ray Corporal on and the Ne~ York
Consolidated Railroad Company. Be
sides these, there are Claims against
:he Long Island electric lines, the
Richmond lines and the Second Avenue
Railroad.
Several hundred claims grew out Of
ne Malone tunnel accident on the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit about three
years ago when more than ninety per
sons we're killed.
Lawyers Back Board Plan
"W'e. approve OF the new transit plan
not only because it provides for re-
lief for these persons, but also because
IL seems the soundest way Of solving
the transportation problem" said q
member OF the committee yesterday
AZ Mayor Hylan had his way the
transit systems would fall into further
decay. There would DC more receiver
sAips, with the result that the Ter;
creditors would never be paid and per-
sons injured IN future accidents W0ulG
have no chance FOR relief"
Public hearings on the commissions
plan are TO open at 49 Lafayette Street
on Tuesday,, October Is. Morning and
afternoon sessions will be neld for
three days each week. The hearings
probably VIII extend over several
months.
The first Witnesses arc 10 be the
executive heads OF the subway lines, IN
cluding Frank Hedley. president Of thc
Peterborough, and L. NJ. Garrison, re
cs.ver for the B. R. T. The cleaning
Of frst-hand data as to the financial
and physical condition OF The systems
q 70 be the object OF the hearings.
However, It was pointed out, the plead
tngs Of the railroads that they need
higher fares in order 10 continue doing
business are not 20 be taken into ac-
count.
The commission has announced that
tas rve-cent fare rate must continue
scr at least year during the progress
o. reorganization, with the liability
nat this rate never Will be changed
Inc commission also takes the posi-
slon that rs plan as announced last
week is TO be executed regardless Of
Us approval or disapproval by the COM
Faaies. The rule that "our authority
y oar argument," as laid down b.
reorge hcAneny, is to be adhered 70.