The New York herald., 1921-11-17


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the business men there can be great
increase in the decency and comfort in
which people are carried to and from
their homes"
''In the absence OF any material re-
lief in the shape of further facilities
some time ahead" interpolated Chair
man McAneny. "the adoption OF some
thing Of this kind will be almost impera-
tive"
Charted curves drafted from traffic
figures for every year since 1905 showed
that, Notwithstanding superior facilities
afforded by the subway lines as shown
in their use during that period, an in
creasing number Of passengers still use
the surface and elevtted lines, though the
chart indicated the decided preference
OF the public for the use of the sub
ways. In the whole city the use OF sur
face roads now amounts to approxi-
mately 40 per cent. of the entire travel
ling facilities.
Danger Seen by McAncny.
"This indicates Chairman Nc
Aneny suggested. what would happen
to the convenience of more than 3oo,-
100000 passengers a year II the sug-
gestion were carried out to junk all
these surface lines"
Frederick w. Lindars the commits
sion's chief accountant, recalled TO the
witness chair, was the only other Wit
ness of the day. lie produced tabula-
tions and studies of revenues and operat-
ing costs of all the lines in the city. He
dissected the nickel and showed Just how
II Is absorbed. When he had finished
the operation there was not enough le1t
of the nickel whereby to identity nair
Of the buffalo's name.
He demonstrated from company re-
ports that on combination Oh all
city lines it actually cost SAB cents dur
ing the fiscal year 1921 TO carry eacn
passenger. Then the expert showed
just how the present cost OF e.4S cents
is made up. For operating expenses
there goes 4.3 of it; for taxes, o'So;
for interest, 1906: for rentals o'oo' anu
for other fixed charges, 0l3.
Mr.. Shearn said these hgures Were
produced 10 show just what becomes
OF the passengers nickel and 10 SCI at
rest the controversy whether certain
lines are paying concerns.
For all the roads taken into conbna-
ton the total figures were shown 10
be: 1915 and 1916, 4.7S; 1917, 4.s5 {;
1918, 5.19; 1919, sol; 1920, 6.l2, and
1921, 6.43.
On some of the individual groups
or systems expenses in cents per rev.
enue passenger carried were found
to be:
Interborough subway, $50; INTERIOR
ough elevated, $50; Manhattan SURFACE.
7.57; Bronx surface, 5.S7; New York
Consolidated, subway and elevated.
e.4o: Brooklyn surface, 5.9S Queens
surface 7.0s, and Richmond surface,
$40.
On the Interborough subway lines
operating costs, not including interest.
rents or taxes, amounted 10 3.41 cents
per revenue passenger carried in 1921.
but total costs were brought TO 5.36
by other charges. chiefly interest. Mr..
Shearn explained that the great in
terest charge came in 1919, when the
company had to begin paying interest
on its s3S,000,000 three year per cent.
notes. 1t was the borrowing of this
money. with consequent interest
charges, that brought the expense fol
each person carried in excess OF cents
Somewhat similar conditions were
shown for other systems. The figures,
however, disclosed that on the Manhat-
| tan. Queens and Richmond surface lines
operating costs alone were now in ex-
cess OIL u cents TOT e2Cn passenger car
ried
| 1t appeared also that in these figures
no account was taken OF the city's in
vestment In subways. "In other words y
as Mr.. Shearn expressed 1t, there is
S10.000,000 that the city contributes by
way of taxes every year to enable these
subway9 to operate. and that Item is
not included in these operating eX-
penses"
That $4,000. 600. OF course" re-
marked the chairman. covers both the
Interborough and Brooklyn subways
But, as about billion passengers were
carried on the city owned subways oi
the two companies last year, that $780,
000.0o Of interest represents almost ex-
actly one cent superimposed upon tho
cost of carrying each passenger. cent
which does not appear In the operating
or interest charges as shown In these
This would make the actual cost OF