New-York tribune., 1922-04-25
b. x. T. Needs 81 More
Cars, Says Transit Expert
Serrice Both in Rush Hours
and Other Times Is Needless.
" Poor. Edgerfon TcStifcs

Walter T. Edgerton, assistant super
vising inspector of the Transit Com
mission, testified yesterday that the
service on the 3. L. T. system, both
during the rush hours and non-rush h
hours, was ncedlcssly inferior to what
it should be. and that the B. r. r.
needs 81 new steel cars to meet the
standard Of service recommended to the
Transit Commission by Daniel l.. Tur-
ner, its chief engineer.
The hearing by the Transit Commits
sion was on the service, or lack Of it,
Of the B. r. T.
Mr.. Edgerton said that during the
next thirty days the B. R. T. would
have in service just about 900 steel
cars, and that this equipment should
be increased to | ,211 cars.
Clarence j. Shearn, special counsel
to the commission, brought out that
as high as 13 per cent, which was
in marked contrast with the 4 per cent
which the Interborough allowed for this
factor of safety during rush hours.
Mr.. Edgerton said that in order to
measure up to Chief Engineer Tur-
ner's ideal service the B. r. T. would
need to increase it's equipment by 946
in it's subways and by 493 on the ele-
waited lines.
Failure to provide maximum service
had been observed by Mr.. Edgerton
principally on the Broadway elevated,
the West End. Sea Beach, Fourth Ave
nue. and Brighton lines. He said that
on none of these lines had moro than
five or six steel car trains been oper-
ated during rush hours. although the
@A1I J,,e ~ -
was seven cars.
Mr.. Edgerton held that s or 10 per
cent was the generally accented pro
portion of cars to be laid up for re-
pairs. At one time, prior to the de-
livery Of steel cars, the B. R. r. oper-
ated to within Z IL per cent of its
total available equipment during every
one of the rush-hour periods, Mr.. Ed
gerton said. He did not think it could
do as we'll to-day. AS showing dis
crepancies between the morning and
evening rush hours service, he cited
as all example the Fordham Street
elevated line in Brooklyn, where 2S
trains were provided for the morn
ing rush, out only % for the evening.
Judge Shearn quoted q letter of
April 25 last, sent by Kuhn, Loeb &:
Co. and Kidder, Peabody & Co. to
NOteN OlCeTS, WnlCn asserted the COM
pany's net earnings had "steadily i'm
proved The Improvement, according
to the letter of the financiers, had
amounted TO 378,6S6, or above a per
cent return upon the securities in
question. If interest on receivers GER
ticates were declared chargeabe to
construction, it continued, the return
would be about 40 per cent.
There is reason to hope the net earn
ings will improve" the letter said.
Corporation Counsel O'Brien said
that the trouble with the Transit Com
mission was that 1t placed too much
reliance upon the statements coming
from the companies.
Judge Shearn said that under the
law the commission had to depend up
on what the law required the com
panies to furnish
A little later Corporation Counsel
O'Brien rose in his place and said i'm
pressively: "They have just tele-
phoned to me the contents of q letter
from the Mayor to me in which the
statement is made that there was ST.
100000 between August, 1920. and one
Of the spring months of last year
spent on the strike expenses-detective