New-York tribune., 1922-08-21
City W iele Bus
Line I tanned
By J.H. Hoatlley
Manhattan Transit Head, OF
Former Traction Fame,
Starts Brooklyn Service
With Leased Machines
Court Ban Doesn't Apply
Injunction Was Against the
City, He Says; His Char
ter Dates Back to 1899

tCA DdtCS DICK I'D lG1V
Joseph II. Hoadley, president of the
Manhattan Transit Company, which is
operating line Of busses from the
Utica Avenue subway station, Brook
lyn, to the Brownsville region, said
yesterday that his company was ready
to establish comprehensive notorious
service for the entire city. The fran
chise held by his company, Mr.. Hoad-
ley said, granted in 1899, gave it the
right to run busses in any city of the
first class in the state and the injunc-
tion granted by Supreme Court Justice
James G.. Cropsey in the case of the
municipal bus lines did not, so far as
he was aware, affect its validity.
Che franchise held by the Manhattan
company was granted under Chapter
470 of the Laws of 1899, passed during
Theodore Roosevelt's Governorship, to
the General Carriage Company. The
General Carriage Company was merged
in 1901 by legislative enactment with
the Manhattan Transit Company, which
operated electric and other automobile
public vehicles for about ten years.
The Manhattan Transit Company is
also owner of the Longacre Light and
Power Company and it's chief stock
holders are the widow and four chill
dren of the late John G. Sheehan,
Tammany chieftain of the day Of
Richard Croker.
New Bus Line Starts
The new bus service was opened on
Saturday. 1t was begun by fourteen
vehicles which, after stoppage Of
nearly month because of a3court in
junction, resumed as new line under
the auspices of the Manhattan Transit
Company. A decision by Supreme
Court Justice McCrate, upheld by JUS
tice Cropsey on July 27, brought to a
standstill the service established by
Commissioner Of Plant and Structures
Whalen, and caused the Commissioner
and the Mayor to pay costs Of SIS
each.
The Brownsville Board Of Trade, rep
resented by Hyman Schorenstein
Democratic leader of the 23d Assembly
District, Brooklyn, and Moses Bern
stein, brought the line back to life,
temporarily, at least by putting the
buses under the Manhattan Transit
Conlpany's charter. All fourteen ma
chimes had been purchased by their
owners when the municipal bus lines
were attempted, the owners paying 20
per cent of their cost down and expect
ing to earn the balance. The court
injunctions prevented this and the big
vehicles have had little to do5since.
"The buses were leased from their
owners" Mr.. Hoadley said yesterday,
indicating pile Of contracts on his
desk, sunder agreement to pay them SO
per cent of their earnings. The busses
are owned by the individuals and are
duly licensed We Eave yenteensleases
and are operating fourteen vehicles.
Court Order Against City
"We are not violating any injunction,
as the decision of Justice Cropsey was
one restraining the city from going into
ply to a private company. Under our
franchise we can operate public
vehicles in any first-class city in the
state. No commission has any power
over our franchise, except for purposes
of regulation.
"Our company can put in compre-
hensive bus system under this fran
chis anywhere in the state, and we have
plans. now for a system for New York
City"
Mr.. Hoadley added that the validity
of the franchise is guaranteed by the
greater New York charter.
Thus far no attempt has been made
to stop the busses. One driver, Will
| liam Cooper, of "a Amboy Street,
Brooklyn. was arrested for parking his
bus on the Eastern Parkway without
a<permit. Application for this per-
NIT will be made to-day, it was said.
Joseph H. Hoadley has had a long
and spectacular career in traction and
promotion plans, beginning with the
building of the first transit lines on the
Coast and including the development
Of London bus system in connection
with the underground railway. He
was reputed to be worth about SIS 5,000,-
0c0 at one time. He was president of
the international Power Company, in
the stock of which hee and Joseph
Letter, of Chicago, attempted to estab-
sish a pool in 1904, but failed.
Ceased Operation in 1903
The Manhattan Transit Company
ceased operating vehicles in 1908 In
1901 and 1902 it ran busses from Wall
Street ferry to Cortlandt Street ferry.
a warehouse owned by it burned for
several days last month, finally col
lapsing.
| AS Acting Mayor, Murray Hubert
yesterday addressed letter to Gov
ernor Miller asking the special ses-
sion Of the Legislature to give the city
permission to operate bus lines. be-
cause of the action of the Transit Com
mission in permitting reduction of 10
per cent in elevated and subway service
because of the coal shortage.
"If this order can be justified upon
+l,o p1o ha q N pY,
the way is of an inferior quality" the
letter says, "this condition, III a large
measure, could have been mitigated if,
in the practice of your profession to
give New York home rule powers, you
had permitted legislation to authorize
the city to operate street surface bus
service, since gasoline is readily OBJ