New-York tribune., 1922-04-06

nighted people do about refusing to
go into other cars to obtain seat is
entirely inconsequential as an element
in this overcrowding problem7"
Mr. Hedley said that the twenty or
thirty were not inconsequential, be-
cause there are many short riders. The
witness finally admitted that if the
standees were as numerous and as con-
tnuous as the chart indicated the serv-
ice ought to be increased, but he
added that the money outgo ought to
be measured by the money coming in.
Over and over again. Mr.. Hedley gave
it az his Judgment that the company
was not called upon to furnish seats
for all the standees, especially when
they were going only one express stop.
Commissioner Harkness said that he
did not agree with Mr.. Hedley. He
thought that any one getting on train
during the non-rush hours was entitled
to a seat
No Operating Obstacles
After prolonged questioning Mr..
Hedley admitted that there was no
operating reason for not improving the
express service on the West Side line,
if the matter OF cost were disregarded.
The same Is true. he said, of the Lex
ingtor Avenue line.
Chairman McAneny in his letter to
the Board of Estimate asking for its
cooperation, after reciting the trans
mission to the Board of Estimate of
the forty contracts prepared by the
Transit Commission, says:
The commission has since had care
full examination made as to the status
of each of the delayed contracts, with
NO ~ 1or - Sx,ic
Of readvertising, and has been ad
vised by its chief engineer that, in
view Of the great length Of time that
has elapsed since many of the con
tracts we're submitted to your board
something may be saved through their
complete abandonment and the calling
Of new bids, 1t has, therefore, either
readvertised or ordered the readver
tsement of sixteen of the contracts
previously submitted to you, including
those required upon delayed yards and
shops.
"The city has already expended ap-
proxmately $17.000,000 upon the Four
teenth Street Line. The interest run
time a complete loss, is not less than
$4,000 a day.
Livonia Avenue Line Idle
"The situation with reference to the
Livonia Avenue line, which is lying
idle for lack of Il necessary signal tower
and the track equipment of the service
yard-mattcrs with which you arc, no
doubt, familiar, and which need not be
rehearsed is similar. The contracts
affecting both lines, together with the
Incidental requisitions, are in the files
of your board and have already had
the scrutiny of your engineers. The
commission urgently requests, there
fore, that the action you have previous
ly taken with relation to any of them,
resulting in delay, be now reconsid-
cred and that they be promptly ap-
proved.
A circular is being prepared hy the
bankers representing the notch olders
of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com
pany setting forth details of the COM
tion has been the subject of informal
meetings and its early issuance is fore
cast. The understanding in the finan-
cial district is that it will not go much
beyond a statement of the company's
status, with particular emphasis upon
recent improvement in earnings. Ulti-
mate reorganization Of the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit Company underlies all
consideration of the company's affairs,
it was pointed out yesterday, but ac-
tion to that end has not yet been
undertaken, according to the best in
formation obtainable in banking quar-
ters.
The published inference that the re-
cent meetings have been for discussion
of a reorganization of the company and
the ending of the receivership was
denied by representatives, both of
Kuhn, Loeb & Co. and Kidder, Pea
body & Co., the bankers interested.