The New York herald., 1922-04-20
CITY SUBWAY DELAY
CRAMPS THOUSANDS
sIntoIerable Conditions at
Canal Street Shown to Be
Fault OF. Estimate Board.
EMPHASIZED BY MILLER
Administration Gives No Rea-
son for Refusing Money for
81 Contracts.

whesns Gov. Miller In his address yes
terdav threatened more drastic action
against the city administration IL it
continues its obstructive policy IN the
transit situation. he stressed parucu-
Iarlv the intolerable delay in advancing
contracts for the completion OF the
Fourteenth street : Eastern District
tBrooklyn) subway.
If the city administration had acted
proraptly in voting money for the con-
tracts the new subway might have been
IN operation long ago. As the transit
Commission has pointed out repeatedly.
II Il due TO the inaction Of the Board
NJ Estimate that the most frightfui
rush hour congestion anywhere In the
city occurs in trains operated through
the Center street loop TO and from
Brooklyn.
sworn testimony recorded only last
Monday in the commissions investlga-
tion OF inadequate service on the b. Il.
H. showed that the packing of passen-
gers on those trains daily reaches the
appalling maximum of 800 to 9. car.
.wouId Help Garment Workers."
Clarence ]. Shearn. chief counsel 10
the commission and former justice. said
at that time:
-If the Fourteenth street subway
were operating. as it should have been
long ago, 1t would carry directly to and
from their homes in Brownsville and
the East New York sections very large
proportion of the passengers who are
employed in the so-called needle trades
district of Manhattan, but who have to
90 south to Canal street and thus add
vastly to the congestion of trains run
hing through the Center street loop"
1t has been estimated that in the
garment trades district. around Broad
way, in the sections of Union, Madison
and Herald squares. there are employed
$4,000 persons, most of whom live in
the section to be served directly by the
uncompleted Fourteenth street tube.
Again and again, but vainly, the
Transit Commission has urged the
Board of Estimate to action.
Board Rejects 81 Contracts.
George McAneny. chairman OF the
commission. addressed to the board on
ApriI last a letter in which he
analyzed the whole situation. He
wrote:
.srhe Transit Commission and its
predecessor during the period from
March 3, 1921, to September Fl. 1921.
submitted to your honorable board forty
contracts covering the construction and
- n -
dual subway system together with re-
quisitions for the necessary appropria-
tions. During the period of ten months
prior to February 3 last your board
had given its approval in the manner
required by law and voted the appro-
priations in but three OF these cases.
AT your meetings of August and
IL last seventeen contracts, accord
ing to communications received at this
Office from your secretary. were lost,
I having received less than a majority
Of the whole number OF votes authorized
TO be cast, or were 'disapproved, and
fifteen were, without suggestion or COM
ment. referred back to the Transit
Commission
In none of the communications in
question has there appeared any state
ment OF the reasons for your failure to
take the customary action of approval
or any explanation of your willingness
to prolong situation seriously affecting
the convenience and comfort of the
people of the city"
Delays Save Only $4,000.
or the thirty-seven delayed contracts
returned to the commission it has read
vertised sixteen. including those re-
auired on delayed yards and shops. As
n result of the drop in prices of labor
and material from the time bids were
first taken the net result OF the read
vertising of the sixteen old contracts. it
was stated by the commission yesterday.
has been saving altogether OF $4,000.
Chairman McAneny's letter continued:
There remained certain contracts af-
fecting the completion and the placing
m operation of the subway sections of
the Fourteenth street eastern line from
Sixth avenue, Manhattan. TO Meseroie
street, Brooklyn. and the Livonia avenue
line. from Pennsylvania avenue to New
Lots Road in Brooklyn, which are re-
Earded by the engineers as Of an emer-
gency character and which should not
1pffer further delay for any cause.
[hese contracts. twelve in number. arc
yr comparatively small amounts. ag-
pegating 100000. but, as has been ex-
planned TO your board at various times
in the past, they relate TO work delays
which retard or hold up other work
THE main subway tubes OF the Four
tecnth street line have been completed
many months and await only the install
lation OF the track work and station
finish to be opened TO the public.
The city has already expended ap-
proximately s17000000 on the Fourteenth
street line The interest running upon
this amount. at the present time COM
plete loss, is not less than 5000 day
"Condftions IntoIerab1e.v
Chairman McAneny's letter then listed
the twelve vital contracts. every one OF
which was transmitted TO the Board
or Estimate In 1921. He continued
The conditions prevailing at Cana
street which parallel those on the
Forty street shuttle service enc
winch are intolerable, cannot be re-
lieved until the Fourteenth street line
has been made ready for use The open.
ing OF this line even to Meserole street
IL therefore of particular Importance
Progress on the track work has been de.
layed for the best part of year. and
ff the way were clear to-day and the
necessary appropriations made. IL will
still be impossible TO commence opera.
tion much before July, 1923"
Contracts for six pieces or construc.
tive work. calling for total expendi-
tJre OF s510.3SS. were ava arded by the
Transit Commission yesterday and the
customary acquisitions were forwarded