The New York herald., 1922-04-08
Says $50 Cars Can't BE Pro-
vided i'm Seven Months.
as He Testified.
NEW THREAT OF SEIZURE
Action by City Health Depart
ment Is Hinted ut Tran
sit Hearing.

John r. O'Brien, Corporation Coun-
sci, met with a fiat rebuff when he
undertook yesterday 10 persuade the
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
to look with complaisance upon the
city administrations enterprise Il
Grover wka!en should undertake to
parallel the Manhattan subways with
municipality operated buses.
Mr. OBrien for several hours had
been heckling under cross-examina-
tion Frank Hedley. president of the
Interborough. 1t was an opportunity
the doughty Corporation Counsel had
been keenly awaiting. He and Mr..
Hedley struck fire many times as
their blades crossed in wordy combat.
But TIE Interborough president re-
mained cool. imperturbable. deliberate
and unruffied.
After Mr.. O'Brien had questioned his
witness concerning several subway sta
tions where congestion is especially
severe. he asked finally: Mr. Hedley.
do you think the Interborough would
against the city officials IT, to relieve
the crowding at these stations, the city
were to put on bus lines that for a
certain distance would parallel the SUBJ
way?"
Not Wise Move, Says Hedley.
Il don't know what action our direc-
tors might take In that regard" Mr.
Hedley replied. II am no lawyer. But
] should not think the city of New YORK
was acting very wisely IL 1t did some
thing to destroy its own investment II
the subway property"
The Corporation Counsel turned Il
| James l.. Quackenbush. general counse
OF the Interborough. with the observa.
tion: I'VE are here representing tho
city TO determine certain things. We
cannot sit here idle with these conditions
going on"
Mr. Quackenbush accepted the chal.
lenge. Rising. he said.
Wen, Mr.. O'Brien, inasmuch as you
have honored me in addressing your re.
marks TO me. | will say in reply that we
expect 10 remedy all the difficulties oi
transportation by using the subway Il
it's utmost. and that when that Is done
in our judgment there will be no need
OF buses. | will also say that IL the
city of New York undertakes illegally
to parallel the subway, in which IL Is sc
largely interested. by bus operations
shall advise our board of directors tc
restrain them
More than once Mr.. Hedley parriec
the bludgeon like blows of the Corpora.
tion Counsel. The city official had dc
voted much of his cross-examination tc
an effort TO show that a considerable
proportion Of the equipment in the In
terboroughs power plants in the Fifty.
ninth and Seventy fourth street power
houses lis standing idle and unused,
while the |. r. T. at the same time Is
selling current to the r. r. r. lines N
Manhattan. to the Queens surface line:
and TO the New York Railways. He
wanted TO know why Mr. Hedley was
keeping all that expensive plant idle
HcdIey Makes Reply.
The witness replied with alacrity
"The Interborough and it's engineers. In
studying what would be required to put
sufficient power into the power houses
so as to be able to operate all the lines
provided for under Contract No. 3, have
proceeded with that installation. We
have put the power into I he power
houses: 1t Is being operated whenever
necessary.
But a portion OF that power Is
not being used now for two reasons
The first is that we must have a certain
amount of standard equipment so that
we may be assured that a breakdown
Of one generator will not cause us tc
reduce the car mileage. The second cause
Is that the railroad mileage guaranteed
under Contract No. 3 has not been com.
pleted. When the city has completed
the railroad. we have the power there
and have had Il ready and waiting for
a long time--to run the cars
Reverting to subway congestion. the
Corporation Counsel put the brake upon
his vocal dynamos and inquired in his
most conciliatory tones; Nov. dom:
you think. Mr.. Hedley. frankly speaking
that there is a public demand that you
change things and change them quickly
with these subway condtions?"
II cannot read the minds OF the pub
lie. But the public. ! think. arc gener-
ally OF the opinion that they have a
safely operated rapid transit system and
that the old machine runs pretty we'll"
Didn't YOU read the article In the
paper the other day where n lady who
tames lions in circus said she wouldn't
go into the subway on n bet?" The wit
ness admitted he had overlooked that
piece OF news
Resenting the below OF laughter that
Continued on Page Four