New-York tribune., 1922-04-06
McAneny Calls
On City toPusln
Subway Jobs
Sharp Note to the Board Of
Estimate Cites the Loss of
$4,000 a Day in Interest
on East New York Line
NOtherContrac Named
Hedley Again Is Questioned;
No-Crowding Order Seen;
Survey of B. r. T. Is Made

George McAreny, chairman of the
Transit Commission, sent TO the Board
of Estimate last night a letter sharply
rsminding the hoard that it's failure to
cooperate with the commission is
blocking the completion OF the Four
Meeting Manhattan and East New York,
and that the delay is costing the city
$4,000 a day in interest on the SIT 7,o00,-
600 expended in the building of the
lino.
Mr.. McAneny informed the board
,nat OF the forty subway construction
and Improvement contracts submitted
70 it by the Transit Commission from
March 3, 1921, to September u, 1924,
he board has favorably acted on only
shree.
Frank Hedley, president of the In
terborough Rapid Transit Company,
testifying before the Transit Commits
waste of money to provide seat for
all OF the preferential standees" dur
ng the non-rush hours.
Cars Would Cost $4,000
Clarence J. Shearn, counsel for the
y
u would cost 81 500, 900 to equip the
Interborough with needed cars and in
crease the number of trains during the
non-rush hours so as to give virtually
every passenger a seat. This sum. the
lawyer said, was about one-half of the
annual ret operating income of the In
terborough company. not including the
Manhattan rental. It is expected that
after the commission gets through eN~
antrim NJ Hedlcy it will issue an
order for the increased service.
James L. Quackenbush, counsel for
,he Interhorough, said last night that
the negotiations with the Manhattan
Railway Company with reference to a
reduction Of the I per cent guaranty
on the Manhattan stock were still un-
der way, and that until they were con-
Guided the parties in interest would
have nothing to say for publication.
United States Senator Hiram W.
Johnson. special counsel for the city
in its plans to oppose the Transit Com
mission in bringing about the adoption
Of the lone big company scheme for
unifying and consolidating all of the
local transportation lines, was in con-
Counsel OBrien.
"The city has not abandoned its plan
TO try out, even to the court of last
resort the constitutionality OF the
transit law" said Mr. O'Brien. CAS-
soon as the Transit Commission begins
he PRONUNCIATION of its so-called COM
prehensive plan the city will again op~
pose it. The leading points in issue
were not disposed of by the United
states Supreme Court in its recent de-
cision."
O'Brien Wants Attention
sMr O'Bren and his assistant, Ches-
ter S. Worthley. were present at yes
terdays hearing by the commission.
Mr. O'Brien requested that his appear
ance be noted.
Judge Shearn asked Mr.. Hedley if
there was any operating reason for re-
ducing the number of trains on the
West Side from ten to eight during
the rush hour period from 1920 to 9:a0,
resulting in overcrowding, so that an
average of SO passengers car were
standing up.
Mr.. Hedley said that in order to get
complete and accurate picture of the
traffic congestion at the point (West
Ninetysixth Street, and time stated
it would be necessary to discover how
many Of the passengers on the south
bound express rode only to Seventy
second Street and got off there, and
now many went on to Times Square
md got off, and also to determine how
many passengers ScC Oh dt lHeSe tWo
points while the others We're getting
off
IN other words" said Mr.. Hedley
'if the passengers are only going tc
stand up for FIVE or six minutes it is
very wasteful of capital, no matter
whose money it is, to run those cars
fifty miles, round trip, more or less
lust to provide seats for passengers
who are going to sit down for only six
or eight minutes.
Hedley Prepares Charts
Mr.. Hedley said he was having
charts prepared that would show the
exact condition OF congestion at tbs
important points. He said that or
south bound express trains after leav
ing Fourteenth Street there invariab lS
were empty seats to be had by any one
seeking them. Mr.. Hedley said the
traffic on the subways and elevated
lines showed falling off Of 228 pc,
cent for March this year as compared
with a year ago, and he attributed il
TO bad business conditions.
There are fewer people coming te
\ New York to trade" he said. land, be
sides, there are many people out oi
employment who are not riding"
isn't 1t apparent" asked Judgs
Shearn, that if you have an averag,
Of fiftytwo people to q car standnf
in a train of ten cars, which mean.
that there are $40 people standing up
that what these twenty or thirty be