The New York herald., 1922-04-28
SERVICE IMPROVED
UNASKED, ,SAYSB.R.T.
Transit Commission Had
Nothing to Do With 1t,
Declares Menden.>
ADMITS DELAY THOUGH
Railroads Manager Insists
Conditions Have Grown
More Favorable.
80 STANDEEs TO A CAR
Not Unreasonable in Nom
Rush Hours, He Contends,
Replying to Shearn.
80 STANDEEs TO A CAR

Without waiting for the Trahsit
Commission to issue service better
ment orders with teeth in thcm." the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company. it
appeared yesterday. has lost no time
in putting into effect many reforms in
the operation of its subway and ele-
waited lines.
The B. r. It. yesterday had its day
in court" 1t was presenting its de-
fense in the commissions investiga-
ton into inadequate service. w. S.
Menden, general manager of its lines
ord a long typed statement. 1t showed
thatisincc last winter and early spring.
when the commissions observers had
noted and reported excessive conges-
ton not only during rush hours but
even in non-rush periods. these con-
ditions had been changed for the bet
ter by more than seventy separate
train orders affecting every subway
and elevated line in the system.
This improved service, it appeared, in
cluded the running either of additional
trains or Of extra cars in periods of the
day and night when the commissions
tabulated observations showed them to
be most needed Orders for a large pro-
portion of these changes had been issued
within the past two or three weeks and
many as recently as April 20
When Clarence j. Shearn, counsel for
the commission, took the witness for
cross-examination he observed: 1T
would appear. Mr.. Menden, that since
this proceeding has been inaugurated
you have made substantial Improvement
in your service"
Coincidence, Says Menden.
Mr. Menden insisted that was a mere
coincidence The two facts had nothing
to do with one another. THE reason 1t
happens that this increase in service
has been added recently" he declared,
''is that we have been able to get our
additional new cars in operation and
many others which were in the shops
having new equipment installed have
come back into service.
After much fencing with the exam
iner, Mr. Menden admitted that so far
as concerned the non-rush traffic pc
riods they had available cars enough to
have improved the service months
y. earlier.
.But you had omitted to put them
on?'
1--WE didn't think they were neces-
sary."
Answer my question; you omitted to
put them ong'
Eyes, sir"
Notwithstanding the fact that the
cars were very heavily overloaded
Admits Non-Rush Hour standees.
..They were mot overloaded from our
point of view. We haven't considered
thirty people standing in a subway car
as an unreasonable thing in the nom
rush hours. We have built our schedule
on that assumption. whether we nave
been right or wrong
'vrhen It is and has-been your delib-
crate policy" asked Judge Shearn. TO
20 make up your trains as to numper Oh
cars that there will be fully Twenty-Five
or thirty persons standing in each car?
During non-rush hours and for short
periods of time, yes"
Judge Shearn had not finished his
cross-examination OF Mr.. Menden when
The inquiry was adjourned until next
Thursday morning. Addressing the COM
mission, the counselor said:
II want also to creck up these IN
creases in service that they claim and
see how many OF them actually have
been put into effect. When say that,
do not mean to reflect on Mr.. Menden's
testimony, but my information ls tnat
some Of the improvements have not been
located yet by our observers.
In his direct evidence. earlier IN the
day. Mr.. Menden had testified that cars
available for service, exclusive OF those
In the shop. had Increased from l,l5b N
March, 1917, to 1908 in March. 1922
Including new stock and cars now being
repaired, he estimated there would pc
1920 available by next September. Inc
witness stressed the need Of added shop
facilities TO provide for this prospective
increase and fell into wrangle with
CORPORATION Counsel John f. 2 Brien
because he included lack Of shop accom-
unodations among the derelictions of the
city. Mr. O'Brien declared that IN this
case the city had incurred no such obll-
cation under its contract.
Mr. Menden described In much detail
how the r. r. Il. service has been
heavily handicapped because Of unfin-
ished construction on various lines pro-
vided for i'm contract NO 4. RESPONSE
biity for these defaults and delays he
placed for the most part upon the city.
notably in the case OF the Fourt zenith
street. Eastern District line. Its opera
tfon Is necessary. he declared, to relieve
congestion In the Center strset loop and
intolera Bile pressure at Canal street.
where 100000 passengers a day are COM
PEELED 20 transfer.
The witness STRESSED also lack Of the
Nassau street line. plans for which have
not yet even been drafted by the engi-
necrs. For that reason the Corporation
Counsel resented the inclusion Of this
omission among the city administra-
tons sins.
Bids Promptly Rcadvertiscd.
Rcadvertisemcnt Of the much dis
cussed nine subway construction bids
recently rejected BY the Board OF Esti-
mate was ordered BY the Transit Com
mission Yesterday within ten minutes