The New York herald., 1922-05-18

kparrying 2,50o.000 fewer passengers
livery month this yeas than last year
1T is a notorious factS said he. that
the elevated division. cNfssidered as a
segregated proposition. Is cumming be-
hind $4.000,000 to s5,000,000 a-year."
George o. Redington. counsel for the
commission. was questioning the witness
upon certain sheets showing from ten
10 thirty standing passengers on los.ai
Second avenue trains when Gen. OfRyah
inquired Are you going 10 oifer any
evidence as 10 the length or time these
standees are required TO stand?s
Mr. Redngton said hs had been
merely following the precedent set by
Judge Shearn in the subway examina-
tion and he had no evidence OF the
length of time passengers had 20 stand.
1t was then that Gen. O'Ryan sue-
gested:
Set US be practical on this standee
business. l think the evidence I asked
you about is important. / would 60 so
far giving my own view OF ii, as to
believe it TO be the. duty or the company
TO provide seat for every passenger
in case where the haul is to be a long
one. l mean that IL IL be physically
possible. public utility is not discharg-
ing it's full obligation il 1t fails to give
seat to every passenger who boards
train at the lines northern end and
who is TO be transported to the south
erly end of the system.
'Ou the other hand. 1t seems reason
able to expect that an excess of pas
sengers over seats is properly carried
where the haul is haul only between
one or two stations ON local line. /
think that is fair. To require a seat
for every passenger in these circum-
stances would permit us in the lifts in
this building to insist that every one
should have a seat in going from the
basement to the top. 1t does seem to
me to be Important to produce evidence
to show the average time these passen-
gers on locals are required to stand
The comnany's attorneys grasped the
opportunity offered. Mr.. Peacock ex-
planned that company force had Just
begun to prepare colored charts show
ing the relation of seats to passengers at
all points along the lines as had been
done by Mr. Hedley for the subways.
Commissioners Hardness and Organ
consented to one weeks adjournment, the
hearing to be resumed next Wednesday
afternoon.
Gen. o'Ryan hurried away after the
hearing His colleagues agreed that
nothing he had said should be construed
as abating the service standards of ex-
eellence the commission has SET ilp.
Contracts Awarded.
The contract for the construction of
the link section between the subway and
the projected elevated portions of the
Fourteenth street Eastern District line
was awarded to the Joslin Contracting
Company. Inc. at the Did figure OF
s1,149.196.10. The contract then was
sent by the commission to the Board of
Estimate for approval. thus bringing to
an issue the auestion~of who will be re-
sponsible for further delay in construc-
ton of this important transit artery.
The Mayor has Indicated opposition.
The commission also awarded TO the
Joslin company the contract for length
ening the jackson avenue station Of the
Interborough system in Queens at the
lowest bid price of 1886, ,9s470. The
platforms are to be heightened from $50
to $50 feet. so that they may accommo-
date eventually ten-car trains.
The eight contracts recently opened
for delayed trackage work required for
completion of the Fourteenth street.
Eastern District line. were awarded on
through the Reimbursement. aggregat-
ing s79.SS9.37, amounted to S3.9040G.
The commission awarded also to the
Rosenthal Engineering Construction
Company contracts for the inclosure to
the car inspection shed at the 1S0th
street Interborough yard. and for the
signal tower and compressor shed, for
which the Livonia avenue extension of
the Interborough has been waiting for
a little more than a year