Case Name: The Brooklyn City Railroad Company, Respondent, v. Grover A. Whalen, Individually and as Commissioner of Plant and Structures of the City of New York, Appellant
Court: New York Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1920-06-11
Citations: 229 N.Y. 570
Docket Number: 
Parties: The Brooklyn City Railroad Company, Respondent, v. Grover A. Whalen, Individually and as Commissioner of Plant and Structures of the City of New York, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: New York Reports
Volume: 229
Pages: 570–571

Head Matter:
The Brooklyn City Railroad Company, Respondent, v. Grover A. Whalen, Individually and as Commissioner of Plant and Structures of the City of New York, Appellant.
New York city — bus and stage lines — street railways — when cortbplaint, in action by street railway to enjoin operation by city of bus or stage line paralleling its tracks, states cause of action.
Brooklyn City R. R. Co. v. Whalen, 191 App. Div. 737, affirmed.
(Argued June 4, 1920;
decided June 11, 1920.)
Appeal, by permission, from an order of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the second judicial .department, entered May 11, 1920, which affirmed an order of Special Term granting a motion for a temporary injunctio.n to restrain the operation of certain motor bus routes in the city of Brooklyn. The following questions were certified: “First. Does the complaint herein state a cause of action for an injunction? Second. Has the board of estimate and apportionment of the city of New York power to authorize the commissioner of plant and structures of said city legally to establish, to maintain and to work motor vehicle lines in the streets of the said city? Third. Do the Public Service Commissions Law and the Transportation Corporations Law apply to motor vehicle lines which are attempted to be worked by the commissioner of plant and structures of the city of New York under vote therefor from the board of estimate and apportionment of said city? Fourth. Does section 74 of the Greater New York charter apply to motor vehicle lines attempted to be worked by the commissioner of plant and structures of the city of New York under the vote of the board of estimate and apportionment of said city? ” The plaintiff, a street railroad company, owns and operates lines of surface cars in Brooklyn. In the fall of 1919 the board of estimate and apportionment authorized the defendant to operate motor vehicles for the carrying of passengers on certain prescribed routes. Pursuant thereto he established routes, and under his authority and supervision lines of motor vehicles, stages or omnibuses are running over the routes specified in the order and paralleling the tracks of the plaintiff company. This action was brought to enjoin the defendant from maintaining and operating the stage lines of motor vehicles.
John P. O’Brien, Corporation Counsel (William B. Carswell, Joseph A. Devery and Edward G. Nelson of counsel), for appellant.
Jackson A. Dykman and William N. Dykman for respondent.
Terence Farley for Public Service Commission of State of New York (First District).
Henry L. Stimson and Allen T. Klots for receiver of New York Railways Company, intervening.
Louis Marshall for Edward Schafer, intervening.

Opinion:
Order affirmed, with costs; first question certified answered in the affirmative; remaining questions unnecessary and not answered; no opinion.
Concur: Hiscóck, Ch., Chase, Collin, Cardozo, Pound, Crane and Andrews, JJ.