New-York tribune., 1911-09-17
MAYOR LISTENS TOAT7ACK
Continued from flrst page.

and other innocent amusements. but we
| know that during the last summer they
tried 20 put over charter which. despite
, the good features Mr.. McAneny has de
sCribed also contained. or contained upon
/ its first presentation. some OF the most
/ atrocious propositions ever submitted 10
the City OF New York. I do not wonder it
DO not wonder It was hard 70 get any
body 10 stand for it's paternity. Who
| would want 10 father a thing like that?
In my concept OF government the indi-
vduai r. an insignificant thing. My ap-
probation OF the public official Is that ne
Is merely an instrument for the working
/ out OF the popular will expressed in the
! statutes. or ny virtue OF order 4 man
who believes that he centres In himself all
the virtues and all the ability necessary
/ to tho consummation Of good government Is
suffering from a disease called ingrowing
! egotism. And TO use the same sin,le that
was applied TO character in on" OF our
Who are afiicted with an ingrouing esotism
! Of slneulsrly virulent variety
| Fortunately, the city government e not
eraced AZ the present time By more than
\ one such rerronalitv " does nor matter
I ladies and gentlemen, whether IN this char
| Ter the powers Of the Controlership were
| taken away--decimated That is OF no per
! sonal concern 70 met means great
only reason they have said they would
restore these powers in the new revision IS
/ because the voice OF public opinion made
| itself felt snd they did not dare 70 carry
| restoration Of those powers, whether II
/ shall he IN hill or in part. as any personal
| Of those powers viii not temper in the
slightest respect my opposition 20 any
othpr provision OF that charter. They may
quiet some people thar way. sut they can
/ not C1Iist the people who we're elected by
| the fusion me atority a. the last municipal
| election They are neither 70 be caicled nor
I bought, nor palavsrtc
! Mr.. Prendergast gsid the talk that no
/ politics should bo injected into discus
| sions Of the new charter was not right.
/ because this government was one Of
! parties. and the parties represented the
/ people. This meant, he said, that the
parties should carry out their pledges
and work out the popular mandate.
Mr. Prendergast, after slluding 70
what he called q crooked deal between
the Democratic and the Republican leg
islators 10 obtain votes for the new
charter continued:
The Mayor Of the City OF New York. in a
| statement made at Syracuse a few day s
ego, deprecated the. injection Of politics
into this matter. I deprecate the injection
Of deals into this matter And the reason
they deprecate the injection ~ politics is
because they know that the charter could
not be passed unless i were through the
ing honor he ~ said there are enough. I
am sure, enough Independent Democrats
In the Legislature ~ join with the others
in the legislature opposed 10 this charter
t. defect II.
..fter criticising various provisions OF
the proposed new charter Mr.. Prender-
CAST said this document had been pre-
pared largely by men who didn't know
as much about city government as half
the men in the audience He then
turned 10 the transit question end said:
Now. ladies' and gentlemen. Mr. Nc
! Ansny and Mr.. Bassett ] think covered
! everything as Tar rs the transit question
was concerned, and what ] had 20 say
/ upon that point merely wish 20 say for
/ the purpose Of going on record with vou
| Mr. McAneny and his associates on the
transit COMMITTEES performed splendid work.
| think IN years 70 come the people OF the
| city viii appreciate that work even more
t4 seen whether the results OF that work
| will go for naught-and that Is the stake
/ In this new charter. There is no use dis
semblng; that is what somebody else IS
| after
A volce-Thats 20. And we know
who It is too.
Mr.. Prendergas,-Well, ! suspect who
g. is and have suspected - for a long
time
want you, ladies' and gentlemen, 10 con-
! template this situation This committe
| brought IN SIS report proposition for the
| Brooklyn Rapid Transit COMPANY, ono for
! the Interborough RAPID Transit Company
| II the Interborough RAPID Transit Com
| pany AID not comply or accept the routes
| offered 10 -. they were. in the main. 20 be
! conferred on tho Brooklyn Rap!d Transit
! Company The Board OF Estimate had az
former meeting approved that report and
| instructed is COMMITTEES 70 forward 10 the
| Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company and 20
! the Interborough letters containing the
! terms Of that report.
| These lntters we're sAnr The INTERIOR
/ ough Rapid Transit Company declined tho
terms The Brooklyn RAPID Transit Com
| pany came back and said that Il would
1 accede 20 tho terms on certain conditions
and the Board o.. Estimate AZ private con-
/ ference agreed finally 10 the terms They