New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-30
ROCKAWAY REBELS
INVADE CITY HALL
Secessionists, 1000 Strong,
Demand Chance to Coy
ern Themselves.

Mavor Mitchell devoted practically
the entire day yesterday to punnc
hearings on bills which recently
passed the Legislature. and are IN MS
hands for his signature. Inc Two
principal bills under consideraCIi!o.n !,
were: The bill to create Rockaway Cl'y
as an independent municipality anu
the measure providing for the reappor-
t;onn.nt Of aldermanic districts so as
10 cut down the membership OF the
BOARD of Aldermen from 10 to OIL.
The Mayor had his hands full pre-
serving order at the hearings. twice
he ordered the police to eject persons
from tho BOARD Of Estimate chamber
M the hearing on the Rockaway Dill
The MAYORS attitude and questioning
If the sneakers at each of these hear
;nos indicated that he would veto the
The "secessionists" from the Rocka-
wavs who are determined to govern
themselves. invaded City Hall thous-
and strong. They carried small hags
and were headed by band, which was
not permitted to play in and around
CITY Hall because they neglected 10
obtain a permit. Most Of the men,
women and children in the aggrega-
ton crowded into the hearings.
Controller Fights Secession.
The opposition to the bill was heard
first and the speakers included George
" Foren. Controller Prendergast.
Stanley C. Fowler, David May and
others. Mr.. Forcn and Mr.. Fowler
made the principal arguments against
secession.
Mr.. Foren declared the people he
represented opposed the bill because
they believed it would be unwlse, and
that their prosperity and well-Delng
would be best served by remaining
part Of the City OF New York.
THE secession of the Rockaways, II
permitted, would mean the beginning
of the disintegration Of the City Of
New York" said Mr.. Foren. ALREADY
secession is being discussed in other
parts of the city, notably in The Bronx
and in Jamaica"
Controller Prendergast pointed out
the danger in such a bill as prece-
dent for Remembering the city Of
New York" He attacked the financial
sections in the bill as unstable and un-
satisfactory TO the city as a whole.
"Rockaway offers to pay $40 Of l
per cent of the share of the city debt.
which would be equal to S7,000,000,'
said the Controller. But they say they
are entitled to a proportionate value
Of the city's property. We can't tell
what these values might be, but they
might be 100000 or Sl0,000,000, and
then the great City of New York might
find itself in debt to this wonderful
municipality known as the 5th Ward
of Queens
Connolly and Mayor Agree.
Borough President Connolly, of
Queens. stated that officially he was
opposed to the bill, but if referen-
dunn would show that the people
wanted secession, provided fair
financial arrangement with the city
could be arrived at, he believed they
should have it.
Mayor Mitchell remarked that the
Borough Presidents idea expressed
exactly what he had told Assemblymsn
McWhinney, who introduced the bill
in the Legislature. Apparently the
financial objection to the measure will
constitute the Mayors chief reason for
vetoing the measure.
Assemblyman McWhinney questioned
Controller Prendergast's good faith in
making his "late attack" on the bill.
There was a list of twenty-five speak
ers, including representatives of most
of the civic organizations in the Rock
Always, TO speak for the bill. Because
of the limited time the Mayor cut down
the list TO five or six
Other speakers in favor Of the bill
were Jacob Laucheimer. Charles A.
Brodek, Macmillan Morgenthal and