New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-19
TO ATTEND HEARING
ON MARGINAL Bill,
Many Merchants Going 70
Albany To-day to Favor
Cullen Measure.
DOCK COMMISSIONER
SHARPLY CRITICISED
Civic Bodies Question Right n
Negotiate with N. Y. Central
as 10 West Side Tracks.

Large delegations from various eivi,
organizations will 20 20 Albany tod,
to attend the hearing before Goyers,
Whitman on the Cullen bill, which Del,
mits trunk line railroads % eonbis.
for the purpose Of entering into a cor.
tract with the city for the operation o,
the South Brooklyn Termina! RailEst
The bill has been approved by Mayo
Mitchell.
The Mayor held a meeting on Ii,
bill last Tuesday, at which represents.
tiveJ Of the Merchants Association and
other commercial organizations spos,
in favor Of 10. It is believed the Lens.
lature will act fayorably on the meas.
ure.
This is one Of the two measures r,.
ferred 20 by Dock Commissioner R. A.
G. Smith in recent letter to the Yer.
chants Association The other was il.
troduced by Senator Lockwood and A..
semblyman E.lenbogen and amends IA,
law authorizing the city 20 make a.
agreement with the New York Central
Railroad for Che relocation Of IL,
tracks on the West Side Of Manhattan
by compelling the railroad 20 remo7.
its tracks unless % shall agree with
the city upon plan.
Commissioner Smith protested against
this bill a. likely 70 upset negotiation,
tending toward an agreement NJ
Smith contendcd that the negotiations
Tor clearing I'D the Riverside Drive
nuisance had reached a point where an
agreement between the city and the
railroads "seems matter Of only a yery
few months He declared that all tie
work so far accomp!ls shed was threat.
cned By the EllcnDogen bill. and thai.
il was useless and idle 20 threaten
the railroad with removal Of the track
unless they reached an agreement
Commissioner Smith comes in for
strong criticism of his attitude on this
bill in a letter recently received By the
Merchants Association from the CON.
mittee on conference OF civic organi.
cations on the Nc" York Central West
Side tracks. The committee represents
the Citizens Union. the City Club. the
Woman's nicipai League, the Wash.
ington Heights Taxpayers Association.
the Dyckman Property Owners Asso.
citation. the League 20 End Death Ave
nue.. the independent Club Of the Wes,
Side and several other organizations.
The letter says in part: Eve have
not understood that the Dock Commits.
sioner was authorized 10 negotiate with
the railroad company. and We cannot
understand the basis for his public
statement that the city and the rail
road company have about reached an
agreement. So far as we know. there
have been exchanges of suggestions
between the Dock Commissioner and
the railroad. but We know of 40 ofheia
action by any committee Of the Board
of Estimate and Apportionment OF By
any officer of the board.
You will observe that the opinion
of the Dock Commissioner with regard
TO the eXpediency Of this Legislation
is wholly at variance with the views
of the Mayor. his superior officer. APP
rarently the Dock Commissioner pre-
fers 10 have the railroad company IN
the position of advantage and to have
the city obliged TO accept whatever
terms the railroad company is willing
to grant"