The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-11
WAGNER TO fight
CITY ROAD BURDEN
Senator Agrees With Mayw
Tax Is Unjust Without
Any Return.
TRICKS USED Up STATE

Senator Robert r. Wagner sen, q "a,
ter to Mayor Mitchell yesterday assi,,,
him OF his support in the enor, viii,
the Mayor has undertaken 70 re,.,.
New York city Of paying tremsaioy.
sums annually for highways which .
does not receive. The Senator dec,,,..
he Is In absolute accord with the MAJ.
and will introduce a bill designed To- ca.
the cIty's plight.
MY views in relation 10 the ap,.,.
t.onment OF State highways" he ,a,.
ARE absolutely In accord with YOU ON,
| agree with you on the imperative n,.t
OF legislative action which will r,m.dy
the great injustice which has been don.
to the people Of New York city.
For the state TO take millions Of co
lars each year for highways from New
York city and give nothing TO tn. city
return would be sufficient ason for IL,
islative action even II the State Cons
tuition did not specifically prohibit suta
discrimination. But where the Const,l.
ton directs that all State highways shar
be apportioned equitably among n.
counties it would seem that the Leg.
aoAbit ~ pti' tift " NV" ~ w I'D
manifest Justice requires"
sought Justice Before.
Calling attention 4 the fact that IN
the recent Constitutional Convention h.
introduced "A resolution providing for a
specific apportionment OF roads TO New
York city. the Senator says he will now
attempt to accomplish the same thing
by legislative action. He adds
1T seems TO me that the Legislature
must realize that matters have passed
the point where New York city's clam.
for justice can be ignored or forgotten
The realization is beginning to dap.
upon Legislators from other parts Of tn.
state that they cannot expect New Yor,
city to continue TO contribute 10 the d..
velopment OF their counties withou, those
other counties standing ready to d.
something for New York city in return
That New York city Is not only pay.
ing 30 per cent. of the cost and upk.ep
OF state highways in country districts.
but also Of b~oulevards In upstate ci,ies
and villages. In one OF the ahsurdities
to be emphasized by Mayor Mitchell In
his attempt to get the Legislature. or
falling that, the courts, to grant relic.
to New York from It's highway burdens
Tn law permits two sections Of STATE
~ Il'i'dtiuk a. tHe bNlutIN OF
"A second or third class city or village
TO be connected through the city or vi.
lage streets II. In the judgment OF he
Highway Commissioner public COME.
nience should be served, But the .aw
does not contemplate the cutting Of curly
cues or the paving OF unnecessary stress
disguised as such a connection We
according TO "A study made by the
Mayors investigators. exactly ius Do.
been done repeatedly.
-Four streets, No, one.
For example. there's the Village @.
Clayton. jefferson county, ia :. at0
Zion Il. Browns district and uear p t.
home city, WATERFOWL. Instead 90 '4
ming the State highway straight thrr4r
clayton, as they would have don. r. o'
a Connection had been wanted
road builders enclosed the centre Of ; -
village with a parallelogram Of 'o.
streets. IL miles long. macadamiaoa IT,
$4,000 at the States expense Ns
York city paying $l7.500.
Then there IL Evansville, Livl g.
county. which has a square Of s'tcc ,
- miles long. costing between s'""
and $4,000. The Nyack turnp!te 20
a State highway. was defectrd rn'.
than two-thlrus of a mile From '-
legally authorized route IN order lu H...
III obiitih VII iIC Z Jti HtS Ft'
II Is Illegal 10 spend any part ot "-
highway money, voted by the pcor,c
referendum, for any Dad not determine
In the highway law. The law a.
says thai when a more eNi""s''-
type OF highway than hat airr's
by he State Is required by a vII.e-
the village shall pay for the ewes
Suffern got asphalt block. bu' Wts go
called upon 10 pay for the excess -
rlarpt at SoSEll Tba S.a4a pa44 4t
that means that New York city was 3
sessed for 30 per cent. OF the total
Altogether there were built a. sts
expense In cities and NJ -
November T.. 1914. seventy-fyN rr'lss
Of road, costing sl,ls5,5Ss.i& New Yorr
city's share OF the cost was s~s"1.o"N
OF the roads, nothing. A large pa'.
|, law. hut IN the Mayors opinion $50
law itself is grotesquely unjust.
Many cities B~neat.
Som. OF the cities for whose g..
ways New orb has been taXci are
Watervliet, Cohoes, Troy, pIHht~
Tona~anda. Lockport. Elmira, A.harH,
Rensselaer,. Gloversv!lle. Waterfowl
Amsterdam LackIwauua. Cor'.tr-
Clean. Auburn. Little Falls, Rome l'r-
AGA, Plattsburg. jamestown, tE !'0s'
burg. B'ugha mton, lIornell, ' '"-'.
Utica, Jamestown, Corning. Sra GO.
Schenectady, Oswego and pouGhkre0'e
senator Zion X. Brown SAID ,cs,t'
day he had not yet received The .t't'
=, the Mayor sent him On Saturda' ase."s
for legislative relief.
THE Mayors friends down ht.r ars
responsible for what has hapyr, e.. q
regard to highways" the Senate 80
'lf there was any e~XtravagAn.H .
NlNnT'S ,Wn SeuafAr md AN-.p-H.. rT,