New-York tribune., 1920-07-22
Mayor Requests
Special Session
For Bus Laws
Governor Was Asked in
June to Call Legislature
to Pass Measure to Allow
City to Operate System
Definite Answer Delayed
Board of Estimate Holds
Hearing and Will Act on
Hylan's Plea Next Week

Mayor Hylan announced at a public
hearing before the Board of Esti-
mate yesterday that he had asked
Governor Smith to call q special ses-
sion of the Legislature to enact
measure which would enable the city
to operate q city-wide system of
buses The Mayor said he was con-
strained to appeal to the Governor in
view of court decisions which prevent
the city under existing laws from go
ing into The bus business in competi-
ton with privately-owned transporta-
tion lines.
The board heard scores of persons,
who declared that the stopping of the
bus lines in Brooklyn and other sec
tions had caused inconvenience, chiefly
10 working people and school children.
There were expressions against grant
ing a franchise to private corpora
tion and in favor of municipality
operated lines. These would be indie
pendent systems in localities where
present transportation is inadequate,
rather than a city-wide system.
Representative of the Merchants
Association, the traction lines and or
ganizations opposed to municipal own
ership are to be given a hearing be-
fore the board next Wednesday. Ac
q resolution offered by the Mayor
which would place the board on record
as tayoring the calling of a special
session of the Legislature.
Mayor Hylan's letter to Governor
Smith. although not made public until
yesterday, was dated June r. Gov
was at French Lick. Ind, replied that
he would consider the subject on his re-
turn to Albany.
Mayors Letter TO Governor
The Mayor in his letter cited the
fact that the Court Of Appeals had
denied the right of the city to operate
bus lines in Brooklyn. After assert
ing that 100000 persons a day were
carried on bus lines through the city,
he said that suspension of all the
lines would result in chaotic cond-
tions.
The Mayor continued:
"The need for immediate action aris-
ing because of the vast number of peo-
PIE whose RIGHTS and convenience are
affected is revealed by the number OF
users and the mls titudinous demands
for the continuance of these motor bus
lines made upon the officials of the City
of New York bv delegations from all
parts OF the city affected and through
the further reason that conditions
cations from similar sources, and for
the further reasons that conditions
tending to public disorder and actually
resulting in public disorder cannot be
permitted to again spring into being.
Making grants OF franchises to pri
vate operators IN an endeavor to pro
cure adequate and proper transit
facilities through privately owned com
panes exercising these franchises has
been failure. That method Of solv-
ing the problem results in the unde
sirable division of responsibility be
tween state officials and city officials
The problem is exclusively a local one
II concerns exclusively the local people
and the local officials whom they elect
ed to serve them and whom. as g prac
teal fact. they hold responsible.
Franchises an Obstacle
81 have studied the transit situatio
in this city, and in tho course thereof
have found that the greatest obstacle
in the way Of proper transit facilities
in this city has been due to the fran
chises which have been held by cor
porations destitute Of any desire or
intention to perform their contract OBJ
legations to furnish adequate service
to the people from whom they have re
ceived their grants in the City OF New
York. After careful thought | have
come to the conclusion that the only
effective way to proceed in the future
development of transit in this city is to
proceed along municipal ownership and
operation OF lines, particularly of
motor bus lines.
with all these facts brought spe-
chcally to its attention, it is unthink-
able that the Legislature will withhold
the needed power from the municipal
ity to prevent a recurrence of the fore
going conditions that the stopping Of
the bus lines will give rise to.
81 am constrained, therefore, to call
upon you to end the doubt as to the
city's power and to convene the Leg
islature at the earliest time possib BILE
under the constitution, and request it
to enact specific statute authorizing
the City of New York to municipality
own and operate motor bus lines gen
orally in such parts of the city as there
is necessity therefor"
Letters concerning the Manhattan
Transit Company, which has fran
ehise to operate motor busses, granted
by the Legislature in 1902, were read.
It had been said that the hackers Of
this company were Tammany Hall
leaders. The letters. from Joseph II.
Hoadly, president, and other officers
OF the company, showed that efforts
were beng made to induce the Mayor
70 favor the company's operation of
busses. The Mayor vehemently denied
that he had any knowledge of the com
pany's affairs.
Decries "Tammany" Cry
"Tbe traction crowd which fears the
invasion Of busses in New York win
not frighten public officials with the
cry OF 'Fammany'," said the Mayor
This cry of 'T'ammany' has been
raised as smoke-screen on MANY oc.
casions when big deals have been put
over by the traction crowd Wall Street
ciiques and their agents, and Corpora
tion-controlled newspapers The peo-
pie are tired of hearing the wore
'Tammany' used as bugaboo in such
connections and are no longer being
misled
81 have no doubt that If inquiries
were made about this General Car.
riage Company or Manhattan Transi,
Company it would soon be discovered
that the same old crowd or their
agents are in control of the franchise. .
Joseph p. O'Brien, Corporation Coun-
ren5 an nr,njOu ropJarnJ Ia, ,,~L,