New-York tribune., 1920-09-30

utterances which can have no effect but
to inAame passion, confuse understand.
ing and make difficult, if not impos-
sible. sober consideration Of griev-
ances and rational progress.
Judge Miller was enthusiastically
checred and applaudea as he rose to
speak.
Didn't Appear In Traction Case
He prefaced his speech with an an
swer to letter Mayer Hylan wrote
him, in which the Mayo1 said that the
people know you as an attorney fol
the railroad interests" who "argued fol-
an increased fare before the Legislative
committee last winter"
Judge Miller said that, although the
letter was published in yesterda,
mornings newspapers, it had no,
reached him until just before he went
to the Union League Club. The Mayo,
was wrong, he said, If he was among
"the people" who knew him as an at
torney for the railroad interests who
argued for increased fares, and he was
wrong if he thought that he appeared
before q legislative committee las,
winter.
: What the Mayor evidently took ex-
eeption to, Judge Miller said, was that
part Of his speech Of Monday night in
which he said that responsibility for
the traction situation in New York
rested somewhere between the Cover
nor's Public Service Commission and
tho City Hall. He phrased that state
ment as he did, he said, in an effort
to be extremely fair and without any
intention of trying to place RESPONSE
6llity on the Mayor, who, he thought,
had less influence in the matter than
the Board of Estimate. He believed
ne had stated 9 fact and stated it gen
crously, nd said, without being at all
Unfair to Governor Smith.
No Retainer for Services
he did not appear before a legisla-
tive commission last year, he said, in
any traction matter. It was two years
ago, he said. that he appeared before
the committee and it was not as the rep
1resentative of the railroad interests,
but as the representative of a friend,
who was president of the State Bank
ers' Association. Charles E. Hughes
appeared before the Same committee as
the representative of insurance COM
panaes, he said. Judge Miller declared
thaS ne got no retainer for his services.
II do not favor an increase in fares"
he said, because l do not know
enough about the facts in the case. But
! 40 favor centering the responsibility
In traction matters in some authority
and holding that authority responsible
Tor dealing with the question"
he did know enough about the situa-
tlon also, he asserted, to realize that
the city was within $25,0oo.000 or $780,
100000 of its debt limit, and yet needed
vast Improvements in subway extern
slons and in dock and terminal facili-
ties. These could not be obtained as
things stood, he said, because the city
could not afford them.
The time was ripe, he thought, for
making new arrangement with the
Interborough so that the city would
not have to maintain s2oo00o,ooo of
lnterborough bonds by general tax levy,
making the bonds self-supporting in,
stead by reason Of the revenue from
the improvements for which they stood.
IN the inc way. he thought, bonds
for dock and terminal facilities could
be made self-supporting and the city
relieved of that much Of the strain on
its credit.
Judge Miller then continued, In pa rt ::
"The Governor takes issue with me
for suggesting~that national issues are
paramount in this campaign. Does he
wish to avoid them? And does he hope
to escape responsibility for San Fran
cisco? Is he preparing to throw the
national Democratic ticket overheard ?
Now. the issue raised by Mr.. Will
sons insistence upon the league cove
mart without change, by the party dec
laration at San Francisco for ratfica-
ton with only such reservations as
would make our obligations clearer or
more specific, by the perfect accord
established between the President and
Mr.: Cox, according to the testimony
Of both, is paramount to any other is
sue in this campaign, state or national.
1t is more important that that issue
be settled right than it is that either
Governor Smith or l be elected Cover
nor.
81 am against the Wilson league. The