New-York tribune., 1921-10-31

EASt winter the transit law was en-
acted at Albany. / opposed that law
as soon as it was drafted, stating MY
views clearly and frankly, not only to
all the legislators, but also to the
Governor. | said it was wrong and un-
Just and would take from us our con-
troll over contracts made by us in good
faith, and executed by the expenditure
Of millions Of dollars of our own
money. I disagreed with members OF
my own party. and still disagree with
them. Home rule III this respect is
right and | say that right comes ahead
Of party. Right comes first. What
happened? The bill passed and became
law. am still opposed to that law.
when l am elected Mayor | pro-
pose not only to test the constitutional
ity of the transit law, but to fight with
all the strength and energy I possess TO
have it amended. | am going to have a
bill drafted and introduced at Albany
restoring to our city the control over
our transit contracts that this law took
away from us. shalt do everything
in my power to pass that bill. If nee
csssry | shall 60 to Albany in its be-
half and shall make the fight for it
there
DO you realize what it means if We
can secure the passage OF such Il
measure? 1t means that VIC, the pco-
pic of this city, who have built and
paid for our own subways, will have
the final word in what is done, not only
with these subways, but with our en-
IRE transportation system. 1t means
that the city will participate, with
power and authority, in the develop
ment OF any transit plan that may be
adopted.
City Welfare in Home Rule
II believe that the welfare of the
CITY Is bound up in this question of
homo rule. Let us keep power close TO
the people, That is one OF the funda-
nentals Of American government.
when we get this control back We
shall have the power to keep the five
cent fare. That brings me TO the Sec
ond aspect OF this transit situation
This is five-ceNt fare town. Our
people will not stand for higher fare
and neither will |. Nobody il ever
gong to be able TO build up trans
portation system here that charges
more than nickel. know that in
New YORK nickel is enough. The five
cent fare is the keystone on which
must rest the future transit develop
ment OF our city. 1t must be retained
and as long as | am Mayor | shall fight
10 keep it. We have built this cStv
eVery one of the five borouehs, upon
this proposition OF five-cent fare. II
should not be taken from us. Ii will
not be without 4 fight.
Feeling az do, am ready to stump
thus town in opposition TO any sffort
by anybody 20 charge more than a
nickel. | can and will carry the firht
throughout the length and breadth Of
every one of the five boroughs, from
'ottenville TO the Westchester line,
and from the Hudson River to the
Eoeksways. With the whole city a
UNIV IN thls opposition there is nobody
VINO can put over an increased fare.
Now let us turn to the third aspeci
OF our transit problem, which have
included in my program, and which
heileTe means much to our city. It
is the question OF extended and i'm
proved service. not only as regards our
present facilities hut also AS to the
completion of the dual subway system,
md the development Of additional
rapid transit lines in all the boroughs.
Hylan Ignorant of Conditions
ihe present administration has done
nothing, planned nothing in this re-
Spect liYlan has refused to build
Subways. 1t apparently matters little
to lillr1s, riding to and fro in his limou-
sine, that most OF us have to STRUGGLE
daily 5or strap in the subway. How
could he. racing through the streets.
Where policemen clear the traffic from
ms patn' appreciate the fact that in
many OF our boroughs there are com
munlties which have inadequate rapid
transit service or no rapid transit at
all
Greater New York began developing
III Manhattan from the Battery north
ward, and the trend went steadily up
through the length of this long. thin
stand and into the Bronx, and then the
other boroughs were added by consoli-
daton. Our transit arteries for wears
were north and south lines, and the
great prepondcrance of our roads and
tubes to-day run north and south
Added to this we have all the lines "a :
dating from lower Manhattan, on one
SIDE OF the East River, to Brooklyn and
queens, on the other. The result is q
transportation system that consists Of
tae hub OF wheel--that is, lower Man
hattan-with spokes radating out in
every direction from the hub and end
ing IN the air. There is no rim to this
wheel; 1t is only hub and spokcs. Here
IS city plan that Is fatal on it's face
to any comfortable transportation Of
our citizens. If you would go, say
rom Corona to Jamaics, both in
Queens, distance Of about five miles
You must begin at the outer end of one
spoke, IN Corona, go down into the hub
IN lower Manhattan and then out an
other spoke through Brooklyn until you
iand at Jamaica, having travelled dis
tancc of more than twenty miles.
What VIC need is a rim to that
wheel, belt line, and then another
interior belt line. between the rim and
The hub, so that people going from
brooklyn to Queens may go directly
over across the line instead of having
to struggle through the congested hub
Of the wheel in lower Manhattan. The
same holds true between Brooklyn and
Richmond
There is my programs: First, home
rule, or local control for our local
properties; second, the five-cent fare.
winch is the keystone of the city's de-
velopment; third, develop our rapid
transit facilities until all the people of
al the boroughs have an equal share In
their benefits.
Would Squeeze Water From the Roads
Those three things are fundamental
We have not yet reached the stage
where the different steps and details
of the procedure toward these ends
can be worked out. The transit COM
mission has presented preliminary
outline of d plan, and suggestions from