New-York tribune., 1921-02-27
Traction Bill
Changes Asked
By County Men
Twelve Legislators Seek
Amendments Affecting
Questions of Fares and
Valuation of Property
Johnson Serial Begins
Californian Issues First Iu-
stallment to Inform the
People of Miller Plans

After a two-hour conference yester-
day at Republican County Committee
Headquarters with County Chairman
Koenig, the New York County members
| of the Legislature announced that they
would seek to have Governor Miller's
traction reorganization bill amended
Chairman Koenig after the confer
ence said:
There seems TO be unaninity of
| judgment that it may be wise to have
the traction bill amended in two or
three particulars. the New York Leg
islators doubtless will try to have added
to the measure provision that there
shall be no temporary increase of fare,
Fand no permanent increase until the
general uniication plan has been
worked out and agreed to by the COM
panies and the various systems have
been taken over by the city.
There also is a strong sentiment
among the New York County members
for reference of the fare question to
the Appellate Division, as referee, as
suming that the city's assent is deemed
to be necessary. Still another feature
desired by the New York men is that
If the city is TO take over the lines
| the bill should in terms state that the
so-called physical valuation of the
roads shall not include conjectural
franchise and goou-wIll values. There
will be no pressure exerted by the local
organization to influence Senator's or
Assemblymen in their voting. They
Will be left to vote as they please |
do not look to see a unanimous vote
on the bill'
Thirteen Senators and Assemblymen
attended the conference, the only alb
sentee being Senator Tolbert.
Johnson Begins Serial
Senator Hiram W. johnson, of Cali
! fornia, who is retained by the city gov
ernment to fight the traction program
OF Governor Miller, yesterday issued
+ the first chapter in his proposed daily
serial on the Traction Tragedy" The
Senator explained that he Intended to
pick out each day some of the most
| Objectionable sections of the Miller
I traction bill, from the opposition's
/ point of view, for the purpose of dis
cussing them with the public and en-
/ tightening the people on the subject.
"The purpose of these excerpts from
Governor Miller's traction bill" said
senator Johnson, is TO enable the peo-
| pie for themselves to measure the revo-
4 lutionary character of the legislation
Without argument, from the reading of
the exact quotations made, it is obvious
that the endeavor is to destroy local
/ government so far as rapid transit
/ IS concerned, to take over property in
dubitably belonging to the city, and to
place over the city in its relation to
traction companies a super-govern-
ment, which may act without the cjtv's
consent and against its protest"
The California Senator then pro-
! ceeded to discuss certain excerpts from
the. traction bill in Chapter 1 of the
serial. He said:
THE bill provides that the Transit
Commission may change fares IN. 36)
+ notwithstanding that a higher or lower
rate fare or charge has been heretofore
prescribed, by general or special statute,
contract, grant, franchise. condition.
consent or other agreement
! "fhe words in italics are new. And
then at the end of the paragraph are
these words:
! Any such change in rate, fare or
charge, shall be upon such terms. con-
dltlons, safeguards or readjustmant of
1ranchlse or contract rights or obliga-
uonS, as the commission may prescribe
I Note that the commission NAV pre-
scribe 'readJustment of franchise or con-
tract rights or obligations Ask YOUR
serves in relation to the subject matter:
What limit is there to the power of the
commissioner
To Answer Own Question
Senator Johnson proposes TO answer
the lnal question in Chapter / in
Chapter 2, which will be released for
! publication tomorrow The Senator
gave out his first serial statement in
the office of Corporation Counsel John
7: O,Brlen, where he is spending most
or his time working on his argument
against the traction bills, which he ex-
| pects TO make at the public hearing on
| the measure in Albany next Wednes-
| oay. lie complained again yesterday
OF tne attitude some of the New York
newspapers have taken toward his ad-
Vent into the traction controversy. He
specified two newspapers.
henever you see any statements
regarding me IN them," he said, sit is
| prlma facie evidence of their absolute
| incorrectness. You can assume thst
any such statements are entirely in
correct and contrary to fact"
! In a letter TO Senator William Tsno-
gan, the only Senator from New York
| CITY on the committee on Public Serv-
ice IN the State Senate, Major F. n
La Guardia, President of the Board of
Aldermen, yesterday incorporated the
replies from the mayor or their rem
resentatives in various cities of twenty-
one different states, in regard to trac-
tion conditions and control in tbei,.
cities as compared with the proposed
legislation at Albany. The aldermanic
president explained that he had writ
tea each Of these mayors a personaI
letter, in view of the statement issued
from the Executive Chamber on Men
| day, February Z, "purporting to convey
an expression of opinion of governors
OF various states, supporting the idea
OF state controlled public service
commission"
After quoting from the various
mayors, the Aldermanic President
summed up by saying that it would be
seen that in almost every instance
with the exception of Massachusetts
the actual test has proven unsatisfac,.
tory and unfair to the city's interest"
:, MAJOR La Guardia asked Senator
Duggan to bring his letter to the at
tention of the COMMITTEES