The New York herald., 1921-02-18
MILLER SOLUTION
SOLE REMEDY FOR
TRACTION TANGLE
Lindley NJ. Garrison Be-
lieves 1t Alone Can Pre-
vent Drying Up
ANSWERS OBJECTIONS
Believes City Officials Can
not Approach Problems
With Open Mind.
ASSAILS HYLAN CURE
Scrapping Surface Lines I'm
fair to Investors and Bus
Lines Illegal.
ASSAILS HYLAN CURE

The plan of Gov. Miller, as ex-
pressed in bills now before the yLegis-
lature for the appointment Of q state
transit commission to be supreme In
all matters relating to transportation
corporations was indorsed yesterday
by Lindley NJ Garrison as the only
cure for the ailing transportation sys-
TENS of this and other cities and as
the one means by which these systems
may be saved from absolute drying
up" Mr.. Garrison has acted as re-
ceiver OF the, Brooklyn Transit Com
pany for the hst two years. His
praise for Gov. Miller's scheme was
given in talk on The Transporta-
ton Difficulties Of Our City" at the
Union League Club.
Mr.. Garrison in beginning his dis
cussion said he knew OF no legal weight
to the. objections that have been ad-
vanced against Gov. Miller's proposal
which are In the main to the effect that
to take the control OF transit systems
within municipalities away from the
municipalities will be to enact legislation
COLLECTIONS Of this Sort" he said.
Cannot be well taken. Under the con-
stitution the people of this State are
always sovereign and II Is the people
through their Legislature who bestow
transportation franchises and who.
therefore. have full power to control the
privileges they have created. The only
other objection to State transit COM
mission Is that II ought not to be
created as 1t would interfere with home
rule.
But there is a more serious objection
than any which has been raised against
the remedy which Gov. Miller has In
mind to the control of the Transports
tion systems OF this city remaining
where 1t is now. The Board of Esti-
mate is composed Of city officials. each
of whom is In the hrst instance incum-
bent of some office which occupies near
ly all his time and energies, and 1t has
been shown that these officials cannot
approach the transit questions of the
city in an open minded and scientiic
spirit.
Mayor Hylan says he has a plan soI
cure of present conditions But wher
we come to inquire what 1t is he tells US
that the thing to do Is to scrap all the
surface roads OF the city SO that the
subways may have revenue enough tc
live. OF course such a plan is not feas-
ible In any sense. to say nothing of the
morality involved In respect to persons
whose savings and investments are rep
resented In the securities Of railroads he
says should be scrapped.
"And in respect to Mayor Hylan and
all the other members of the Board OF
Estimate wish to say that 1t has never
been possible to get them to meet at q
conference table. the men who are
charged with the responsibility oi
operating the railway system of the city
/ do not consider that they have the
time. even II they had the inclination
and as for Mayor Hylan's proposal that
the city operate buses where street
lines have suspended or proven made
uuate. the courts have held. as you
know, that the city Is not clothed with
power to operate bus lines.
Gov. Miller, then, in his message and
in the bills now before the Legislature
offers the only method by which the
transit tangle can ever be brought tc
a solution. AS receiver of the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit system / have In my
hands about $1,000 out of which I arr
expected to pay about s1.250.000 in bills
and obligations, and mine is typica
case. II proper commission. with the
right men comprising IL, can be EN-.
powered 10 work out q scientific remedy
for the transportation problem and car
get to work Immediately there Is hope
ahead Otherwise I know of no means
by which these systems can be savet
from absolute drying up"