New-York tribune., 1921-03-17

1t is our business. If it gets beyond
our control, then it would be time to
invoke the police power, but that time
has not arrived"
Senator Nathan Straus jr., Democrat.
of New York, said that the principal
objection he had to the bill was that
it sought to stabilize the securities.
Senator John l.. karle, Republican, of
Queens. said that the bill took every
thing from the cities and nothing from
the railroad companies
Senator Alvah w. Burlingame jr., Re
publican, Of Kings, said:
"The whole thing is staged. The
votes are counted 1t is useless to talk.
Yet cannot let this opportunity go by
whipped into line by every known polit-
ical pressure that New York City is
! against this bill.
This is an eight or ten cent fare
/ biil~-nothing else.
eve put the power to fix rates in the
hands Of three men. If two of these
men-now unknown---want to increase
fares, the fares will be increased. Such
circumstance was never contemplated
/ by the trainers of the Constitution
The Senator then read from a list Of
the largest stockholders of the Inter
borough, beginning with the estate of
/ Jay Gould and ending with a number of
| Standard Oil directors.
"lf YOU vote for this bill" said Bur
! Nngame. you are voting subscription
to the people on this list~-the widows
and orphans VIC hear so much about"
McCuc Warns New York Men
The next speaker was Senator Martin
G.. McCue, Democrat, of New York. I'm
passionedly he denounced the propo-
nents of the bill, saving:
You are not bouncing anybody. Y on
are not going to make anybody believe
that you are living up to your oath OF
Office in voting for this bill after the
very meager explanations you have
heard. II tins bin goes through we in
New York City are going to be robbed
If | voted for this bill | would expect
the people TO follow me in the street
crying, 'Thief. thief. thief. and to you
men from New York City who are GO
ing to vote for the bin, say as YOU
lay your head on the political block
God be with you! >
Senator John J. Boylan, Democrat
OF New York, repeated his arguments
of yesterday. lie was followed By
Senator Schuyler NJ. Meyer, Repub
lican, of New York, the first speaker
Tor the bill.
81 have heard some home rule talk
to-day" he said. "and l have prepared
in this sheet which | hold in my name
list Of the sntl-homc rule bills in.
trOduced IN the last ten years IN thi:
legislature find there vcre l,4o1
spcn bills. which provided for manda
tory increases IN salary, rehearings OF
iremen and policemen, and the like
OF this number 1,l16 were introduce,
by Democrats from New York City anc
the balance from Republicans Of NcN
ork City. Not one by any man IRON
up-State'
"Aow did YOU stand on those bills o
asked Minority Leader Walker
Il introduced two" replied Meyer
"1ou introduced twenty six
Accepts Word OF Nixon
Senator Meyer then read the report
of Public Service Commissioner Nixon
who was appointed by Governor Smith
and who recommended flexible fare
In this report Mr.. Nixon SAID that with
such system 1t would be only a short
time before books OF tickets could be
sold at an average cost OF less thar
D cents ticket. Air. Nixon in the
report charged that the uylan adminis-
! tratlon lnactlon was rcSDOnsl bic for
the present condition IN the transit
lines.
Il would rather take the word of
Mr. NiXon," continued Meyer, that az
emergency eANts and some drastic
remedy must be applied, rather thar
the talk OF opponents of this bill who
nave not maue q study of the subject
Not a suggestion Of substitute
has been made here to-day by those
opposed to the Governors plan. The
city authorities have known of this
legislation for two months. They
could lave called in the Public Serv-
ace Commission, sat around a table
and tried to arrive at a solution. But
what they have done is what they have
been doing for the last three years
nothing. They want us to let the trac-
ton problem remain the football of
politics. Until some constructive
plan Is offered, the representatives OF
the City of New York in this Legis-
lature should support the Governor S
plan"
Then the introducer of the bill in
the Senate. Senator John Knight, of
Arcade, rose to defend the bill. He
went into the history of transit lcgis-
lation to 1878, when public utilities in
heir franchises were permitted tc
charge 5, 10 and Is cents mile. Hc
said that there was nothing in the
original rapid transit act which gave
the City of New York any other power
of consent except that of construction
and nat that was embodied in the bill
= before the Legislature. This, he said
was the only power over traction com
paniea delegated to the City of New
York by the state.
1T is true that the dual subway con
tracts were approved by the City O.
New York said Knight, but ther,
was no provision of law to authoriz,
| this. Then the city was dealing will
o but one corporation. This bill deal
with fifty eight corporations, ten o
z which have gone into the hands of re
| cclvers and another ten have sus
Il pended operation"
: City Authorities Did Nothing
: He said that the argument that tn
matter should be left to the cit
authorities to solve was idle, in view O
q the fact that they had done nothing
although they had three years in whic'
q to act.
at will take $500. 100000 to take car
of the transit extensions in Naw Yor
City, continued Knight. THAT coul
not be done by the City of New Yor
because of the debt limit. fixed by tn
constitution, and this is another rea
son why the bill should pass"
Senator Knight then took up The ad
ministrative features of the nill an
EXPLAINED them