New-York tribune., 1921-09-09
(lutlines, in Four Minutes,
ConstructiveProgramEA-
ceeding Hylan Regimes
Efforts of Last 4 Years
PROPOSES a Rim for
City Transit Wheel
Calls for Belt Lines, Five
Gent Fare, Home Rule
in Solving Problems

While the Hylan administration has
been twittering for feur years about
ths transit problem without offering 8
single constructive suggestion toward
IT'S resi- solution, it took Borough
President Henry II. Curran, Republi-
esn-Coslition candidate for the mayor
sny nomination, about four minutes
during his speech az the Bronx County
Republican Club last night to offer
constructive plan. Major Curran re.
;urated his irrevocable stand against
he present traction program, which
takes the power Of dealing with the
problem from the Board OF Estimate
ard vests it in the State Transit Com.
r:se:on. as q great invasion of home
rule, and based his own solution on the
return to power of the Board of Es-
innate to deal with this important city
problem.
Mt. Currar described the growth Of.
the city with lower Menhatt as its
nuclers and EXPLAINED that az result
transit lines had for generations grown
to be Z .tn ana south ines. More re-
Gently. when improved transit was de-
manded by other boroughs. he cor
tinued, transit growth continued to
lines to the other boroughs radiatinc
from this vicinity like spokes from
the hub of s wheel.
Calls It Rimless Wheel
But it was rimless wheel, Mr.. Cur
ran pointed out The traveller from
,he Bronx to Brooklyn had to traverse
d spoke to the hub of the wheal and
then follow another spoke to Brooklyn.
What was needed. said the speaker,
were rims to the transit wheel of the
city, Civ ng the transportation system
spider web design instead of that of
a riuslsss wheel. Future construction
should be undertaken with such plan
IA mind, ne said, and eventually an
adequate transit system would result.
mo remedy Tor our transportati ou
troubles can be really effective unless
Inc csty IS cors'.ited and has power 70
set through the Board OF Estirnste,"
s.id the Borough President. "This city
st never view with confidence the
sorz Of an agencv that is sent down
here from Albany, under the over
soFdshlp OF the state, to do cur own
ioeal work for use in spite Of US. And
Tght mere give you now my own con-
ceptlon OF the ultimate solution of the
whoie problem of overcrowding in New
iess Clty n solving this problem it
is the Board Of Estimate and Appor-
'ioament that must lead the way.
a City OF Islands
the City of New York is essentially
a city OF islands. Among all The five
5oroughs there is only one boundary
between boroughs that is not river
OF bay. That part of the line be-
tween Brooklyn and Queens that lies
between the head of Newtown Creek
which flows into the East River-and
tas mead OF Spring Creek--which flows
mo Jamaica BAYS the one boundary
that Is merely an arbitrary line on the
nap. Inc rest Of our boundaries are
water boundaries and were given to US
y. nature. # there was only a hand
aIi OF people in each of these five
island boroughs the transportation
rom one to the other would not be
,elmcult. We began with ferryboats,
eu'' as the city's population increased
rem decade TO decade, we had to come
W Drldges and then to tunnels. The
opeeo Of TINS lncreasetin population has
sea'stripped our utmost endeavors to
sssp pace With it in the work of gov
stamsnt s,ls We are behind in the con
s.s s.tsuc,ion OF homes, the building of
o.. ss'aoois, in policing, in fire fighting.
w. more than all, in transportation.
We nave never caught up. If we had
NJ even distribution CT population
aa.nohg the five boroughs we should
..a ssis be behind. But let US see what
ne H'tV h"~Hn develoui-e in Man
a~s'ah ssn from the Battery northwsrd, and
s's 'seAd went steadily northward
lCnntInnzd nm ,ana Ah...A