Daily Kennebec journal., 1921-10-24
Nickel Fare Is
Big Issue in
New York Election.

New York, Oct. 23-The nickel fare
appears to be very real issue in New
York's stirring mayoralty campaign,
now drawing to close.
There are many other ~weighty is
sues and all the candidates may not
admit ~ the fare problem is upper
most, but it is the subject most
talked about just now.
AS several millions of persons have
to travel to and from work each day
on the subway, elevated or surface
lines. the fare question Its the pock-
etbook and accounts for the general
interest.
Mayor John F. Hylan. who is seek
ing reelection on the Tammany
ticket, long ago proclaimed himself
the original champion Of the five
cent fare. He fought attempts Of the
various companies to raise the fare
in war days and carried his fight to
the Legislature. 3.
His opponents, however, have not
been lacking in political sagacity,
and they too have pledged themselves
to a nickle fare. But the mayors
supporters claimed the enemy stole
his thunder and have charged that
the promises of some of the candi-
dates have been made for campaign
purposes only.
Additional interest was created re-
Gently when the Transit Commission.
appointed by the Legislature to in
vestigate the traction lines, recon-
mended that the five-cent fare be re-
tanned for one year. pending hnal
decision. The recommendation was
made in preliminary report. and
the mayors supporters promptly
raised the cry that the report was is
sued to influence votes. They assert
ed that loophole was left whereby
+: the fare might eventually be in
creased. The Commission, in reply.
; denied that any ulterior motive was
| involved.
! The Commission, in its report, also
! recommended that the lines be mu-
! nicipally owned. This caused an
/ other hot rejoinder from the mayors
adhercnts, who said the mayor was
an advocate of city ownership.
| Major Henry H. Curran, the Re
=
! the nickel fare and has endorsed, in
the main, the principal features of
| the Transit Commissions findings.
But the mayors admirers charge that
Major Curran represents the "Trac-
ton Crowd" and that if he becomes
| mayor, the fare will be increased.
Major Curran denied he represented
any one and said he would stand by
his pledges, if elected.
AS corollary to the fare issue,
the question of Home Rule is in
volved. Mayor. Hylan has claimed
| that the city should run its own af-
| fairs, that the farmers in the Legis-
| iature do not know the needs of the
| busting metropolis. He has chafed
! at the charter restrictions imposed
| by the Legislature and his appeal for
| genuine home rule has been echoed
| by. the Tammany organization. But
! Major Curran, too, has come out for
| more home rule by the city.
! The other issues have been devel-
| oped to some extent by the findings
| Of the legislative committee, headed
| by Senator Schuyler NJ. Meyer, which
was named to investigate the Hylan
| administration. The mayors friends
lave claimed this committee was ap-
pointed ito set something on Hylan,"
a charge which was empha tically de-
MED. Although the principal officers
of the city have been called upon 20
| testify before the committee. and
some testimony has been adduced
tending to show irrcgularity in the
! police, dock and market departments,
no indictments have been asked
Major Curran, who has long been
| connected with the city government
| in various capacities, has claimed
| that Mayor Hyland's administration
! has been inefficient, that the vast
| problems involved were too weighty
tor a short sighted administration"
/ to handle. He has pointed out that
the running expenses of New York
amount to nearly a million dollars a
day and that the business of being
mayor simply means the immediate
application of business methods,
with regard to planning for future
growth and development.
Major Curran has pleaded for more
schools-pointing out that thousands
of pupils are on part time-and has
called for business methods in. hand
ling the housing problem.
The five other candidates have so
far taken but little active part in the
campaign discussions. The Socialists.
however. through their mayoralty
candidate, Magistrate Jacob Panken,
have come out for a five-cent fare.