The New York herald., 1921-10-31
CURRAN EROCLAIMS
FIGHT TO THE FINISH
Continued from First Page.

Last winter the transit law was en-
acted at Albany. opposed tnat law
as soon as it was drafted, stating my
views clearly and frankly. not only to ali
the Legislators but also to the Gov
ernor. 1 said it was wrong and unjust
and would take from US our control ovnr
contracts made by us in good faith. and
executed by the expenditure OF millions
or dollars OF our own money. I dis
agreed with members of my own party
and ! still disagree with them. Home
| rule in this respect Is right, and say
that right comes ahead of party. Right
| comes first. What happened? The bill
passed and became a law. I am still
opposed to that law.
When I am elected Mayor propose
| not only to test the constitutionality of
! the transit law but to flght with all the
strength and energy possess to have II
amended, am going to have q bill
| drafted and introduced at Albany re-
storing to our city the control over our
transit contracts that this law took
away from us. shall do everything In
my power to pass that bill. If neces-
sary I shall go to Albany in its behalf,
! and shall make the fight for it there.
DO you realize what 1t means IL we
can secure the passage of such a meas
ure? 1t means that we. the people of
this city, who have built ard paid for
our own subways, will nave the final
word in what Is done, not only with
these subways but with our entire trans
portation system. It means that the
city will participate, with power and
authority. in the development of any
transit plan that may be adopted
Il believe that the welfare of the
city is bound up in this question OF
home rule. Let US keep power close
to the people. Tha. is one of the funda-
mentals OF American government.
when We get this control back, we
shall have the power to keep the FIVE
cent fare. That brings me to the Sec
ond aspect Of this transit situation.
This is a FIVE cent fare town. Our
people will not stand for higher fare.
and neither will I. Nobody is ever
going to be able to build up trans
portation system here that charges more
than nickel. I know that in New
York n nickel Is enough. The five cent
fare is the keystone on which must rest
the future transit development Of our
city. 1t must be retained. and as long
as I am Mayor shall fight to keep IT.
We have built this city, every one OF
the five boroughs, upon this proposition
of a 5 cent fare. 1t should not be taken
from US. 1t will not be, without fight.
VIII stump for Nickel Fare.
Feeling as I do / am ready to stump
this town In opposition to any effort
by anybody to charge more than a
nickel. I can and will carry the fight
throughout the length and breadth OF
every one of the five boroughs, from
Tottenville to the Westchester line, and
from the Hudson River to the Rocka-
ways. With the whole city a unit in
this opposition. there is nobody who
can put over an increased fare.
Now let us turn to the third aspect
OF our transit problem which l have
included in my programme, and which
l believe means much to our city. 1t
is the question Of extended and inn
proved service, not only as regards our
present facilities. but also as to the
completion of the dual subway system,
and the development OF additional rapid
transit lines in all the boroughs.
THE present administration has done
nothing. planned nothing in this respect.
Hylan has refused to build subways II
apparently matters little to him, riding
to and fro in his limousine. that most Of
us have to struggle daily for a strap in
the subway. How could he, racing
through the streets. where policemen
clear the traffic from his path, appre-
ciate the fact that in many of our
boroughs there are communities which
have inadequate rapid transit service
or no rapid transit at all?
Greater New York began developing
in Manhattan from the Battery north
ward, and the trend went steadily up
through the length of this long. thin
island and into The Bronx, and then
the other boroughs were added by con-
solidation. Our transit arteries for
years were north and south lines, and
the great preponderance of our roads
and tubes to-day run north and south
Added to this We have all the lines
rsdiating from lower Manhattan on one
side of the East River to Brooklyn and
Queens on the ether
The result is n transportation sys-
tenn that consists of the hub OF a wheel
that is. lower Manhattan--with spolss
radiating out In every direction from,
the hub end ending In the air. There is
no rim to this wheel; II is only hub and
spokes. Here is city plan that is fatal
on its face to any comfortable transpor-
tauon Of our citizens. If you would go,
say. from Corona to Jamaica, both in
Queens. distance of about five miles.
you must begin at the outer end of one
spoke, in Corona, go down into the hub
IN lower Manhattan and then out an
other spoke through Brooklyn until YOU
land at Jamaica, having travelled a dis
tance Of more than twenty miles.
Transit Belt Lines Needed.
What we need Is a rim to that vhaeI
a Deit line. and then another interior
peit line. between the rim and the hub
so that people going from Brooklyn to
queens may go directly over n cross
town line, instead of having to struggle
through the congested hub OF the wheel
in lower Manhattan. The same holds
true between Brooklyn and Richmond.
There Is my programme. First, home
rule, or local control for our local prop
critics Second. the FIVE cent fare, which
Is the Keystone Of the city's developmcnt.
Third, develop orr rapid transit facili-
ties until all the people Of all the bor-
oughs have equal share In their benerit..
Those three things are fundamental.
We have not yet reached the stage where
the different steps and details of the
procedure toward these ends can be
worked out. The Transit Commission
has presented preliminary outline of a
plan. and suggestions from citizens. criti-
cal and otherwise, have followed the
commissions prospectus.
I'VE need moro such suggestions. so
that the perfected plan may be the prod
uct of the will and tho mind OF all the
people Of the city. Before all else, the
valuation of tho roads must be right.
Every drop OF water must be squeezed
out. II there Is no earning power under