The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-10-28
Shows How New York Had
Narrow Escape From Gen
eral z Cent Rate.
SOME NOW PAY 10 OR 15C.
G. 0. p. Candidate Gets Warm
Reception at Meetings Held
in Manhattan.

The Boston trustecship traction plan
strongly favored by Mayor John It.
Hylan some time ago, and which raised
the fares in Boston from five to seven
and then to ten cents, was dealt with
IN detail last night by Henry II. Cur
ran. coalition candidate for Mayor, in
speeches in Manhattan. The plan was
put over in Boston. Mr.. Curran de-
clared, by the same Mr.. mcfarland,
attorney in Boston for William Ran
doph Hearst, who was present when
Mayor Hylan had conference in his
Office with the late Theodore p.
Shonts.
1T is significant" Mr.. Curran de-
clared, that the report of the trus-
tees Of the Boston traction system
makes the out and out statement that
1t may be years before the fare is re-
duced. Already thousands of former
passengers refuse to patronize the
system, preferring to walk rather than
be gouged for a 10 cent fare"
After telling in detail how Mr..
Hearst's Boston attorney damned the
trusteeship plan through the Massachus-
sets Legislature and how the stock Of
the Boston Elevated road Immediately
doubled in value, Mr.. Curran went into
the history of Mr.. Hylans agitation for
himself as the original Ave cent fare
man.
What has Mr.. Hylan accomplished
Tor transit Improvement during the four
years now drawing to a closer" Mr..
Curran demanded. "Ill tell you. He has
sat by and watched the fares in Brook
lyn rise from five cents to fifteen cents
He has sat by and watched the fare in
Manhattan rise from FIVE cents to ten
cents because of the abolition of trans
fers. He has sat by and watched the
roads stick on a two cent charge for
transfers. He has sat by and delayed
the building of subways. He has sat
by in his limousine doing nothing. while
the rest Of us have stood up, clinging to
straps.
just Trying to Catch Votes.
'"rhat is what Mr.. Hylan has done for
the straphangers-just that and no
more. That is the record OF thsvaIayof
who talks about phoney Ave cent fare.
while he Is trying to catch your votes,
but who kept his mouth shut three years
ago when he was secretly trying to put
over on you his seven cent fare. That
is the record of the man who fooled the
people once and thinks he can fool the
people again. That is the record of the
fundamental fake that underlies the de-
mand OF Mr.. Hylan that you allow him
to enjoy four years as Mayor Of New
York. His one constructive effort was a
boost for a seven cent fare.
One of the wicketdeSt grabs of the
peoples rights ever put over in this
country was the deal in the Boston
t.. the very same remedy which Hy-
Ian. mcfarland of Boston and Shonts
proposed for New York The planning
of the grab and it's enactment into law
in Boston were accompanied all through
by wholesale stock jobbing. So severely
have Boston's straphangers complained
about the rise in fares and the running
down in service that the Senate and
House of Representatives Of the Com
monwealth of Massachusetts, named a
joint investigating committee in May,
this year, to inquire into the influences
back of the passage of the bill. When
this testimony was all in and some 500
witnesses sworn one of the members OF
the committee declared:
1.-THE prominence and influence of
the members of the Senate who voted
for the bills was such that, had they
opposed the bills. their passage would
have been doubtful. ! find that the
investing or specializing In stock
while the legislation was pending was
contributing influence TO their vote
What are the facts Of the stock job
bling of the Boston L.? The movement
of the bill toward the Governors sigma
turo began about January, 1918. On
January 2, 1918, the Boston IL was
quoted at 81. The act creating the board
of trustees to operate the Boston L sys-
tenn was approved by the Governor on
May 22, 1918. a short time before IIylan
brought MacFarland to New York. On
May 20. 1918. one day after tho bill be-
camc law. Boston l. was quoted at &c.
Doubled Value of Boston "L."
"That is what happened to the trac-
tion stocks In Boston. This bill. which
converted the worn down and obsolete
cars and equipment Of the Boston Il
into a profitable proposition. sent up the
stock of the Boston T. soaring to a
point more than double what 1t was. II
the Boston II securities were worth
$50, 100000 before the bill passed. they
were worth $4,000. 600 when the bill be-
came a law.
''Iu other words, the Boston plan
loaded the roads upon the public In the
cuise Of a trusteeship. That was the
way they fooled the Boston public. And
that is the way they started to fool the
New York public.
'Isor FIVE months Hylan kept hi'
mouth shut about his secret dickcring
with Mr. mcfarland. and IL Shonts
had not revealed the story of the cent
fare. when do you think we would have
heard about these meetings?
These peoples trustees In Boston
were OH the job only one month when
they quickly showed the people who was
boss Within one month after they took
hold the cent fare passed out OF Bos-
ton--some say forever. IL then became
cents. and fcw weeks later II became
cents. and ON July 10, 1919. II became
10 cents. and 1t Is 10 cents to-day, and
II will bo 10 cents tomorrow. and II will
remain 10 cents.
Boston Plan mtg Gold Brick.
"Hylan talks lot about a cent
fare now. but he never mentioned II 10
the people when he was secretly sug-
costing Z cent fare to Shonts. lie
never told the people that he was con-
fcrrIng with the same man who rugged
ND tho law that takes doubled carfarc
out OF every man and woman who rides
on tho Boston elevated road.
lie has been q : cent fare man only