New-York tribune., 1921-03-16
Cries of SSteal,' Threats
of City Revolt Greet
Sudden Rush of Meas
ure to Third Reading
Brooklyn Votes
Assure Victory
Lusk Admits Purpose of
Act Is to Provide for
Increased Fares Here
BY Denis Tilden Lynch

ting that the Knight-Adler bill pro
vlded for increased fares in New York
City, Majority Leader Clayton R. Lusk
advanced the measure to the order of
tnlrd reading in the Senate to-day.
Cries Of "Steal!" and threats of p
revolt by the city, one excited mem Der
shouting that the Boston Tea Party
would have an imitator in a New York
traction party il the bill was passed
mad no effect on the Senate leaders
who whipped the necessary number of
votes into line at six-hour conference
which ended at 2 o'clock this morn
ing.
The Senate-unless there is an over
night change on the part of some New
York City men who have been per
suaded to vote for the bill-will pass
the bill tomorrow.
The leaders plan to have the Assem-
bly, advance the bill to the order OF
final passage tomorrow and pass ot on
Thursday.
Leaders Decide on Haste
This unexpected change in a pro-
gram which did not call for the pas
sage of the bill until next week was
deemed advisable by the leaders after
they saw votes for the measure daily
slipping away from them as the uro.
tests against its drastic provisions be-
gan to pour in on the legislators.
A conference of the majority in the
Assembly showed. how near the leaders
are to defeat Instead of there being
a majority of more than one hundred
Tor the Dill, as was claimed, the sup
port has dwindled to seventy-eight
Ihls is but two votes more than bare
majority
The bill would be defeated but for
the support given the measure by the
legislators controlled by Jacob A. Liv-
lngston, the Kings County leader. Even
the support of the few other legisa-
tors from other parts of New York City
would not be enough to pass the bill
wltnout the Livingston support
The New York City Senators for ths
bill are Maxwell S. Harris. GEORGE
M. Reischmann and William T. Simp-
son, of Brooklyn; Schuyler M. Never
OF Manhattan, and c. Ernest Smith. of
Staten Island
Without the votes of these five to-
day the bill would have failed Of ad
vancement by two votes.
The New York City Republican Sen
ators who stood out against the bill
were Charles C. Lockwood, Alvah "
Burlingame and Abraham Katlin. OF
BROOKLYN; William Duggan and Ward
y. Tolbert. of Manhattan, and John l.
Karle, Of Queens.
All Of the New York Senators who
voted for the bill were silent during
the debate.
The Assembly conference showed but
two men outside OF the Brooklyn mem
bers for the bill These two were ed
ward Rayhcr, the sole member from,
Manhattan for the measure, and Ralph
Halpern, of Queens. The BROOKLYN
men for the bill are Fred A. Wells
James r. BLY,. John A. Warren. Theo.
dore Stitt, James J. Nullan, Leo V
Doherty, James G. Moore, Leon c.
Moses, Walter F. Clayton and Louis
Druss.
Steadily Losing Votes
Without these ten Brooklyn men, md
Mr.. Rayher and Mr.. Halpern, the bill
would lack ten votes of massage in th i.
Assembly.
The other twenty Republicans from
New York City. almost without excep.
ton, were opposed to the bill Only
two or three did not attend the confer
ence.
The leaders decided on the confer
ence in the Assembly to-day when they
found that the mcn were being grad
ually weaned from The support of the
bill because Of the almost unanimous
opposition from New York City and
other cities Of the state
Many of the upstate men Joined vi tn
the New York City men in demandine
that there be no caucus on the bill. de-
tlaclng that to put the party lag on the
measure would be Improper, In view of
the fact that an Increased fare WIS not
Indicated before election
During the advancement OF the bin In
the Senate ITS sponsors give anothe,
reason for the introduction Of the bill
besides increasing rates. The second
reason WAS that they wanted to oto.
tect the health and morals or the work
ing girls and wumen OF New York
city, which, they said, we're endangered
by the niolestations of MEN who rode,
with them n the cars during tho rush
hours. This WAS ridiculed by the o.
position. which was led by Senator viii
tCcntaned oAAt ss1s,