The New York herald., 1921-02-24
ASSEMBLY UPHOLDS
MILLER ON TRANSIT
Test Vote, 90 to 40, on Trans
fer Of Bill Indicates Sup
port for Governor.
SURPRISE BY CITY MEN
Is Metropolitan Republicans
Line Up-Tammany Forces
a Showdown.
Special Despatch 10 THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Alhnny. Feb. q (

New York Herald Bureau
Albany. Feb. 81.
Ninety-two Assemblymen voted to
sustain the Republican administration
day on the first test of strength on
the Governors transit problem. Only
forty lined up in the negative. This
is accepted as fairly indicative of the
support the Governor will get in the
Assembly when his bill is presented
for final passage.
The showdown came Unexpectedly
on a motion by Assem- blyman Peter
Hamill, Tammany member from New
York, to discharge the Judiciary Com
mittee from further handling the trac-
tion bill and referring the measure to
the Railroad Committee.
The purpose was to get line on the
attitude of the Assembly. Tammany
found out where it stood The big
surprise of the vote was that sixteen
New York city Republicans voted to
uphold the Governor. for that was
what the motion amounted TO, while
metropolitan district were against the
majority leaders.
The latter are counted as about the
only loss the majority will sustain
The twenty eight Democrats also can
count on the three Socialists votes.
May widen Com Missions Power.
Gov. Miller said this afternoon that
the new transit commission may ex-
tend its authority to the Westchester
county and Long Island transit COM
panies tapping the city.
Provision is made in the bill that the
commission may deal with corporations
whose lines operate in part in the city
or which connect with lines operated
wholly in the city. This would take in.
under strict Interpretation, several lines
north Of the city and on Long Island.
Steam railroads. such as the New York
Central and the Long Island lines, are
under the authority OF the upstate COM
mission.
The Governor said ne had not consid-
cred who would be the spokesman for
the administration az the hearing on
the transit bill to oppose Senator Hiram
Johnson
There will be no star orator to COM
bat Senator Johnson the Governor
commented. "I do not believe the bill
needs any oratorical star. II speaks for
itself"
The Governor was asked whether
William ID. Guthrie had been selected
TO make the main argument for the pro-
ponents of the bill. He said that the
spokesman certainly should come from
New York.
When Assemblyman Harnill made
his motion there was a large attendance
Of members who had been ordered BY
special messages to be in their seats
for the roll call to-day on the daylight
saving repeater. The chamber was
crowded. When the motion was offered
there was an exciting moment the lead
ers being taken entirely off guard But
the line held.
The Democrats had two purposes in
view. One was by springing the motion
to stampede some of the New York
members into the opposition camp and
get them on record The other was
their desire to get the bin out OF the
Judiciary Committee, which approves
the measure, and into the Railroad Com
mittee
Arguments by the Minority.
"The Railroad Commission IN better
qualified to pass judgment on this tran
sit bill" Charles ID. Donohue. minority
leader, said. Eight OF the thirteen
members of that committee come from
New York. The opposition TO discharg-
ing the Judiciary Committee must be
due to the fact that the ma jority leaders
here believe that the New York city rep
resentatives are not fitted 10 decide the
merits OF the bills dealing with New
York"
Three New York members sit In the
Judiciary Committee. II the bill could
be referred TO the Railroad Committee
there is doubt If II would make a big
difference. II might be possible In that
committee 10 block the measure or at
least 10 amend II 10 the point OF making
Il ineffective.
Mr. Her. tie majority leader ex-
plsined that the Judiciary Committee
had been working hard on the measure
and was preparing for public hearings.
He opposed the motion and called on his
associates to defeat u.
Here IL the vote:
Against the liamill motion Repub-
Continued on Fiffh pooe.