New-York tribune., 1921-02-05
organizations extending their hearty
support Of his stand. - .

support OF mis- stand. e~lv ss+ta |
The letters deal with all the various
phases, OF tho rapid transit tangle-
from finances TO facilities, from poll
tics to Public Service Commission
control, and their writer's urge the
Governor not to recede an inch In hin
fight for the adoption Of hts program.
There is nothing stereotyped about
these letters, Some of them discuss
the traction situation in way that
reveals keen insight and close study
OF the state Of affairs, while others hit
straight from the shoulder in forceful
English,
''Diek" Butler, Leaders of the West
Side longshoremen's organization and
once one of former Governor Smiths
warnest admirers, assures the Cover
nor OF his hearty support In his plan to
put transportation in New York on
better plane.
Tongue-Tied the Home Rule Bunch
He characterixes Governor, Miller ms
d political Babe Ruth" congratulates
him on the way he "handled the plunder
bus mob" and assure him that he has
"tongue~tied the home rule bunch"
u understand the Mayor only talks
to himself since he met you," says Mr..
Butler. He refers to Mayor Hylan's
recent visit to Albany when he APP
peared before the Governor to seek the
latter's support for legislation permit
ting the City of New York to operate
municipal-owned bus lines.
"You are political Babe Ruth" he
continues; "you got onto their curves
and put the Hylan battery on the fritz.
| Why don't Hylan get after his Com
| missioner of Sewers and fish out the
ballots of yours that were deposited in
the sewer instead of the ballot box?
Look out for any home rule that
comes from Fourteenth Street; that's
where our Mayor graduated from and
where he learned the golden rule"
Haley Fiske, of the Metropolitan
Life Insurance Company, believes the
inal and will, if carried out. meet the
situation. He speaks largely for the
investor when he says:
The hopeless muddle of the local
authorities has, of course, you we'll
recognize, endangered the interests of
security holders, of which this COM
pany is one"
/ Opposes Divided Jurisdiction
The arguments of those who claim
that the city will be robbed of its
| rights If it is deprived of control over
transit matters now vested in the
Board of Estimate and Apportionment
~. T..
mer New York City Comptroller
Since the passage of the rapid tran
sit and Public Service Commissions
laws" writes Mr.. Metz, "the state has
had jurisdiction subject only to con-
currence by the Board of Estimate in
certain specific matters. A divided ju-
1lsdiction always has made possible
agitation for or against one of the
bodies for political purposes. 1t ought
10 ho okN1t cha
that would be frme from political influ-
ence or local advantage to limited Sec
tions"
I. H. Roberts, of the Brooklyn Board
of Trade, declares he cannot under
| stand why "our so-called Republican
leaders should oppose in any form a
reasonable settlement of our traction
difficulties. Common sense ought to
prevail in all these matters, regardless
of politics."
"The voters can be trusted If they
are given the facts" asserts Arnon L..
Squires, of Brooklyn, who praises Gov
ernor Miller's determination to lift the
traction question out of politics.
Entitled to Party's Support
"While l am good Republican," he
continues, "I am disgusted with the
attitude taken by some of the members
of the Republican party from this city
You deserve and are entitled to the
united support of your party. The vot-
ers can be trusted IL they are given
the facts"
"You will live by the enemies you
make" writes Asbury Lester, of New
York. "You are right on the traction
question"
Unqualified approval of the Cover
nor's program is expressed by Leslie ].
Tompkins, one Of the pillars of Tam
many Hall and former New York Coun-
| ty Assistant District Attorney. He
terms the Governors message "the
first indication of light upon very
dark horse on which we have been rid
ing for long time"
Other Endorsements were received
from the following: William Copeland
4 Dodge, former Democratic State Sem
ator from Brooklyn; William Barclay
Parsons, builder of the first subway;
William Raymond Bu1ling, president
Brooklyn Real Estate Board; Stephen
H. Tying, president New York City Real
Estate Board; William D. Judson,
Brooklyn Board of Trade; Edward
Reynolds, vice president Postal Tele-
graph and Gable Company; Martin
Sake, former chairman of the State Tax
Commission; the board of governors
of the Real Estate Investors of New
York, and William F. McRae, Of the