The New York herald., 1921-09-06
CURRAN OUT STRONG
FOR CITY HOME RULE,
INSISTS ON &C. FARE
Joins Other G.. @. p. May.
orally Seekers in Attacks
on Miller's Transit Plan
for Metropolitan Area.
MAKES IL BIG ISSUE
Calls Hylan Chief Obstacle
at Present to New York
Getting Relief From =
Upstate Meddling.
TUBES LOCAL PROPERTY
Borough President Rescnts
Outside Interference With
Subways Bought and <~
Owned by Citizens.
TUBES LOCAL PROPERTY


Borough President Henry H. Cur.
ran came out unqualifiedly yester.
day for absolute home rule for New
York city in It's transit affairs as
well as in other local matters. He
declared himself for the five cent
fare, and in a statement marking
the opening of the last week of
the Mayoralty primary campaign &C.
oused the Hylan administration of
utilizing the home rule" slogan as
d shield for hiding Ignorance, in
competence. petty pickering and
graft"
Mr.. Curran charged that the Mz-yor
ie the biggest obstacle to home rule
now existing in the city, and said
that his lack of ability to grasp tbs
details of city management has set
New York city back a quarter OF
century.
AS for the five cent fare, Mr.. Curran
said he wants it to be known that he
is not repeating five cent fare parrot
like, as some others are lie said
that he believes the best interests os
the city will be served by a nickel
fare, and that with competent man
a2ement the transit companies can
return a profit at that rate.
Real Home Rule IL Issue.
| The campaign issue. he declared ~
actual home rule against upstate
control.
i In his declaration on home rule yes
terday Mr. Curran said:
Home rule for New York city in It's
transit problem and all other local af-
fairs is a vital necessity TO the city's
growth and wel-being. ] am for IL.
always have been, and always will be.
My ten years experience in the actual
work of the city's government has
convinced me that it is both unjust
and unwise to take from the people
or municipality like New York the
power TO settle their own local prob
lens in their own way. -
1T Is unfortunate that such cau.s
as that OF home rule for our city has
been used by the present administration
az shield to shelter ignorance. inccm-
petence. petty pickering and graft.
Mayor Hylan Is the biggest obstacle to-
day in the way Of home rule for New
York city His stupidity. inefficicncy
and general lack Of grasp OF the merest
details OF city management have set us
hao G,.a tn,
We shall never get more home rule un-
der HyIan We shall get less.
"Of course am for home rule in our
transit problem. We have invested
$500. 900, 900 in our subways and almoss
as much in our streets. All OF the sub
ways and most of the streets are used
by private corporations to give us trans
portation We have contracts with these
companies. The transit legislation last
winter vested power In the new Transit
Commission. as the agent of State reg
ulation, TO change these contracts with
out our consent. In my opinion that
legislation was fundamentally wrong.
Taxpayers Rights Involved.
mo emergency can Justify the state
in taking from us the requisite OF our
consent 10 any change in contracts that
we have made. Yet that Is what has
happened. BY we I mean the s.00O,-
900 people OF our city as represented
by our locally elected governmental
agency. the Board OF Estimate and APP
port,onment. We invested our own
money in our streets and subways. II
Is we who use the streets and subways
for travel and II is we who pay the
fares. They are all confined within tho
boundaries of New York.
They are essentially local affairs.
They are dedicated to public use. but
when private companies operate through
them, by contracts entered into in good
faith between those companies and the
city we ought to have something to say
about any change I'm those contracts"
In regard to 5 cent fare Mr.. Cur.
ran stated his position in this way:
with regard to the cent fare am
for IL. and II elected l shall tight for
It. / am not repeating '5 cent fare
parrotlike. as some others are. took
my stand on this question seven months
ago after n years hard study OF the
transit situation. | believe that the best
interests OF the city are served BY a
uniform fare Of cents. and ! believe
that with competent menhgemsnt tne
traction companies can operate on 5
cents AT profit. ! am prepared with
facts and figures TO support what I
believe"
'-rhe issue is real actual home ruls
against upstate control" said Mr.. la
Guardia IN ali his speeches. They are
interested upstate In commissions and
all that Goes with them, and care very
little for New York city and what we
must pay That Il why Il Is necessary
10 give the people of this ciiF the
opportunity they want 10 chang the
administration. but they want TO cha Se
to an administration with a platform
which will save the city and Yith