The New York herald., 1921-03-16
MILLER CHARGES
PIER PROFITEERING
Continued from First Page.

edge for al least twenty years the port
problem has been acute In New York.
on the comprehensive problem, which is
much more than the pier problem, moth
ing has been done, 50 far as l know,
except talk"
If the city administration were able
to evolve a comprehensive plan, which
IL has rot done yet. the first thing Il
would have 10 do would be 10 90 TO
Albany for additional power. the Gov
ernor said. The port problem is not a
city problem, but State problem. and
one Of the great troubles in the New
York market is that the producer has
not been considered and attracted The
answer to the high cost OF living in New
York Is found In congested piers.
The Governor continued;
Il wonder II these gentlemen who
make the pueric argument that an
agreement between New York and New
Jersey would be violation OF the clause
as inhibiting the States making treaties
realize where they would come TO II they
could succeed in their contention that
this was q problem which concerned
Manhattan Island alone-because really
that is the limit of the vision OF most
of those gentlemen. l am led to say
that from the observation that they re-
gard the port as the particular property
OF the Island Of Manhattan under its
ancient charters.
Don't these gentlemen realize that
II they could succeed in their conten-
ton that 1t was solely a New York
problem, that they would thus give the
Interstate Commerce Commission the
conclusive reason for reversing it's de-
cision and for granting TO the State OF
icybf al
wonder what would happen to the manu-
featuring Of New York, the greatest
manufacturing city of the country. IL
that was done.
II read In the papers of some gentle
men who are disturbed about the New
Jersey meadows. The manufacturing
industries OF New York would be taking
their flight across the New Jersey
meadows, where they would not have
to bear that freight differential.
Now the problem which you are here
TO discuss to-day with the legislative
committee Is merely a proposal that the
state Of New York and the State Of
New Jersey shall agree to cooperate IN
this undertaking. but 1t can only be
effectively solved by the cooperating OF
the two States That Is all that Is now
involved
1T seems to me that the first thing
10 do In working out a plan is 60 get
transcontlnental lines connected up with
the heart Of the metropolitan district.
The plan seems TO me TO contemplate
too long a tunnel across the bay and
that II would be easier TO avail ourselves
of Staten Island would suggest some
change In the marginal railroad along
the BROOKLYN water front"
Mayor Hylan declared at tho hearing
before the Senate and Assembly finance
committees that II the port develop
ment and transit bills became laws.
court actions to test their constitu-
tionalty VIII be taken. He was sec
orded by Corporation Counsel John p.
O'Brien and other city officials. The
Mayor said that with these two bills
on the statute books the city might just
as well return It's charter to the State.
The people were tired of having their
city run by commissions which do moth
ing but spend the city's money. he said.
The officials were IN an extremely
irritable frame OF mind because OF criti-
cisms which Gov. Miller had directed
at tho city administration earlier In tho
day Comptroller Craig was outspoken
IN his resentment of what ne termed
the "slurs cast on the city officials by
the Governor and the proponents OF the
bill" He said that they sought to
supplant the regularly elected officials
OF the city by a commission. which
would exercise unlimited powers with
out regard to the city's rights"