New-York tribune., 1921-02-16
Republican
Club FavOrs
Miller Plan
National Organization Votes
Honorary Membership to
Harding and Taft; Backs
Central Transit Power
Present Neglect Scored
Fears New Burdens for
Rent and Tax Payers, Dis
comforts for Passengers

comforts for Passengers
President elect Warren G.. Harding
and former President William Howard
Taft were elected honorary members
of the National Republican Club last
night at q meeting which gave in
dorsement to the traction reorganiza-
ton plan of Governor Nathan L. Miller.
The bylaws were changed in order to
admit Mr. Harding and Mr.. Taft to
membership, an amendment to the con-
stitution being adopted making every
Republican President an honorary
member.
The resolutions supporting Governor
Miller's traction plan point out that if
some solution of the problems faced by
those furnishing transit facilities to
the city is not made in the near future
"the expense and discomfort of the
travelling public will be greatly in
creased, business and labor retarded,
and additional burdens will be placed
on the rent and tax payers of the city,
who will have to make up in increa ed
rents and taxes the deficit in the city
revenue caused by the failure of the
traction companies to pay the intcrt st
and sinking fund charges on city bo3ds,
amounting to approximately $40, 900 900
annually, and a city investment of over
S2O0,000,000 will be tied up in such
manner that adequate provision cannot
be made for schools, port and terminal
facilities and other needed improve
ments"
Would Guard City's Rights
The resolutions, in declaring the ap-
proval of the club for Governor Miller's
proposal to concentrate in a single
body the power to investigate and
formulate plans for the solution of
transit problems, says that the city
should have the right to decide the
terms and conditions on which it will
extend future credit or make appro-
priations of municipal funds for rail
adversely affecting the right of the
city to returns on money already in
vested in transit shall be taken with
out its consent" Also it is declared
that the power of the committee should
be subject to the constitutional rights
of the city to control the use of it's
highways for railway purposes.
Courtlandt Nicoll, chairman of the
committee on City Affairs, presented
the report of his committee, which
said that receiverships are imminent
among the railroad corporations in
New York that are not now in the
hands of Federal receivers The report
reviews the conditions which have led
to multiple fares If receivers continue
to return transit companies to their
Earlous owners under orders of the
United States courts, the report CON
tinues, transportation as we have
known it will cease" The report saws
that, for example, the Columbus and
t.enox Avenue street car line, running
from Sixty-tifth Street and Columbus
Avenue to 146th Street and Lenox Ave
nue., runs over franchises granted to
four different companies. "The return
OF properties such as this one to their
owners the report says, "would mean
a nearly complete cessation of surface
transportation"
Blames Divided Authority
Wrong foundations and divided re-
sponsibility are blamed in the report
for present conditions. To-day con-
current action is required from the
Transit Commissioner, the Public Ser
vice Commission, and the Board of Es-
innate and Apportionment. In many
instances legislation would still be re-
qMred, even could such harmonious
action be obtained, the report says,
because most of the companies which
received franchises between 1876 and
1907 are not under the jurisdiction of
the Public Service Commission"
The report says that Governor Miller's
plan to have the Legislature gather
all its powers over the city railroads
which it has from time to time vested
in different bodies, and place such
power in single commission, is in line
with the policy of Governor Odell and
Governor Hughes, and "is policy that
has been followed with success by
every state in the Union and by the
government of the United States"
Five-Cent Fare a Myth
The report says that "a fve-cent
fare if paid more than once ceases to
be what its name implies" and that
the single five-cent fare has disap-
peared from many lines. 1t says the
cost of transportation Should be borne
by those carried" and that the tax and
rent payers should not be called upon
to pay part of the cost of transport
ing passengers, "a large number of
whom are neither residents of the city
nor citizens of the state"
The proposition of the Governor, the
report says, does not contemplate in
reference in purely municipal affairs.
as matters affecting public service cor
porations have always been state af-
fairs. The committee asserts that the
disintegration of transportation sys-
TENS is not municipal problem, Hin
spite of the efforts of the present CITY
authorities to becloud the issue with
false cries" eve naturally believe,
however" concludes the report, "that
no additional financial burdens should
be placed on the city without the con-