New-York tribune., 1921-10-28
Curran Shows How Mayor
Sat By i'm His Limousine
While Rates Went to 10.
Gents in Many Cases
Gives Details of
7-Cent Grab Plot
Tells How Boston PAYS
Dime Under Plan Oppo.
nent Advocated Here

The story of how Boston got stuck,
and how New York nearly got stuck,
on the transit plan adopted in the for
mer city and suggested for this city at
the secret conference in the City Hall
in August, 1918, between Mayor Hylan,
the late Theodore P. Shonts, president
of the lnterborough Rapid Transit
Company, and G. S. r. Mcfarland,
Hearsts Boston lawyer, was told last
night by Henry II. Curran, coalition
candidate Tor Mayor. Mr.. Curran fol-
lowed up his recent charges of the
dicker between Hylan and Shonts for a
7-cent fare with revelations as to what
might have been foisted on the strap
hangers of New York if the Tammany
Mayor, who now hides behind a scent
fare smoke screen, had carried out the
plan suggested by the Hearst-McFar-
land advisers.
Tn coalition candidate reserved his
punch last night for the big meeting at
Public School 46, St. Nicholas Avenue
and 156th Street. The school audi
torium was crowded to capacity. The
audience broke into cheering and ap-
plause when Mr.. Curran asked the
question as to what Mayor Hylan had
really accomplished for transit i'm
provement during the four years of his
administration, and then told them.
Fares Already Raised Here
"He has sat by and watched the fares
in Brooklyn rise from cents to Is
cents" said the speaker. "He has sat
by and watched the fares in Manhattan
rise from cents to 10 cents because
Cf the abolition of transfers. He has
sat by and watched the roads stick to
the 2-cent charge for transfers. He
has sat by and delayed the building of
subways. He has sat by in his limou-
sine, doing nothing, while the rest Of
US have stood up, hanging on to
straps"
Before going to the public school
meeting Mr. Curran made a stop at the
dinner of the Retail Store Executives
He addressed the diners briefly. His
speech later in the evening follows:
"This is the story of how Boston got
stuck, and how New York nearly got
stuck
Zone of the wickedest grabs of the
peoples rights ever put over in this
country was the deal in the Boston
L. the very same remedy which Hy-
Ian, Mcfarland of Boston, and Shonts
proposed for New York. The planning
of the grab and its enactment into law
in Boston were accom- panied all through
by wholesale stock jobbing. So severe
ly have Boston's straphangers COM
planned about the raise in fares and
the running down in service that the
Senate and House of Representatives
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
named Joint Investigating committee
in May, this year, to inquire into the
influences back of the passage of the
bill. When all this testimony was in
and some 500 witnesses sworn, one of
the members Of the committee de-
clared:
"'The prominence and influence of
the members of the Senate who voted
for the bills were such that had they
opposed the bills their passage would
have been doubtful. l find that the in
vesting or specializing in stock while
the legislation was pending was a con-
influence to their vote
History of Boston Deal
"What are the facts of the stock Job
bing of the Boston T.? The movement
of the bill toward the Governors sig
nature began about January /, 1918.
On January 2, 1918, the Boston IL was
quoted at 81. The act creating the
board OF trustees to operate the Boston
l. system was approved by the Gov
ernor on May %, 1918, a short time
before Hylan brought MacFarland to
New York. On May 23, 1918, one dav