New-York tribune., 1921-03-30
Lunn and O'Brien Warn
Governor They Will
Take Measure to Court
as Soon as 1t Is Law
Executive Silent
At Long Hearing
Detectives and Troopers
Guard Officials After
Threats of Violence
From, a Staff Correspondent.

Miller will sign the Knight-Adler bill
within the next seventy-two hours, thu
opponents OF the measure, led b.
Mayor George r. Lunn Of Schenectady
and John P. O'Brien, Corporation
Counsel Of New York City, appeared
to-day before the Governor to renew
their protests against the proposed
law. The proponents of the legisla
tion, who were this time headed by
George McAneny, ex-President of the
New York City Board of Aldermen
also made a formal appearance te
urge the Governor TO sign it.
The arguments differed little from
those made for and against the bill
during its progress in the Legislature
Those who had expected the Governor
| disappointed, for during the three
hours OF talk he remained silent, ex-
cept for brief exchange with Mayor
Lunn.
Mr.. O'Brien told the Governor that
New York City and other municipalities
opposed to the bill would take the mat
ter to the courts the moment it became
law, and that the enactment OF the
measure into law would only make mat
ters worse.
Calls Eight-Cent Fare Fancifui
This latter statement was challenged
by Mr.. McAneny, who said that the
transit situation in New York City was
appalling; that roads faced bankruptcy
and the impoverished service was not
only inadequate, but disgrace to the
city. The eight-cent fare cry, he said,
was but fanciful creation Of the oppo,
sition and that whatever increase was
granted would be honestly arrived at.
Less than one hundred attended the
hearing, which was held in the exccu-
tive chamber. Threats which had been
received in the mail by legislators who
voted for the bill were responsible for
the presence of three plain clothes
men around the executive chamber and
a uniformed state trooper at the en-
trance.
Mayor Lunn was the firss speaker. He
began by saying that he did not dig
agree with the Governor on this uues-
tlon merely for the sake of disagreeing.
but because he believed that serious
consequences may develop if the bill is
made law He informed the Governor
that he. for one. would bring action to
test the constitutionality of the act.
We may as we'll for once and for all
find out if the cities have any right of
contract" he said. "If they have not
the sooner we find out the better. IF
We are to be ruled entirely from AL
bany it is better that the cities know
1T now before we enter into any other
contractual relations.
THE time will come, either in this
century or the next, when, under stress
OF economic conditions, the people will
be voting Tor two men, one represent
ing vested Interests pleading for con-
servatlve action, the other represent
ing the demagogue. May the Lord for
bid that we ever have such a state of
affairs in this. state!"
Miller Is Aroused
Governor Miller at this point leaned
forward and inquired:
Haven't we almost got it now?"
eyes," replied Mayor Lunn. 81 feel
we have. We are doing it in this bill.
You ask me if we haven't got that CON
dition now''-
Mayor Lunn did not complete his
sentence, for the Governor once moro
leaned forward, this time with his
clenched fist in front of him on the
table, and interrupted:
"ln which men are making precisely
the same kind Of appeals that YOU pre-
dict might be made under this bill. I
thought you had made the statement,
and have read axgood many things
along that line, you see, even in con
nection with this bill"
well, l don't know" replied Mavor
Lunn. II think an appeal Of that kind
would be unwise and that the man who
makes it is unwise."
II agree with you," said the Gov
crnor.
But we are committing a greater
evil" said Mayor Lunn, when we
strike out the fundamentals of prin-
ciple, and the principle involved here
* that of contract rights. Suppose we
enact this bill into law. What then :?
Some day demagogue will use it a
a precedent and cry:
To he'll with contractsr"
They will point out that wav back
during the administration of Governor
Miller-the conservative Governor
they did not care for contract rights"
Asks Amendment
Raymond B. Ingersoll, speaking for
the City Club of New York, advised the
Governor not to sign the measure, but
to return it to the Legislature so as
to permit amendments which would
provide for larger measure of CO.
operation from New York City officials
Continued on next paps