New-York tribune., 1921-02-28
Propose 50
Traction Bill
Amendments
knight and Adler Complete
Miller Program for Hear
ing Wednesday, Largely
by Clarifying Details
Seek to Close Loopholes
Stipilations Made Setting
A s i d e Conflicting Pro-
visions of Other Laws
From a star Correspondent

ALBANY, Feb. Ex-senator John
knight and Assemblyman Simon L.
Adler, who introduced the bill embody-
ing Governor Miller's program for es-
tablishing a New York City Rapid
Transit Commission and the reorgani-
cation Of the upstate Public Service
Commission, tonight announced
series Of fifty amendments to the bill.
The amendments are largely tech
nical and in the main tend to strength
en- the bill here and there or to clarity
certain points. The most important
was the one made public last Monday,
specifying that the Rapid Transit Com
mission will not have power to grant
a temporary fare increase, but that any
increase if made shall be part of the
general plan Of readjustment
Another amendment changes the
time for the reorganization of the up
state Public Service Commission. The
original provision was that the new
commission, which is to have supervi-
sion over all public utilities except
transit lines in greater New York,
should be established within thirty
days after the enactment Of the bill.
This period is extended to ninety days,
the reason being that the present COM
mission has a number of important
cases which it should be given time to
dispose Of.
Clarifies Securities Proviso
One OF the amendments applies to the
section which exempts transit securi-
ties issued under the reorganization
plan from organization and mortgage
taxes. The provisions of this section
q n "a n oH hU lot hot
act or part of an act which would levy
mortgage and corporation taxes upon
transit property taken over by New
York City shall have application "to
the rights, powers and obligations con-
ferred or created by this article or to
any proceeding taken hereunder"
Precautions to eliminate any possible
chance that the opponents of the plan
might find some loophole to block the
accomplishing of the purposes of the
proposed law are taken in another
tion in the bill under the heading:
inconsistent laws inapplicable." The
section reads:
the provisions of any act or parts
of acts, including the greater New York
charter and Article ga of the general
city law, as added by Chapter 247 of
the Laws Of 1918, which are inconsist-
ent with this article, and in so far only
as they are inconsistent with this arti-
Gle, shall have no application to the
rights, powers and obligations conferred
or created by and under authority of
this article or to any proceedings taken
Hereunder"
Commission Powers Ampiified
Amplifcation Of the powers of the
commission in regard to the prepara-
tlon of proposed plan of readjust
ment is contained in another amend
ment which takes out the wording that
the transit readjustment plan "shall
contain provisions for the accomplish
ment of a transit reorganization" and
substitutes instead "shall contain pro-
visions which in the Judgment of the
commission will accomplish" the carry
ing, out of the reorganization plan.
Protection TO contractors is provided
in an amendment to the section pre-.
scribing that the right of termination
shall be reserved by the city In its
leasing of traction lines through an
must contain "provison for making
good to the contractor his investment
under such contracts" It is also speci-
fed that all leases must be limited TO a
definite term.
The amendments announced bring
the bill into it's final form and its
sponsors are now ready to meet the
arguments which will be made against
it at hearing here WEDNESDAY. Sena-
tor Hiram w. Johnson, of California.
and Mayor Hylan will lead the opposi-
ton, 1t is understood that the pro-
ponents of the measure will have eX-
perts here to present their side and
give thorough explanation Of it's pro-
visions,