New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-05-15
City Is Shaping g
Its Own Transit
Plan,SaysHylan
Mayor Declares Program
for the Extension Of Ex-
listing Smbways Will Be
Made p II bile Soon
Assails the State Board
Charges Commission Pro-
posal Is Drafted Purely
for Benefit Of 'tInterests''

Mayor Hylan yesterday issued a
statement attacking the Transit Com
missions plan for new rapid transit
lines, and declared that it was in
tended for political purposes on the
eve of state election and for the
benefit of the "interests."
The Mayor declared that the city
authorities were now at work on plan
for an extension of existing subways,
and that they would make known the
details of this program in short
time. He said that the city had the
money and the credit to do this work.
He ended his statement with the
charge that the Friendly traction
press was misrepresenting his atti-
tude on the removal of existing ele-
vated lines, saying that while he was
for their complete removal, that this
would only happen after new subways
and busses-all y-owned had been
, provided.
City-Owned System
Mayor Hylan's statement, in part,
follows:
at is inevitable that the city will
ultimately operate as we'll MS own all
subway lines and a city-wide bus sys
TEN. With this prospect in view. it
is unwise and unthinkable for the City
Of New York to accept program of
rapid transit construction that is CON
ceived on any other basis than that
of municipal operation and municipal
ownership. The city will not take over
though the State Transit Commission
is trying hard to compel the city
to do SO.
"The city's program is to begin at
once the construction Of rapid transit
lines, having constantly in mind the
rights Of the city to recapture existing
lines. This program is to construct
these additional facilities in such Sc
quence as to make them part of q com
pete and comprehensive system Of
transportation, including recaptured
| hnes. exclusively owned and operated
by the City of New York.
Would End Mortgaging Credit
The city's program will put an end
to the mortgaging Of hundreds of mil
lions of dollars Of the city's credit to
the uses and for The benefit Of private
operating companies who now escape
taxation on the ground that they are
operating city property. The city's
program can be completed with great
er speed than can the suggestion Of
the State Transit Commission. We will
coordinate new and immediate con
struction with the periods Of recapture
under the present contracts.
"The State Transit Commissions
suggestion fixed from three to five
years for construction. These periods
are fixed mainly for publicity effect.
Some of the lines of the present sub
way have been building nine years and
are not finished yet.
Bars Private Operators
"The State Transit Commissions
suggestion does not disclose by whom
and on what basis the proposed new
lines will be operated when con-
| structed Previous unofficial propa
ganda indicates, however, that the new
lines, if built and if they can be manip-
ulated, will be leased out to private
operators as part Of the Transit Com
missions impracticable 'unification'
scheme This is the basic feature Of
their scheme.
I'VE will appropriate money for new
and extended subway lines and trans
portation facilities. But we will do so
only on the basis of city ownership and
city operation. In this our plan for
new and extended rapid transit lines
! differs fundamentally from that Of the
! State Transit Commission.
"The city will not put its resource 8
behind any scheme FOR the financial
benefit of private operators. The city
/ is through with such disastrous part
ncrship arrangements. All future
t Transportation improvements in this
city must be on the basis OF city opera
| ton. as we'll as city ownership. This
will end once and for all the evils, ex-
: ploitation, indecencies and inadeQuacies
of service that attend private opera