The New York herald., 1922-03-03
Hylan Is Himself Again.

f When Mayor HYLAN was on his
vacation some of his satellites at
Palm Beach made him ridiculous by
comparing him to LINCOLN and nomi-
mating him for President. About the
same time the Mayors factotum,
| HRsHFIELD, was making the Mayor
a laughing stock at home with his
silly pronunciamentos.
This would have satisfied most
men who are fond of being made to
look foolish. Not so HYLAN. He
must play the clown himself and in
the neighborhood where his antics
will do the city most harm. He
seized the big opportunity to perform
on Wednesday at the New York State
Conference of Mayors in Albany.
The familiar Hylan phrases were
paraded. The Interests" the special
interests, the sinister forces of
greed and corruption" the Sub
sidized press" and the "lickspittle
newspapers" all popped out of the
Mayors box of billingsgate. But
what he went in for particularly and
what must have amused or annoyed
the other Mayors most was his abuse
of the State of New York. In this
respect HYLAy had three distinct
and wonderful fits.
The establishment by the State of
the Transit Commission was de
scribed as a foul blow" a mock
cry of popular government" an 'un
dermining OF our institutions"
seizure Of the peoples property"
and as confiscation. deprivation and
bureaucracy. State appointive bodies
were permitted to rifle and loot, if
so disposed" For audacity, said
HyLAN, 1T almost puts to the blush
anything attempted by JAKE SHARP
and his Doodle Aldermen"
The Mayors Fit No. was caused
by the turning over of gas, electric
light and telephone regulation to the
State Public Service Commission.
I Private gas companies" sobbed the
Mayor. "are charging s125 a thou
sand cubic feet" This must have
given cause for a chuckle to the
Mayors of upstate cities where the
rate is So or more.
Hizzoner writhed terribly over the
Port Authority plan. "The crowning
act of legislative usurpation," he
called it. 1T means" he said, "the
placing Of the people of the city of
New York under the complete and
absolute domination of railroad and
other monopolies." And the State
Port Authority is "a body which does
or will wear the lackey's livery OF
the railroad and privilege hunting
interests" The Democratic Mayors,
who know Al SMITH much better
than they know HYLAN and who are
aware that the former Governor is
IA member of the Port Authority,
must have grinned TO hear.
The Mayors climax was his dec
Iaration that New York. "as result
Of legislative invasion. has been prac-
tically reduced to the condition OF
conquered province" Only the
Hylan imagination is capable of such
stretch.
IL was a laughable and yet a pitt
able spectacle. Here was a Mayor OF
the greatest city in America address
ing the Mayors Of the greatest State
in the Union and telling them that
their State-and his State too, IL
he had the decency to realize twas
fathering graft and plunder. He was
telling the Mayors whose people,
with the people Of this city, make up
the State of New York, that the
State was a thief.
Fortunately most Of the upstate
cities are not afflicted with Mayors
OF the Hylan type. Not one OF them
could listen TO the mouthings OF
HYLAS without realizing the mans
ignorance OF the governmental rela-
tions between States and their cities.
Not one OF them could hear his raw.
ings without wondering that the
State did not exercise its power even
more drastically and jerk HYLAS out