The New York herald., 1922-08-31
McAneny Says Impossible
ity Of Scheme Proves 1t
Only Propaganda.
WARNS OF FALSE HOPES
Acting Mayor Asserts Commits
sion Must Go if 1t Obstructs
City's Proposals.

Acting Mayor Murray Hubert,
President of the Board Of Aldermen,
virtually confirmed yesterday the as
sertion published by THE NEW York
HERALD on the authority Of close
associate Of Mayor Hylan that the
Hylan transit plan Is launched pri-
marily as political propaganda to in
fiueuce the coming fall campaign.
At the conclusion of a dictated
statement made public by Mr.. Hubert
he said: IF the commission attempts
to obstruct the comprehensive plan of
the administration for new subway
construction It will be the duty of the
people this fall to elect State officials
who will pledge themselves to abolish
the State Transit Commission and
turn over its functions to the local
, authorities--the Board of Estimate
and Apportionment."
His statement follows:
State Transit Chairman McAneny
must be in a panic over Mayor Hylan's
plan for new rapid transit lines. In
twanty-four hours he has completely
turned turtle in his comment and opin-
ion Of the plan. Within a few hours
after the publication OF the plan on
Monday Mr.. McAneny was referring to
1t as worthless silly ludicrous and
ridiculous Yesterday he changed his
tune and tried to claim. credit for at
least part Of the Mayors plan for the
engineers of the Transit Commission.
In his new statement Mr.. McAneny
takes back all the hard characteriza-
tions credited to him and says he never
used the language quoted in the news
papers.
The Issue of Authority.
1.-THE plan is so big and so carefully
thought out that don't wonder Nc
Aneny now tries to get his engineers in
on part Sit at least even, though he
says they suggested some Of the routes
before he (McAneny) became a MEM
ber of the Transit Commission. II they
did. so much the better fer them. From
my examination Of the plan 1t Is very
evident that the Mayor selected the most
logical routes In all boroughs. BY pro-
posing First avenue and Tenth ave-
nue. through route the Mayor has
widened out Manhattan Island to its
fullest width for rapid transit purposes.
'In planning a direct route between
Harlem. Washington Heights and The
Bronx to Queens and Brooklyn by way
OF triborough bridge and a tunnel
from College Point, L. L.. to Clason
Point, The Bronx. the Mayor will relieve
the strain Of subway traffic through
lower Manhattan Island.
"Mr. McAneny is very particular to
point out that the Mayor and the Board
of Estimate will not be able to carry
out their plan without the approval OF
the State Transit Commission. He
claims that the Board OF Estimate has
no legal sanction to do so on It's own
account. We will cross that bridge when
we come to 1t.
THE people of this city want new
subways. They want them in the proper
places and they want them as quickly
as they can get them Mayor Hylan's
plan provides for subweys in the right
places. and all that is needed Is public
commendation. the voting of the appro-
priation by the Board OF Estimate and
Apportionment and the approval Of the
State Transit Commission. If the COM
mission attempts to obstruct the COM
prehensive plan OF the administration
for new subway construction 1t will be
the duty OF the people this fail to elect
State officials who will pledge them
mission and turn over Its functions to
the local authorities--the Board Of Es-
innate and Apportionment"
McAneny's Criticism.
George McAneny. chairman of Gov.
Miller's Transit Commission. issued the
following In reply:
II fail to get any head or tail out
of Mr.. Hulbert's statement. certainly
have not reversed myself or withdrawn
anything I have said about Mayor Hy-
lan's so-called plan: and what I have
said Is not a circumstance to what l
propose to say about II as time passes.
My criticism. of course, related TO
the scheme itself, financially and an
operating proposition. 1t Is Impossible
In both respects. The matter of laying
out routes for lines to be built. when
they can be built. within the next fifteen
years. is another question.
ANY one can make a map, and make
n It as broad and big as the paper will
allow. AS / have said, so far as the
principal lines and the localities to be
served are concerned, the Mayors par
ticular routing plan copies plans that
the transit engineers have had before
them for years. The commission. there
fore. viii undoubtedly find that 1t Is In
complete agreement with the Mayor on
many ut the lines III MS iStr l'T tic
simple reason that they prove to be
lines that either II, or its predecessors,
have already approved. If there are diff
ferences of opinion about others. very
possibly changes or notifications may
ue made.
''In this respect, a. l have pointed
out, the commission is thoroughly OPEN
minded and quite prepared to cooperate
with the Board or Estimate in providing
lines without limit so long as the money
Is az hand to pay for them.
THE thing chiefly to be criticized In
the Mayors plan. aside from the fact
that II would tear TO pieces what Is
loft OF the common Ave cent fare sys-
tenn, is that the city can neither finance
nor build the lines he promises To de-
ceive the hopes OF tho people who are
appealing for more transit with promises
OF this sort made, as II now appears.
for purely political reasons, is inde-
fensible"
From the Mayors office In the City
Hall Secretary Sinnott sponsored the
statement that he and a force OF
stenographers have been swamped since
Monday with requests for copies OF the
Mayors transit plan. In order to meet
this demand" the statement asserts,
"the plan Is being set up in type and
will be ready for distribution In printed
form In few days."