New-York tribune., 1922-01-10

expensive. The resulting burden Of cx-
pense and loss falls upon the commerce
OF the country. upon consumer and
producer alike. for New York is the
great distributng receiving and manu-
facturlng center. That burden taxes
one means of earning a living and di-
fectly adds tc the cost Of living Of the
s,ooV0oo inhabitants Of the port dis
trict. Every article consumed or manu-
1actured IN the district, every article
which comes to or passes through tho
oistrict, pays tribute.
Sh'pplng is leaving the port. Com
merce is seeking other outlets to the
sea- But incapable itself of affording
any relief, the New York City admin
istration not only refuses to eco
operate. but for partisan reasons at
tcmpts to obstruct any constructive
cHor' to solve a problem which is
ai'ncu't enough at best and in the solu-
t'oh OF which politics should plav no
part whatsoever. Its obstructive tactics
prevented action on the report of the
bl-State Commission in 1919. Again
slm'iar tactics prevented the MAKING
OF a compact between the two states
IN i92o. Those tactics did not prevail
with the Legislature of 1921. They
nave now taken on a new form, for
which an opportunity was presented hv
1.
provided TOR the construction of a
freight and passenger tunnel between
the ooroughs of Richmond and Brook
iyn. signed thai bill! though CON
scious of its defects. in the hope that
- might stimulate study which would
iead to the construction of the long
diScussed and sadly needed Staten
Island tunnel and in the furthc hope.
though | cannot say in the expectation,
Ih1t the city nd jcir \
Ter and cooperate with the Port
Authority. if not with the Transit
commission, and that plan would be
devised so as to bring the tunnel prof
Get Into proper relation to the two
great problems of development Of port
snd transit faclitics'
Hslan Tactics Analyzcd
But thc city administration used the
authority conferred by the act not to
construct the Staten Island unnel not
20 prepare Tor the construction of a
tunnel. either freight or passenger. not
even to discover the defects in the bill
with the view 20 have them remcdied,
oVt solely to prepare a plan for port
Developments which is obviously
brought forward for no other purpose
than 90 frustrato the work OF the Port
Authority and, If possible. prevent the
adcptlon of its plan. The bad faith of
TINS rew proposal is sufficiently dis
clcscd By the tact that as reported it
involves an issue OF the corporate g
stock OF the city TO an estimated
amount of S225. 900 600. which is much
beyond the borrowing capacity OF the
city. and will continue Indefinitely be-
NonG its borrowing capacity unless pre-
vision IS made TO release the credit Of
thc city now frozen II unproGuctivc
subway bonds. II is reported that an
appeal is to be made 20 The Lerisla-
ture 10 authorize such an issue Of COR
poratc stock. have TO assume that
those making the appeal know that all
the Legislature can do in the way ci
increasing the debt limit is to submit a
proposed constitutional amendment to
the people. which viii require al least
two wears. even Supposing that any one
Of sense would look with favor upon a
proposal to increase the debt limit.
The chief engineer of the city urges
the pressing necessity of port i'm
provement, and suggests AS substitute
for the Port Authority already created
that a new state be organized COM
prising the 105 munici ipalities within
the port district. MEANWHILE it is pro-
posed by the New York City admins
tration that it is suitable agency to
undertake the development OF port fa-
clltles IN a district comprising parts
of two states and 104 municipalities
besides the City of New York. and to
coordinate the terminal facilities Of
the trunk railroads. most of which
terminate in the State of New Jersey.
Last year the bill authorizing the
compact between the two states was op-
posed by the city administration. on
the ground that it violated home rule.
After its passage and whtn the ques-
ton Of its approval by Congress was
pending the city's opposition to such
approval was put upon the ground that
the compact was an interference with
the Federal power to regulate inter
state commerce.
City's Rights Not Infringed
The truth is that no power, no right
no property Of the city IS to be inter
fered with, and the powers Of the Port
Authority are such that they could not
be exercised by the local administra
ton of one of tllc municipalities in
volved, even assuming that such agency
IEzszGEI I.z.z.qu z........s