The New York herald., 1922-05-19

layed contract. You have had evidence
that the Board of Estimate still has
power 10 obstruct and that those pow
ers are being exercised.
That obstruction may retard II can
not postpone indefinitely, the working
out OF this great problem" Here the
Governor was stopped again by the
shouts of the audience.
But In the last analysis" the Gov
ernor went on. "the solution of this
problem depends on sound public opin-
Ion. Talk about invading the rights of
the city. talk about invading home rule
NOBODY In his senses could think that
any plan which the city did not want
could be foisted upon II. Nobody from
the outside would dream of undertaking
to solve your problem for you.
When the intelligent public opinion
OF this city Is aroused and demands q
sound solution you will get It, and not
until that opinion demands It. Substi-
tute construction for obstruction and
you can get back gradually to the thing
which will become a reality instead Of
being as now myth. like the 5 cent
fare. with which to de1ude the unthink-
ing people of the town.
THE cent fare has been the shibbo-
leth the myth. I wonder II the people
OF Queens know anything about 5
cent fare. I know that they do not. ex-
cept as they know the number of times
they have to pay the cents. and that
number will continue to increase as
long as the destructive and obstructive
tactics are permitted to prevail
Single system and Fare.
The Governor went over the creation
of the Transit Commission and the situ-
alton here. Instead Of having a plan
for getting people away from con-
gested places. he said, the city has gone
on trying to serve the need at the most
pressing points, thereby adding to the
congestion.
Anybody of intelligence" he added,
"can see the fundamental trouble. 1t Is
perfectly manifest that the proper devel-
opment of this great center of popula-
ton requires a single unified system
serving the public for single fare.
IT am not undertaking to solve your
transit problem for you. 1t is your prob
lem 1t would be violation of home
rule for the Governor to interfere. A
commission has been created endowed
with power to help solve 1t. Nobody
could have created that commission ex-
cept the state Legislature, and that Is
all the State Legislature has under
taken to do, to set up commission or
your own citizens, endowed with power,
which could come from the State Legis-
lature and nowhere else.
"The great problem is now up to you.
to your city administration and to the
Transit Commission, composed of your
own citizens, and in its solution the
Governor of the State is not undertake
ing to interfere. I want that under
stood distinctly.
at is necessary to get the people
away from the congested centers, where
they are now unable to enjoy pure air
and sunshine, out into the wider spaces
which your borough affords, and you
can only do that If you make travel
comfortable. and II you carry the peo-
pie on continuous rides for one fare.
THAT is almost automatic. 1t lies
right on the surface for any one to see,
and It lies undoubtedly at the founda-
tion of the problem. That undoubtedly
spells municipal ownership, because you
can accomplish that only through NUM-
cipal ownership. Your controlling neces-
sity requires municipal ownership.
Queens Borough offers these wide
spaces which the city sadly needs for
it's growing population. No other bor-
ough except Richmond has such unde-
veloped territory, and IL is vitality neces-
sary that your borough shall be de-
veloped It is vitall/ necessary in every
aspect, not merely Industrial, but as q
sociological problem, to insure the COM
fort and the happiness and the health
and the welfare of the millions OF people
around this great centre.
There have been great many mis-
taken notions put afloat with reference