New-York tribune., 1922-10-20
Smith Invades
.Miller's City to
Hit at Interests
Governor Friendly to Gas,
Traction and Telephone
e Companies, Democratic
Nominee Tells Syracuse
Promises to Undo Wrong
Declares People Dislike
Interference Of State
and Prefer Home Rule
From a STAR corrnsno.,dt

1 SYRACUSE, N. Y, Oct. 19.-Former
Governor Alfred Z. Smith, Democratic
candidate for Governor. came to Gov.
trnor Miller's home town tonight
speaking before an audience of $500
persons at the Wieting Opera House
which was sympathetic to the last de
gree, he took for his chief subject the
public utilities. he charged that the
Governors attitude toward the trac-
tion, gas and telephone companies had
been one of friendliness toward the
corporation interests.
Governor Miller's entire attitude
during his whole administration has
been one of marked friendship to the
public utility corporations" said Mr..
Smith. What better place in the state
to talk on this subject than here in
Syracuse tonight, where the people of
ms own city have been the victims of
his policies of friendship to great cor
porations?"
The car fare in this CITY is now
seven cents. 1t was formerly eight
cents. For many years previously it
had been five cents. The speaker con-
tended that the increased fare had
been brought about by the Syracuse
city officials Themselves through an
appeal to the state for formal approval
OF new rate, in order to allow the
companies to make some needed i'm
provements in service.
State Interference Disliked
u think am entirely within the
truth said the candidate, "when I saw
that great many OF our people never
gid very strongly approve of what they
are pleased to call state interference
with their purely local affairs, but at no
tine In the history Of the Public Serv-
Ice Commission has there been such
abundant reason for dissatisfaction
with 1T as exists among our citizens to-
day. Governor Miller has spoken
about changes in rates made by the
Puf!ic Service Commission during my
administration. He has constantly re-
terred to it as Governor Smiths Pub
lie Service Commission Let me put
the Governor right on history. / had
no public service commission, and in
my two years of office appointed only
two men of the FIVE, one for remark
ably short period.
SoVSruSI. MileTl Weil KNOWS GnaJ
aid not have my way in the framing
Of the public service law under which /
made the appointments in New York
City. He well knows that had a hos
tile Legislature to dead with, and I
was in the position of man who hao
to take the best he could get Had
been given my way ] would have. con-
ferred' greater power upon local au-
thority for public utilities, wholly
within a municipality, as promised by
the Democratic platform"
The Democratic candidate traced the
history of increased fares in this city,
and said that during the experimental
period of Increased fares Governor Mil
ler 'came along with his new corpora
took away from the city of Syracuse
any control it may ever have had by
virtue Of its agreements with the com
panies over the rate of fare to be
charged for the service given
Sees Miller's Answer
"The Governor will say in cxtenua-
tion of that" continued the speaker,
that the new Public Service Commits.
sion reduced the fare to seven cents.
Under the old order four tickets were
sold for 20 cents. That provision was
dispensed with SO that the decrease
given by the new Public Service Com
mission is SO great that when man
rides eight times he saves two cents.
That's not here nor there, however. he
cause obviously / cannot speak with
knowledge of the traction condition in
the city of Syracuse 1t is sufficient
for me, listening to the complaints of