The New York herald., 1922-02-01
Continued from First Page.

iaee question later. Ihat threat Is still
pending.
THE Board of Estimate has opposed
the principle involved throughout" the
sneaker continued. saying that in 1919
the opposition was not TO the treaty
but because there was no plan. Then it
was because the city did not name the
commission and even when II was pro-
posed that the Board Of Estimate pick
two members and the Governor one the
objections continued.
This was In the face OF the fact
that l was Governor then and probably
would not have appointed wild eyed
Republican from the shores OF Lake
Ontario" Mr.. Smith said. He followed
the history Of the treaty and the nego-
tiations.
What has brought the fog into this
issue?" he went on and explained !.
vas the tunnel bill passed last year. tie
sort OF bill always passed when
Mayor is to be elected"
Denies Land Purchase Power.
Taking up the arguments and objec-
t.ons filed by Mayor Hylan and other
city officials, Mr.. Smith denied there
was any power conferred in the bill
for the Port Authority to purchase land
for distributing stations
THE bill can mean only that there Is
authority to acquire a terminal for the
proposed tunnel and you have no man.
date from the Legislature to lease the
tunnel" he said to Craig. He was not
III full accord with the provisions CIV
ing the Governor full authority to ap-
point commissioners. but said that had
nothing to do with the plan.
NO man who has home rule for New
York in the right spot in his heart is
going to see this great principle fall
to the ground because OF some little
defect" Smith said. He told how the
Federal dictator was compelled to unity
the railroads IN the war TO get the
best results
Competition in railroads is one kind
of competition that works against the
people, he said "The railroads will
not classify shipments, there is no spirit
of cooperation among them. Craig says
we are trying to make New York way
station. 1t is a waterway station. This
plan is a declaration of principles to re-
duce costs. In 1913 when l was acting
Mayor New York was walled in by ice
and all the coal and vegetables were
across in Jersey and we could not get
them. There would have been no trouble
under this plan.
Points to Contradfctions.
"All that has been said here could
have been said against the barge canal
The Mayor says we are trying to take
away all the water front from the peo-
pie; Craig says there isn't foot OF
water front involved in our plan. Which
is right?'
Reading from the port act authorizing
the Improvement Smith showed the Port
Authority cannot take away a cents
worth of city property or In any way
impair the rights OF the city. He added
Even n truckman can understand
some OF the fundamental things in this
question. These are that the whole plan
must be carried through with the least
possible destruction Of existing property:
before construction It must be made
available for all and no part shall be
started unless proven sound economi-
cally. II we came up here and sug-
gested the credit of the city be pledged
for building railroads we would have TO
duck bombs alIsthe way TO the station.
''You are asked tosforget all that has
been done to repudiate our treaty with
Jersey. Why did we join New Jersey
in the holy bonds OF wcdloci only TO
kick her out the next day? The Board
OF Estimate knows 1t has not the au-
thority TO go ahead with its plan and
are here asking for more authority. l
would not object TO amending our plan
to take in the best OF the city plan; we
have no patent on this thing.
shows City's Limitations.
'T always talk politics when I get
back here. Both political parties prom
iscd to carry out this plan and we are
here to-day TO report we have carried
out the pledge of the Democratic party.
The Legislature cannot seriously con-
slider giving one job TO two agencies.
The city cannot build the classification
yards needed on the New Jersey side.
and cannot make the railroads do it.
Poor old Manhattan, DIR. Berg stands
up here and shouts for four million folks
in Manhattan and I don't believe he ever
looked at the plan
Julius Henry Cohen, counsel for the
Port Authority. discussed the taxation
question. f. II. Outerbridge presented
the long report of the commission.
"The proposal of the Board of Esti-
mate cannot in any manner be con-
sidered a plan for the comprehensive de-
velopment of the port of New York."
said Outcrbridge. mo plan can be said
to be comprehensive that fails TO pro-
vide for the whole OF the port district.
The city's proposal. including as il does
belt railroad in New Jersey which
does not coordinate the terminal facili-
ties of the port district. that would oc-
casion more serious delay to traffic than
occurs under present methods OF opera
ton, that fails to relieve congestion
and that in no way provides a solution
or the Manhattan problem. cannot be
seriously considered as a comprehensive
plan to lift from the commerce and in
dustry OF the port the burden OF ex-
cessive costs that II now bears"
Says City IL FIouted.
"The city rightly views with dlstrust
the dubious and complicated language
of this act" the Comptroller said. when
| Gov. Miller came into office the Legis-
lature struck out in toto that the con-
sent OF New York was needed for any
thing In the project The cooperation
OF the city has been flouted. Where Is
that an offer OF cooperation?
This might be called a bill 10 insure
! deadlock on port development. II is
made up of a lot of truisms intended TO
reassure every little district around the
city. Not twelve inches Of bulkhead or
piers are included in the whole plans.
II hooks up the back doors of some mer-
chants with the railroads: II proposes
to correct all the inequalities OF nature,
to turn the Hudson River through the
Hackensack Meadows and make the