The New York herald., 1922-11-10
Smith TO END STATE
CONTROLOF TRANSIT,
PORT And UTILITIES
Expects Republican Home
Rule Bloc to Swing
Assembly Vote.
HAS SENATE CLINCHED
Move to Abolish Commits
sions Due When Legis-
lature Meets.
no KILL STATE DRY ACT
Governor-Elect Leaves To-day
for Secret Golf in New
Jersey.
no KILL STATE DRY ACT

Complete independence Of Albany in
handling subway. port development
and all other public improvements
classed as purely municipal will be
granted to New York under the home
rule measures likely to be proposed
in the Legislature almost as soon as
Alfred F.. Smith and the Democratic ad-
ninistration take Office on January 1.
Their hold on the State Senate
clinched yesterday by final returns,
and with a possibility that contests In
several districts might give them
control of the Assembly, too, the
Democrats began framing campaign
promises into tangible form.
Mr.. Smith will leave to-day for a
rest until next Tuesday. He will go
TO quiet place he picked In New
Jersey where the job hunters cannot
reach him With him will go Charles
NJ. Winchester of Albany, defeated for
Congress on the Republican ticket:
William II. Humphreys. formerly chief
of police of the New York Central;
James ]. Riordan. president OF the
United States Trucking Corporation.
and John L. Gilchrist. Commissioner
of Licenses. They will play golf for
three days.
SlIzer visitor.
Among. those who visited Mr.. Smith
yesterday at the Biltmore were George
s. Silzer Governor-elect of New Jersey.
,ir. smith will keep his apartment at
the Biltmore for the next month, and
there will hold his conferences framing
his program and picking those he is to
appoint to State offices. He decided that
1t would not pay to open his Oliver
street house for the short time before
going to the executive mansion. His
summer home at Sea Gate will be ;ept
open and he will speno the next few
week ends there.
The State policy which was estab b.
ished by Charles L.. Hughes when Gov
ernor fifteen years ago OF exercising
general supervision over municipalities
in the matter OF public utilities in all
probability will undergo complete
change
The Public Service law, first written
by Hughes. Is to be stricken from the
statute books as almost the first act Of
the incoming administration. Tho pro-
posal which Is now favored and which IN
all probability will be enacted Will give
the cities complete authority - handle
their own transit problems. build subways
where and how they please, deve-op the
port as they wish, and similarly deal
with other utilities confined within the
border of the municipality.
There will be state Commission TO
exercise regulatory power over the teIe-
phone. intercity lighting and power. COR
porafions and other concerns.
To End Long wrangle.
The long wranglc between the Board
OF Estimate and the Transit Commits
sion and che Port Authority will be
brought to an end, II is expected, by
giving the Board OF Estimate full juris-
dictlon in dealing with suLways and the
pert. The Transit Commission as now
established is to go. Tho Port Au-
thority act Is TO be continued but
amended. giving the Board OF Estimate
control. The Public Service Commits
sion will pc ousted.
That is the plan as II stands. II will
be worked out In detail in the next two
or three weeks. Mayor Hylan and the
Board OF Estimate will have all the
home rule they have demanded. They
will be able IL the plan goes through
10 spend enormous sums In the proposed
subway and port development enter
prise, unrestrained by State regulatory
body.
IL is believed Mr.. Smith will have
little difficulty getting through his bills
repeating the public service and transit
laws enacted under Gov. Miller Such
measures will pass easily In the Senate.
Many of the Assemblymon from up
State where fares were raised faced
public protest similar to that in New
York and without doubt will vote TO re-
peal the laws.
How to Get Beer Back.
Tho transit and home rule issue seems
10 be accepted by the Democrats as
comparatively simple. What Is giving
them moro concern is how TO 60 about
making good the beer and light wine
plank in the State platform. The plat
form INSISTS that Congress enact such
modification of the volstead act as shall
legalizc the use OF beer and light wines |
Under such careful -estrictions as we're
imposed by the law passed IN New York
In 1920"
Democrats said this declaration leaves
the thing up to the United States SEN |
stors and Congressman representing this |
state in Washington and does not prom /
ise any action In Albany. This sounded !
like the first effort to sidctrack the |
issue.
The Mullan-Gage law providing for |
state enforcement may he repealed. That !
would mean nothing moro than that I
enforcement would be left entirely 20 I
Federal officials. Some other form OF /
state enforcement probably would have 4
TO be passed.
Mr.. Smith Is interested In senate and /
Assembly repre- sentation and may try to /
change the basis of representation. He |
holds It unfair for an upstate county /
Continued on Page Three.