New-York tribune., 1922-10-10
Refuses to Call Special
Session and Says Ex-
ecutive Makes Transit
a Political f Football
He Alone Blamed
If Service Stops
Governor Asserts Short.
Time City Franchises
to Private Operators
VIII Solve Problem
From q specsa, oorrespondert

From q Special Correspondent
ALBANY, Oct. e.--Refusing 20
call an extraordinary session Of the
Legislature to meet the Board
of Estimate and Apportionment in
what was termed an emergency,
caused by the injunction Of Supreme
Court Justice Mullan against illegal
bus operations in New York City,
Governor Miller to-day accased
Mayor Hylan Of making football
Of the transit situation. He placed
responsibility for any inconvenience
which may be caused by the cessa-
ton of bus operations squarely on
the Mayor and the board.
The emergency can be met locally,
Governor Miller pointed out in let
ter to the Mayor, by the granting of
certificates of convenience and ne
cessity which will be operative upon
the approval of the Transit COM
mission.
"But," the Governor added. ri ana
sure that you need not fear obstruction
| from that quarter"
The Governor expressed the opinion
that stay can be had If it Is shown
that legal bus operations will be sub
stituted for the Illegal operations, If
| the 100000 bus patrons are forced to
| walk, fear of which was expressed In
| the resolution of the board asking for
an extraordinary session, "you and the
Board Of Estimate and Apportionment
alone will be responsible" Governor
Miller told the Mayor. His letter cen
tinued:
II cannot believe that you will sub
| ject 100000 people TO the great hard
ship and loss of time and money
which you say In the resolution will
result from the discontinuance Of bus
routes merely to capitalize their
grievance for political purposes.
Initiative With Mayor
AZ noted your instruction to your
Corporation Counsel to appeal from
the decision Of Mr.. Justice Mnllan.
That will not prevent the 100000 peo-
ple referred to in the resolution from
having to walk. There is only one way
to serve those people, if service in
stead of the cultivation of grievances 4
Is the purpose. That is the lawful way.
You have the initiative. The chair
man of the Transit Commission has
already announced that that body will
cooperate.
"I note your objection to granting
franchises, and l thoroughly agrees
with you that the transit problem in
New York ought not to be complicated
by unrestricted franchise grants at
this time. The resolutioa recites the
existence Of an emergency. Franchises
may be granted under such restrtc-
tions and safeguards and so limited In
point Of time as to fully protect the
city's control Of it's streets.
iThe term franchise has an op.
probrious meaning in the public mind
because of the way franchises have
ssen granted in the past, too often
corruns.,.. EGs shas s,s..yT franeAsss
needed in the present case is the per-
mission to do lawfully what you hava
for long time permitted to be done
unlawfully, and you may limit and
safeguard that permission in any way
you please.
| are private operators. Some OF them
have been operating FOR three ysars.
| You have permitted them to operate
! illegally. All you need TO do now is
to give permission for lawful opera
/ ton. and you can limit that permits
sion for any period you please, six
months at time if you like, to bs
| renewed from time to time, Until 9
general plan of reorganization Of ais
| transit Facilities can be Formulated
and agreed upon. i
! Objects to Appropriation
| "You ask that the city be given
power to appropriate money to buy
| buses and to operate bus lines. There
lis o fundamental objection TO doing
| that at this time, when the plan Is
| nearly completed for the establish
ment of unified, municipality owned
/ system TO be operated for single fare
which tho Transit Commission after
careful Investigation and study nor
assures me can be tive cent fare and
possibly less in time. II unified
| system is to be established 1t must be
treated as whols, not piecerneal.
1 "The present municipality owned SUBJ
ways and the new subways to be con-
structed as soon as the clty's $780,
/ 0o0, ,000 Of frozen credit can be res
leased, will, Of course, supply the back
bone TO which must be articuiated bus
Hines, at least until something else takes
! their place. To permit the tndepend-
1 emf establishment of bus lines would
make Id impossible to treat the prob
lem as whole, and / am not In favor
| of doing that just as the work Of the
Transit Commission has borne such
/ fruit that you yourself say or are
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