The New York herald., 1922-10-08
MILLER CHALLENGES
Smith TO PROVE He
IS TOOL OF GROUPS
Says if Charge Is Sustained
He Should Be Kicked
Out of Office.
HE COMPARES RECORDS
Has Facts to Show Traction
interests FareQ Better
Under Opponent.
FARES UP, SERVICE DOWN
Governor Asserts Public Opin-
ion Was Inflamed as Result
of Conditions.
FARES UP, SERVICE DOWN

Special Dispatch TO THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Troy. ~. Oct. Gov. Miller told
large audience which gathered at the
Music Hall here tonight in spite of a
drizzling rain that the sooner he was
kicked out of office the better" IL his
a shadow of a case in support OF his
charge that the Governor is controlled
by the special corporate interests.
He had explained that there are two
kinds of special inerests. One is the
sinister, selfish corporate interests,
which by insidious and dark methods
the public expense. The other is the
group interest, not actuated by sordid
motives but seeking to exploit some
fad or fancy, (which they delude
themselves into believing is likely to
help their fellow men," Either. he
said. would run away with the Govern
ment If permitted.
Gov. Miller reiterated that Mr.. Smith
had admitted he was controlled by the
latter and had enumerated the groups to
whose requests he had acceded
Charge Needs to he Met.
'Mr Smith," continued the Governor,
Says that this administration Is con-
trolled by the particularly sinister group
of corporate interests, to which l have
referred. and that charge needs TO be
examined. 1t needs to be met. II it can
be supported. II even the shadow of a
case can be made In support OF that
charge, then i will say that am not
worthy of the suffrage of the people
and the sooner am kicked out the
better. because the control by groups
seeking merely to better their fellow men
is to be preferred to the control which
is exercised only for selfish. sordid and
sinister motives"
Gov. Miller then named corporate In
terests. which, he said, his adversary
charged controlled the Miller admins
tration-the New York traction. tele-
phone, gas and electric and the water
power interests. In answer to this
charge the Governor presented facts tc
show that these companies all Jared bet
ter under the Smith administration than
they did under his.
He reiterated his statement that Gov
Smith kept the traction lines under
state agencies. and that one of his pub
lie service commissioners Lewis Nixon
had recommended an increase in fares
The Transit Commission, created under
the Miller administration. on the other
hand. has developed q unified plan for
better service and has refused the com
pany's plea for higher fare.
'T do not know why he singled ou'
the New York traction interests. because
there are traction interests In other
cities" said the Governor. While he
hasn't charged that the upstate traction
interests controlled this administration
7 want to compare the two records. un-
der his administration. as you Will re-
call. fares were being Increased all over
the state. while service was being de-
creased.
.T do not censure him or his commits
sion do not say those increases were
not justified am referring to them
only because of his indictment. ! state
the fact that his Public Service Com
mission Increased the fares and this
Z do criticize him for-while they al
lowed service TO deteriorate, with the
result that at the close of his admins
tration and the Inauguration of this
nresent administration. public utilities
in the state were anathema.
Service and Demngogues.
public opinion in every section oi
the state was inflamed against the
nublic utilities as much or more be
cause Of the wretched service that they
were giving as because of the fares
and rates that they were charging. and
every little cheap politician and every
dangerous demagogue was devotinf
himself almost exclusively to that popu
lar grievance TO inflame popular opin.
ion in every locality in the state against
these companies In order that they
might curry some popular support with
the people. You know that Is so and
every one knows that Is so.
Now the last two years the reverse
process has set In. 1t has not gone
as far. will admit. as I would lik'
10 see II and as hope TO see u go. bui
service has been improved and. due tc
the insis:ence OF the reorganized com
mission. fare changes have been, on th'
whole. reductions instead of increases"
Taking up the telephone charge, Gov