The New York herald., 1922-01-03
HYLAN STARTS NEW TERM
WITH PLEDGE OF SERVICE
Continued from Preceding Page.

year since have been in office TO give
TO the people of New York city the same
right to govern themselves as has al
ready been given to second and third
class cities UP the State. Had this power
been granted. st would have made 1t pos
sible for the city administration to ef-
fect economies and to make more efti-
Client the transaction of city business.
But home rule for New York city has
been steady denied.
'aThe refusal of the Legislature to per-
NIT the city of New York to conduct its
own affairs, untrammeled by legislative
interference, can only be construed as an
obvious attempt to obstruct the city ad-
ministration In its endeavorS to reduce
the tax bills already skyrocketed by
mandato-~ legislation direct State taxes
and other legislative impositions.
''To add insult to injury, the Legisla-
ture has sent committee to New York
to investigate the financial condition and
business of our city. and the sum total
of this committees labors has been to
touch the pockets of the taxpayers of
this city to the tune of several hundred
thousands of dollars.
"The conference which l called in this
building of the Mayors. Corporation
CounselS and members of the Legisla-
ture from the cities throughout the State.
Enthusiastically demonstrated that the city
of New York is not alone III the diff
cult problem OF protecting it's citizens
from legislative raids and freeing them
from the strangle hold of public utility
corporations. l sincerely trust that the
memorandum recently filed at Albany
by the State Conference of Mayors. ask
ing that no new laws be enacted which
will compel cities to spend more money.
will receive the generous treatment 1t
so justly deserves.
Corporate Greed and Living Costs.
For fear of possible misconstruction
let me say that the unalterable oppo-
sition of this administration to certain
gigantic aggregations of corporate cap
ital has not been because of the size or
wealth of these combinations. but solely
because of their vicious conduct and in
ordinate selfishness
"These great trusts have such a firm
grip on many of the commodities of life
that competition is an unknown factor
and the people have no option but to
pay the price eXacted.
at the present time the cost of living
Is too high. The ordinary food necessi-
ties cost too much. The price of eggs,
milk, meat and vegetables Is still too
great. The cost OF fuel and clothing is
also too high. as Is the cost of the serv-
ice for public utilities.
There is no excuse for the private
gas companies charging S1.25 to s1.50
for 1000 cubic feet of gas when the
statutory rate is so cents. There Is
no excuse for the electric light and tele-
phone companies charging about 25 per
cent. more for these services than a year
ago
"The people Of the city of New York
pay more for utility service to the pri-
vate utility corporations each year than
they do for the government. AS in the
past, it will be the determination of this
administration to see that every agency
IS exerted TO the utmost to bring down
these excessive charges for the service
Of public utilities.
"The people have looked in vain for
an atom of consideration from the food
monopolies controlling the necessaries
of life. Any request for the relinquish-
ment of some of the vast private profits
for the public good has been treated
contemptuously. Yet it behooves these
food gougers. whose vision Is not utterly
beclouded by selfishness. to take heed
that any serious economic collapse must