New-York tribune., 1922-02-01

can override the municipalities of the
Guy with lmpun:.y'
Prolonged applause greeted ex-
Governor Smith as he rose to the de-
fense of the Port Authority bill. Re
publican members Of thu Joint Legsla -
tive Finance Committee joined in the
greeting including Senator Hewitt.
who allowed the applause to continue
about two minutes before he banged
mis- gavcl and ordered the hearing to
proceed
AS Mr.. Smith TOOK the foor he went
through the motion characteristic Of
him IN the days when he, rs a member
Of the Assembly, WAS about TO make a
speech He shifted hts watch chain SO
mat he night unbutton his vest. which
he did deliberately. and then looked
about the room. In ending his speech
! he said:
"In conclusion let me ask YOU to
close the door against those who argue
for delay. The man who comes here
asking for postponement Of action on
this measure is a greater enemy than
the one who comes here as an open
opponent More is involved in this
question than nero port development.
1t is question of vital concern to the
Federation Of Western States urge the
canalization of the st. Lawrence is
because they want to find an outlet
TO the ocean in order to avoid the high
cost of doing business through the
archaic port of New York.
Mr.. Outerbridge. chairman of the
Port Authority. recalled that Mr. HUI
bert had not always been an enemy
Of the port plan. He said the chief
fault Mr.. Hubert, who, while Dock
Commissioner was a member of the
port body, had to find was that the
Port Authority was not given more ex-
tensive powers. Mr.. Hubert replied by
saying that he had never unQualitedly
sponsored the program and that he had
attended meetings of the Port Author
ity only to find that he was not well
come.
Chairman Outerbridge also read into
the record statement covering the
comprehensive plan recent; adopted
by the Port Authority.
Inc statement sent to the hearing
BY the Mayor read in part:
ut does not appear that the plan has
I been matured. 1t leaves Staten Island
marooned, while the already badly con-
gested Newark Bay territory would be
stlll further congested; it would pro-
VIDE Tor the development of the Hack
cnsack Meadows and other parts Of
jersey at the expense of the City Of
New York; it would divert. almost in
its entirety, the commerce of the CITY
or New York to New Jersey: it would
involve the transfer of the control of
the cIty's waterfront from the people
and their duly elected responsible local
officials and lodge it in a bistate com
MISSION, responsible to no one three Of
the members OF this commission com
ing from New Jersey; it has a tend
ency to concentrate the control of the
rallroad transportation for the metro
polltan district in a very small group
OF roads, and it lends what is now cor
poration property to exploitation by
reason Of tax exemption, not only de-
prvlDg the municipality Of New York
of almost sj0,000O0O annual revenue,
but establishing unfair competition
with the city and other owners"
Project Called "Nigntmare"
The Mayor declared that competent
authorities" who had studied the Port
Authority plan from all angles, in the
interest of the City of New York. as
well as neighboring communities, pro
nounced it "impracticable and a gro
tesque financial nightmare" He con-
tended that no figures of cost or def
mite data as to the project had been
given by the Port Authority. He de-
ciared that no sane business man would
be expected 10 undertake an enterprise
without even an approximate knowl-
edge OF the cost involved. The Mayor
said that the city contended that the
provision in the bill giving the Port
Authority the status of municipa!
corporate instrumcntalitv. when in fact
II was private instruMentalitv. was
designed to relieve from payment of
taxes both the Port Authority and those
whose property it Will take over. The
city would lose between 50 900 900 and
$'o'uoo,ooo year IN taxes. according to
the Mayor
The MAYOR referred to the public
neaflng given BY the Board of Esti-
mate last week III regard to the Port
authority plan and pointed out that
there were only four persons who de-
sired to be recorded in favor Of it at
that hearing. He said the information
solicited from them showed a lack Of
cehnlte knowledge as to the various
details of the Port Authority plan.
hey showed only general idea of
the alleged advantages Of the plan"
said the Mayor. presumably gained
from multi-colorcd maps. motion pjc.
tures and tons Of propaganda in the
corporation controlled press. One could
not escape the impression that very
large portion of the 100000 placed at
the disposal OF the Port Authority
during the last year had been expended
IN publicity propaganda tc put over
their plan.'
The Mayor said it would require no
prophet to forecast the fate of the
Port Authority plan we're it submitted
to a referendum of the people of the
City Of New York. He referred to the
eleventh. hour invitation sent to the
members of the rort Authority to at
tend the hearing before the Board Of
estimate, and pointed out that thev
refused to come He referred to the
answer from the Fort Authority that
they felt it would accomplish no good
purpose to discuss the matter at that