The New York herald., 1922-09-16
OUTSHOUTS THE BOARD
Hylan Calls Him This Eel
low and Kurtz Leaves,
Saying He's Insulted.
SCORNS PLEA TO RETURN
Otherwise First Meeting on
Subway Proposals Is a Regu-
lar Love Feast.

Mayor Hylan and the Board OF
Estimate held yesterday in the City
Hall their first public hearing on the
$500. .ooo, 900 Hylan plan for city owned
and city operated transit facilities. The
session was devoted to the routes af-
fecting Harlem, Washington Heights
and The Bronx.
1t began rs n love feast, but the
hearing developed into what must have
seemed to auditors in the outer cor
ridors a somewhat promiscuous dog
fight. Irwin Kurtz. representing the
Central Republican Club of Harlem of
the Nineteenth Assembly district, who
had been invited to express his views,
started a rumpus by frankly charging
that Mayor Hylan was trying to fool
the people; that yesterdays hearing
was staged for political purposes in
the hope of electing a Democratic
Governor; that the Mayor and the
Board of Estimate were defying the
law, and that what the people wanted,
regardless OF partisanship was for the
Mayor to get together with the Tran
sit Commission "and give us subways.'
Mayor Hylan, white with anger,
raped with his gavel and retorted with
much heat, calling the lawyer a fellow
end accusing him Of having come to the
hearing in the interest of the traction
gang to start ruction. During the
heated colloquy that followed Mr.. Kurtz
the Mayor. Murray Hubert. President OF
the Board of Aldermen, and Borough
President Riegelmann OF Brooklyn fire.
quently were all trying to talk at once
Mr.. Kurtz. who also is counsel for the
Harlem Board OF Commerce and who
succeeded Mr.. Hurlbert in that capacity,
is endowed with clarion voice. as well
as with red hair. In the verbal barrage
of compliments he was not submerged
even under the stentorian tones Of the
Borough President.
MIR. Kurtz opens Fire.
All had been going smoothly and
sweetly. For an hour or more Mayor
Hylan, his plan and his associates had
been lavishly praised by scores or rep
resentatives OF the upper reaches of the
city, not few of whom pronounced the
Hylan plan far superior to that emanat-
Ing from the Transit Commission. Then
Mr.. Kurtz was called.
We received an invitation to come
to this meeting" said he, land believed
the Mayor was sincere in his invitation.
After election day we are citizens first
and Republicans second. And as citizens
we ask you to cut out the conversation
and give us cars. to do away with the
injunctions of which you complain by
obeying the law and to give us sub
ways"
Mayor Hylan already had inter-
polated several satirical comments con-
corning the stopping OF the operation
OF unlicensed buses by court injunctions
and at one time had interrupted a
speaker to observe Il think the trac-
tion gang must go around with patches
OF injunctions in their pockets, they
have SO many Of them on hand"
But at the Kurtz challenge the Mayor
bristled threateningly. Banging his
gavel, he asked for repetition Of the
statement about doing away with in
functions by obeying the law. The stem
ographer read the words and Mr.. Kurtz
then proceeded:
II say to you. slr--and. having studied
the transit law, l know something about
ft-this Board of Estimate Is not above
the law. You are governed by the law
of our State as expressed by our Legis-
lature. and you must obey that law IL
you disobey the law you must expect the
court TO Issue an injunction against you.
l say that. as citizens and members of
the Central Republican Club we want
you to get together with the Transit
Commission and build subways
You came here looking for trouble ~
shouted Mayor Hylan.
mo, sir, did not. came here In
response TO an invitation and have two
resolutions passed by the Central Re-
publican Club, and as a citizen l want
TO be heard. I say that under the law
and you know 1t If you have read the
law--all transit plans must emanate
from the Transit Commission. And !
say this meeting you are holding here
to-day is nothing more than political
mass meeting. as his Honor has frankly
admitted. held for political effect for
the purpose OF electing Democratic
Governor. and ask you to cut It out"
Mr.. Hubert to the Rescue.
Mr.. Hubert and Mr.. Riegelmann both
tried to sidetrack tho speaker by cate
chizing him. but Mayor Hylan finally
made himself heard through the up
rear. Let me straighten you out.
young man. said he. Il said that II
II Is playing politics to be interested In
electing n Governor who will aid me
in giving the people what they are en-
titled to In this city. then I plead guilty
to being In politics. sir. You understand
that. You are a lawyer You are ad-
vertising yourself. You don't even speak
for the Republicans of your district"
II will show you that I do" retorted
Mr. Kurtz. u present the unanimous
resolution of the Republicans of my
district"
"They wouldn't stand for that bunk"
cried the Mayor. But Mr.. Kurtz already
had placed his resolution in the hands
of Mr.. Hubert.
Mr. Riegemann wanted to know n
the speaker meant to assert that II
SrAf.I - n c