The New York herald., 1922-08-30
Says City's Scheme Has to
Pass or Opponents Must
Face the People,
MAY NOT SUBMIT COPY
Friends Say Mayor Will Ig-
more Transit Board and Fight
in Legislature.

Mayor f1ylan slOSt no tlfne III reLOTl-
ing to the criticisms made public by
the Transit Commission upon his plan
for extending the city's transit facili-
ties. He issued a statement which
gave point to the charge that the
project is more political than practical
in it's intent. He asserted. THE trac-
ton rings only hope now seems to be
McAneny and Gov. Miller and added:
''They have dragged this entire transit
and traction situation into the politi-
cal campaign and they now must ac-
cept the city's plan or face the people
on the issues they created
Mayor Hylan warmly defends the
+, financial aspect of his scheme, which
Chairman McAneny on Monday char
acterized as "ludicrous in the ex-I
treme" After arguing the feasibility
of the monetary part of his plan, he
says: "The financing of any subway
plan is matter for the Board of Esti-
mate, not for the State Transit Com
mission, and the fact that the Board Of
Estimate commits itself to the financ-
ing of the city's plan closes that
question:
| The Mayor is still in Saratoga. The
| statement sponsored by him was made
| public from City Hall yesterday pre-
ceded by the typed assertion that It had
been dictated to his secretary Mr.. Sin
mott. over the telephone from Saratoga"
To Keep Issue burning.
While Mayor Hylan presumably was
| engaged in this considerable job of die
| tstion some OF his closest associates In
the municipal administration were ex-
| planning that the Mayor and the Board
| CT Estimate expect to continue to ignore
| the State Transit Commission except as
a target at which to shoot for campaign
purposes
One of Mayor Hylans political con-
| fdants admitted that the Mayor has no
| Intention of sending an official copy of
| his transit plan to the State commission,
| thus placing the commission in position
TO call for public hearings before 1t on
| the subject.
According to this high authority it is
| the intention, after the Board OF Esti-
nate has registered its approval of the
1
for that purpose. to appoint public hear
ipgs to be held before the Board of Esti-
mate, utterly ignoring the prerogatives
Of the Transit Commission. as the Board
| Of Estimate consistently has sought to
| dc In the past In this way 1t Is in
| tended to keep the subject simmering as
public issue during the fall political
| campaign.
The dream Of the Hylan administra-
| ton, so this friend of the Mayor said.
| is to take the issue directly to the State
| Legislature rather than to the State
Transit Commission.
| If the Mayors case, as is expected, Is
| found to be hopeless in the present Leg
| islature, then the project is to use this
and other phases of the home rule cry
| in the hope that the next LEGISLATURE
by revising the statutes may wipe out
the present State commission and clothe
the Board of Estimate with the legal
authority Mr. McAn.ny and his asso-
ciates now WELD. In the meantime the
Mayors transit plan at least affords
concrete proposition, however visionary,
which may be set UP for campaign pur-
poses IN opposition to the plan proposed
months ago by the state commission
with the approval of Gov. Miller.
After reading the Mayors latest piece
of expert dictation, Chairman McAneny
issued a rejoinder In which he stressed
the point that persons institutfng COM
PARSONS between the two plans should
not overlook the fact that while the
Mayors proposed new lines cover a
prospective period OF fifteen years con-
struction. the commissions proposed
construction program covered only the
first five years of such n program. and
that within the initial Ave year period
the Mayors recommendation cover zap.
proximately the same mileage"
The Mayors Attack.
Mayor Hylan in his statement die
tated over the phone from Saratoga"
said:
Il am not surprised that within few
hours after my plan for complete new
city owned and city operated rapid tran
sit lines is made public, and before he
has had time even 10 read an official
copy, Mr. McAneny should condemn the
plan as worthless. silly. ludcrous ride
ulous Such condemnation of the ctys
transit proposals, and plans Is character
istic of Mr. McAneny.
"Mr. McAnenys reason for scathingly
condemning my subway proposals is
clear My plan does not include the pur-
chase OF useless and worn out surface
cars, tracks, power houses and other
antiquated surface car equipment; nor
does il provide for the purchase of ele-
vated structures which will be removed
from the city streets astsoon as sufficient
new subway lines are built by the city
to take their place and to provide addi-
tional rapid transit facilities.
"Mr. McAneny wants to keep these
worn out surface lines In operation and
he wants to keep Objectionable elevated
structures In their place, because he
wants the city OF New York to first buy
them with the peoples money at cost
OF between $500, ,0O0,0 and S40O.0OO,O ,O00
Mr.. McAneny knows that II the city
spends the peoples money for new sub
ways and for gasoline driven motor
buses, that these out OF date surface and
elevated lines will In time disappear"
Finance Explained.
"Mr. McAneny declares that s6o0,-
100000 win not cover the cost and
equipment of the new subway lines
which are proposed. Six hundred
million dollars will more than cover the
ccst OF construction OF all the subway
lines which ] propose and win provide
adequate equipment for these lines. The
cost OF recapture of the subway lines OPP
Grated BY the Interborough and B. r. T..
which tho city intends to retake. will also
be amply provided for.
| Mr.. McAneny wants to capitalize the
| net earnings OF the transit lines to issue
bonds for the purchase Of antiquated