New-York tribune., 1922-11-17
Governor-Elect Declares
He Will Make am Ex-
haustive Study of the
Needs When He Goes I'm
Asks Public Aid
Port Authority
Tells C. of C. of State
Railroads Are Retard-
ing Its Development

/ when he goes back TO Albany as
Governor on January Alfred Z.
Smith will approach the New York City
transit problem with an open mind, he
said last night. It's handling will be
the subject Of the most exhaustive
study ne can bring to bear upon it.
Development Of the Port Authority
plan is being retarded by indifference
and lack OF cooperation on the part of
the railroads entering New York City,
he added, and vigorous public opinion
must be put behind the project in or
DER that the men who are standing in
its way will understand they are block
ing the growth of the greatest port in
the country.
4 M. Smith made his first public ap-
pearance since his election as the prin
cipal speaker at the 15ath annual
banquet of the Chamber Of Commerce
Of the State Of New York, at the Wal
dorf-Astoria. In addition to appealing
for support of the Port Authority from
the business men gathered to hear him.
he urged them TO back the State Barge
Canal and to give him their sSeadfast
the state government by constitutional
amendment.
Everything Not All Right
Everything Is not all right as far
as the Port Authority is concerned"
! speak as a member Of the Port Au-
thority and as one very much inter-
ested in it."
Remarking that the Chamber of Com
merce played large part in the pre-
lirinary working up Of the plans for
the treaty with the State of New Jer-
sey, but that then, like all other busi-
ness and civic bodies, they regarded
the matter as finished too soon, he
! continued:
"Iet Us see what happened. After a
| series of conferences with the State
of New Jersey we agreed upon treaty
.Eaas Stre was psssgssa, twas ratified
by CongSesa and Ylas Che approval Of
the President. With it there was
adopted plan which had the approval
OF the legislatures of both states, But
the very essence Of the plan is CO.
operation on the part Of the people
trunk line systems. Are we getting
that co-operation2 We are not. And
firmly believe in calling spade a
spade and talking right out, because
there is no use bringing message il
1 you cover it up with fine chocolate so
that nobody will understand what it is.
with the exception of very few
men at the head of the great railroad
systems, the railroads are not cooper
contrary, they have taken position
that indicates they would prefer to let
New York lumber along as best she can
under the old-fashioned system fifty or
more years of age which has crippled
the port at the time when she ought to
be of the greatest service to the whole
country.
There is nothing more that ths
state can do. Unification of the rail-
road system on the Jersey shore is now
the pressing thing. Certainly the State
of New York can do nothing about that.
I Nor can even the State of New Jersey.
We are bound to pay our respects and
give our attention to the due process
Of law clause in the state and Federal
constitutions. But there is something
that the Chamber Of Commerce can do
about it.
| Public Opinion Is Necessary
"They started this thing. They took
a large part in the early proceedings,
and it is mistake for the chamber to
think that the thing is all finished be-
cause the plan is adopted, because it
is not. The plan SO far is nothing more
or less than q blueprint or a map. 1t
can be put into operation only when
the driving force of vigorous public
opinion is put behind it SO that the
men who are standing in it's way will
understand that they are doing little
more than protecting what they think
to be the interests of their particular
Iroads. They are standing in the way
Of development of the greatest port in
! the country.
$50 that is job that will coramit
to the chamber tonight to work out
in any way they can, through any COM
mittee they may have or any agency
they may have at their command. The
4 railroad presidents and the interested
people will probably pay some atten-
| tion to the Merchants Association and
TO the Board of Trade and to the Cham
ber of Commerce. they don't pay il
to the Port Authority"