New-York tribune., 1922-05-09
Board Shows Valuation Of
Surface Systems Is $50
M'l''on; McAneny OF.
1crs to Educate Mavor
No Bus Sentiment
FOUND i'm BROOKLYN
commission Fights Fare
increase in Queens to
Take Effect Tomorrow

Mayor Hylan is $3.50 600. 900 ON, o.
the way IN his argument, printed in tho
Monday morning newspapers concern
'ns the valuation that the Trana;t
Commission has put upon the surface
lines Of the city.
ne Mayor, in a prepared statement
SAID the Transit Commission proposed d
to take over "ramshackle" surface lines
at valuation of more than 100000, :
900, and with that sum for text he
preached weighty sermon to the op-
pressed taxpayers and rontpayers.
Chairman McAneny said yesterday
that the Mayor had "slightly cxag-
gerated' the sum in which the com.
mission is tentatively carrying the
valuation OF The surface lines the com
missions figure being about s15O.O0O,
GOO
Mayors Argument Called Rehash
The Mayors statement" SAID Mr.
McAneny, apparently is a restatement
Of his familiar policy which opposes
the building of new subway lines. pro
poses putting the surface lines out of
business and advocates municipal
buSses as a substitute for pretty much
everything else in the relief Of both
present and future conditions. think
That the Mayor might prohtably re-
serve his criticism Of the plan OF sub
way construction until the commission
publicly presents it. Every one will be
expected and invited to discuss it then.
the Mayor included.
II the Mayor prefers to do his own
discussing prem aturcly' he is quite
certain TO drop into misstatements Of
fact. That never helps. In his use OF
figures this morning. for instance. he
is very badly off. He speaks of the
purpose Of the commission TO take
over the ramshackle surface lines at
cost TO the city of more than $500
100000 The tentative valuation OF
S405 100000 placed by the commits
SONS engineers upon the transit sys-
tenn relates not to the surface lines
alone, rs the Mayor declares, but to
the entire transit system, subwsvs
elevated and surface lines alike. It
seems inconceivable that the Mavor did
not know this.
Moreover, the commission does not
propose 10 take over any 'dilapidated
surface lines nor does it propose that
when the unified system is in operation
the people will be obliged to depend. as
they do to-day, upon dilapidated lines
OF any sort,
Brooklyn Opposed to Bus Transit
The Mayors repeated suggestion
that the surface lines be ripped un in
tavor OF his busses | am afraid will
not prove very popular as the discus
SION proceeds certainly not in Brook
iyn. where 81 per cent of the travelling
public use the street cars and. nccord
ING TO recent observation OF the com
mission, are not at all inclined to give
them up.
What the Mayor says about the dual
subway contracts is still another story.
The commission is pretty busy at the
moment and not inclined to interrupt
ITS work to undertake the individual
education Of the Mayor. [, for one,
however, shall be more than willing to
give him the information he seems to
require With relation to the dual sub
ways, when there is a little more free
time. shall even hope to give him
enough of the truth to convince him
Of the absurdity of his own talk about
them, though ! must confess q certain
sympathy with the remarks Of former
Governor Smith drawn forth under
similar proVocation q few evenings
ago
Both Transit Commissioner Hardness
and Corporation Counsel OBren said
yesterday at the commissions hearing
on the proposed increase in fares on
the Queens lines that the resources Of