The New York herald., 1922-02-28
SWEEPING POWERS
. FOR TRANSIT BOARD
Bill Insuring Enforcement Of
Law by Friends to Be Rushed
Through Legislature.
CURB ON MAYOR HYLAN
Commissioners Authorized to
Name Themselves as City'S
Members in Control.
Special Dispatch 10 THE NEW YoRK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
AIhany. Feb. 81.

Special Dispatch to THE NEW YorK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Albany. Feb. 81.
| Four important amendments to the
transit act of 1921 were introduced in
the Legislature tonight which, VI,
adoption. would place in the hands OF
I the State Transit Commission lever
more potent than any it has been yet
permitted to WELD.
The proposed amendments permit
1.-THE commission at will to exert tre-
Tnendous pressure upon hesitant city
transit companies to bring them within
| the municipal railways combination
contemplated in the commissions plan
of absorption and unified control.
! One of them provides that no transit
company which elects to remain out
| Of the combination and prefers to
operate Independently may hope ever
10 obtain permission sanctioning a fare
charge in excess of five cents. Such
a company becomes in effect an outlaw
so far as concerns sharing benefits at
the hands of the commission. This
amendment covers the objections
! pointed out in section 40 of the original
act by William A. De Ford, Special
Assistant Corporation Counsel, repre-
senting the city administration.
George McAneny. chairman OF the
Transit Commission, and Clarence J..
! Shearn. it's special counsel, who brought
| the amendments to Albany this morn
| ing and who had luncheon with Gov
Miller. assert that Mr.. De Ford has been
made acquainted with the nature of
the change proposed and that he con-
ours in il.
Want Friendly Nurse.
| There is another amendment of tie
four with which Mr.. De Ford was not
associated in advance and in which
neither he nor any other representa-
| tive of the city government Is likely to
concur. 1t places 1t within the power
OF the Transit Commission at Its own
| discretion, OH the reorganization plan
| becoming operative. to constitute the
three members comprising its own ner-
sonnel as members of the Board Of Con-
troll of the unified system for period
not to exceed one year. and for like
| period 1t empowers the Transit Com
mission to withhold from Mayor Hylan
| the prerogative OF appointing three
members OF the new and all powerful
board as the direct representatives CT
the municipality's interest.
II is explained that the Transit Com
mission has been impelled to advise
this change in lts tentative plan be-
cause of the perslstently hostile atti-
tude of Mayor Hylan and his official
associates. The commission believes the
new system should be placed upon its
feet under friendly rather than hostile
influences, that Il should be developed
by men familiar with its provisions ard
should not be consigned to hands that
might prefer TO wreck IL.
AS friendly legislator said tonight:
The Transit Commission thinks Il has
here very promising child. During the
early months OF infancy, however, Il
wants to see that the baby has "a care
ful nurse who will feed II with milk
instead OF with arsenic"
Take Power From Mayor.
or the four amendments, cardinal in
terest probably will attach TO this new
clause amending the personnel of the
proposed Board of Transit Control. That
board is to consist of seven members, as
already foreshadowed in the tentative
plan Of adjustment. In the original
draft. however. II was provided that OF
these seven three members were to be
named by the subsidiary operating com
panies, three by the Mayor and the sew
enth. in the event Of the six others fail
ing to agree upon him. was 20 named by
the Transit Commission. The present
amendment permits the three members OF
the Transit Commission. Messrs. George
McAneny. lie Roy 7. Harkness and John
F. o'Ryan. II they so eisct, to supersede
and appoint themselve, for not more
Continued on Page SIX.