New-York tribune., 1922-05-20
Court Orders
W Ork Halted ON
Richmond Tube
Citizens Union Is Granted
Temporary Injunction,
Charging Waste Will
Reach $IOO.OOO.OOO
lmpute Spite 10 City
10 Embarrass Transit Body:
Mayor Boasts That He
Is an ''Obstructionist''

On application Of William Jay
schieffe'in, chairman of the Citizens
Union Justice Leander B. Faber. of
the Supreme Court, Brooklyn, granted
a temporary injunction yesterday re-
straining the city authorities from
proceeding with the construction of
the proposed freight and passenger
tunnel between Brooklyn and Staten
Island. The city is called upon to
show cause before Justice Lewis L.
Fawcett. in a special term of the Su-
preme Court Tuesday, why the iniunc-
ton should not be continued pending
the trial of the action, the purpose o.
which, it was stated, is to stop the
waste of between s60o0o,o00 and
S1O0,0o0,000 on an impractical scheme,
designed chiefly, according to the Citi-
zens Union. "to embarass or handicap
the Transit Commission and the Port
Authority" Leonard NJ. Wallstein ap-
peared as counsel for Mr.. Schicffelin
in the matter
"rhe action is based upon the con-
tention that to proceed with the prof
ect would be sheer waste Of public
funds in an amount ranging from sixty
to one hundred million dollars" said a
statement issued last night by the
Citizens Union. "The plaintiffs posi-
tion is that the project is entirely be-
yond the power and authority of the
Board of Estimate and that the statute
vvl ;ch tha ri i
to act, namely, Chapter 700 of the
Laws Of 1921, does not authorize the
present project, that it has been re-
pealed and that in any event it was
unconstitutional"
Hylan Ignored Unions Letter
The Citizens Union wrote letter of
protest to the Board of Estimate in
regard to the city's tunnel scheme, but
Mayor Hylan refused to allow it to be
read at the board meeting last week,
declaring that no attention should be
paid to anything the union said.
John P. O'Brien, Corporation Coun-
sci, issued a statement last night de-
claring that the attempt of the Citi-
zens Union to block the tunnel prof.
ect would fail.
"This brazen effort of the Citizens
Union to defeat the building of the
Staten Island tunnel" said Mr.. O'Brien,
(which has been unanimously favored
by the people of Staten Island. and
which was an issue in the last cam
paign that resulted in the election of
Mayor Hylan by over $4,000 votes, will
fail The interests which are back of
the transit plan and the Port Author
tion without limit in their endeavor
to prevent the city administration from
carrying into effect these great prof.
ects which the people want, but the
efforts of the Citizens Union and all
of the elements which are connected
with them, whether they be railroading
or shipping corporations or financial
interests, will fail, and the will of the
people in this metropolis will prevail" "
Mayor Obstructionist, He Admits
Mayor Hylan and other members of
the Board of Estimate admitted yes
in regard to the Transit Commission IS
plans, but insisted upon putting an un-
orth odox Interpretation on the meaning
of the word. Transit matters came be-
fore the board at its meeting yestcr-
day in the shape of requests for sew
eral minor appropriations from the
Transit Commission.
There are people going about the
city talking about the Board Of Esti-
mate and of some Of its members OBJ
structing transit improvements" said
Mayor Hylan. "They are calling US
obstructionists. They know what we
obstructing the traction gang from
getting an increased fare. I plead
guilty that | am obstructing the trac-
(Continued on sass three)