The New York herald., 1922-04-25
HYLAN BOARD DEF|ES
MILLER BY BLOCKING
SUBWAY JOBS AGAIN
Ten Fourteenth Street Con-
tracts Sent Back for
Readvertising.
COMMISSION TO COMPLY
Mayor to Be Met on His
Own Ground to Bring
Absolute Showdown.
CAR RIDERS IN PROTEST
At City Hall Hearing They Are
Told That Transit Ring Is
Not to Be Trusted.

~
The Hylan Board Of Estimate yes
terday rebuffed the Transit Commits
sion and defied Gov. Miller, who has
intimated he may have to take drastic
action If the Mayor and his colleagues
continue to obstruct the work OF the
commission.
Unanimously the board voted to
send back to the commission the ten
emergency" contracts. the delay on
which is holding up the completion of
the Fourteenth street Eastern District
subway. with the request that they be
readvertised. The commission had
asked the board to reconsider its pre-
vious rejection of them because OF the
pressing need for materials and the
additional time 1t would take to read
vertise.
These have been the bone of conten-
ton between the commission and the
board recently. and it was of them
Gov. Miller spoke particularly in his
recent speech before the Fifth Avenue
Association.
The Transit Commission will accept
the challenge by readvertising the con-
tracts Immediately and sending them
back to tho Board of Estimate as let
under current prices. Then will como
the test Of whether the Mayor and
other members of the board were sin
cere in their reasons for not putting
through the old contracts.
Loss OF $4,000 . Day Continues.
The board contcnded that the con-
tracts were let last year under price
conditions less favorable than now ard
that money could be saved by readver-
tising. Chairman McAneny of the Tran
sit Commission took the attitude that
the delay In readvertising, which might
be as much as sixty days. would cos.
the city more than would be saved, as
$4,000 day interest runs against tne
cost Of construction until the road is
in operation.
While no member of the commission
was prepared to make an authoritative
statement, persons in close touch with
them said they were prepared to meet
the Board of Estimate on its own ground
and test the sincerity of that body. IL
+he new contracts are held up by the
board 1t will be plain. they believe, that
the actions of the Board of Estimate are
,olely obstructive. Then It will be timo
yor Gov. Miller to consider whether cr
NOT there is need of drastic action" on
lis part. The Transit Commission does
not intend to be a party to the man
,enance OF what IL calls an intoler
able condition working against the In
-erests OF the taxpayers.
The general belief In municipal cir
Dcs last night was that Mayor Hylan
snd the members OF the board who fol-
.ow his lead would approve the contracts
after readvertising. that they would no
longer dare to hold out. Comptroller
craig. however. declared fatty he would
vote against approval of the new con-
tracts even IL the prices were lower.
since TO Yield would be an admission by
the Boar, OF Estimate that the Transit
Commission was not to blame for all
the delay.
The ten contracts for the Fourteenth
street subway amount to only between
xfbO.O 900 and 5000, 900, but they are vital
10 the completion Of the road. being for
ties, spikes and track construction
irons.
The Board of Estimate put over until
the regular Friday meeting considera-
ton Of the two contracts for the COM
pletion OF tho Liyonia avenue branch of
the Eastern Parkway subway--se7,444
for track installation in the yard and
so.o45 for a signal tower.
.Traction Rings" Denounced.
Mayor Hylan and Comptroller Craig
controlled the meeting when the COM
mittee OF the whole of the Board of Es-
innate gathered to consider the request
Of the Transit Commission that they
approve the twelve contracts. Through
ont the discussion the first two sneered
at the commission and talked OF politi-
cal propaganda and traction rings.
several times the Mayor permitted his
wrath to bubble over and he stood up
the better to express himself. AZ one
time he shouted:
ITS the same old gang. II we were TO
spprove these contracts as they stand
.hcy would be out TO have us indicted
within twenty-four hours. You don't
know how far this gang will go. ! am
glad we have a good District Attorney
here. He may get some OF these fellows
some day"
The Comptroller. who at this point es-
saved 10 calm the Mayor. saic with a
chuckle:
THE Governor may remove all OF us
before the District Attorney can do any.
thing"
p~ookryn Folk Ask for Service.
A large deiepation from the Eastern
District. pleading for Some sort OF com
promise that would give them much
needed transit facilities, listened to II
all getting little opportunity to talk.
ono OF them suggested the Board OF
Estimate approve the contracts In order
Confined On Pare Seven.