New-York tribune., 1922-02-05
Hylara Hid Rail
Men S Rejection
Port Plan
Suppressed Letter lie Re.
ceived Day Before ALBANY
Hearing Ela'iy Turned
Down Harbor Projcc,
IL Lines Are Against y;
Declare Only Feasible
Tunnel Rcutc I. the One
Port Authority Fa,ors

One Of the reasons why Mayor Mylan
lid not attend the | pisative hearing
on inc plan Of .thc Port Authority 1t
Albany last Tuesday was revealed yes.
1erday whom Fuscnius II. Outorbridec.
chairman Of the Port Authority. made
ooD!ic letter from Samuel Rea. repre-
senting tho executives of the ,avyc
.Tunk line railroads. to the Muyor.
natly turning down the cjtv's )lan
'or port developM ont including the pro-
nosed tunnel from Staten lslanG 20
Hrooklyi. L developed tj,at the Mayor
received My. Rea /, letter the ia be
ere the Albany hearing. He started
i'r Palm heach Ell the day Of The hear
The Mayor, however, sent d letter of
protest against the Port Authority plan
10 Albany whioh vas read before the
lolnt conn lttcoS by Francis j. Boat
director oi the Board Of Estimate. He
failed IL this TO mention the fact that
the railroads had disapproved the citv
plan Comptroller Craie. and other city
officials who appeared at he h,arjn,+ 70
support tno city's plan endoavorod 20
create the impression that tie railroad
engineers looked with favor on the
c;ty's proposals. Mr.. Rca's notice to
The Mayor vas based On report Of The
railroad engineers adverse 10 the citv
Ian.
0uterhridgc Notifies Hewitt
in tette~ K ;ne chairmen o. the
JOINT Legislative committees. dated Fch-
ruary 3, Mr.. Outcrbridge called attcn-
ton 10 these facts aud declared that
the committees ought to know, them for
1uldance IN heir executive dsl,bcra-
tons. Addressing Charles i. Hewitt.
chairman Of the Senate Committee on
Finance. Mr.. Ou:erbridgc said:
"Among the briefs offered to your
comm ttce to sustain ii Was nno that
made thN eciaration that co-oporatioN
on the part Of the trunk line railway
systems Wa essential to the success
of the city plan Since our rcturn from
. .Dany We have received letter signed
by the acting chairman Of the Commit
tee OF Railway Executives addressed to
tho Hon. John +. lIylan. Mayor of
the City Of New York. which clearly
that the element Of support
expected BY the city from the railroads
Is not to be forthcoming. In order to
guide you in your deliberations in OK
ecutve session We feel that YOU should
have it before you. Accordingly VIC arc
sending copies TO each merbcr Of the
two committees. We are unable to &C
count for the Iact that this letter was
rot brought cut at the hearing, As we
are Informed that it was in the hands
Of the Mayor the day BEFORE
MIR. Rca. in his lctter to the Mayor.
points to the report Of the chief en-
sineers of the eleven trunk line rail
roaQs eight Of which have their freight
terminals in New Jersey, declaring
tina the railroads would not be justified
now in assuming the large carrying
charges for the city plan, including the
tunnel under the Narrows, and that to
route freight from the present term
inals over the belt lines proposed by
the city TO connect with the Staten Isl
AID tunnel would ncccssitate an en-
Sire change of the operation OF The
najority Of the trunX lines. While
saying that there docs not seem to be d
necessity for any tunnel at rrc present
time. since the facilities for trans
ferring freight by water will probably
De adequate for some iime to come,
Mr.. Rca indicates that the only feasible
tunnel when it IS needed, is the one
proposed under the Port Authority
plan from Grccnvillc, \. j., to Bay
Ridge.
"Whcn the traffic demands and can
carry tho cost Of direct rail connec-
CONTINUED on page ssventcen)