New-York tribune., 1922-10-10

cause of the indiffarence. inability
and neglect on the part Of the private
traction corporations, as you say in
the resolution, bnt also because Of the
destructive efforts of your adniinistra-
tion for the past five years when con-
struetivc work was needed to remedy
situation daily becoming more in
tolerable.
True. yeur opposition prevented an
increase Of fares by Public Service
Commissioner Nixon and an ;ncreasc
OF fares then would probably have
made constructive solution or the
problem impossible now. concede
you that much credit, but the good
structive work, which contributed with
the indifference. inability and neglect
OF the operating companies to which
you refer, TO break down service, to
disorganiEe service where there was
unity, to inaugurate the double and
treble fare system in place of a single
rare system, and to create intolerable
conditions ieopardizing the health,
comfort and safety of the people.
Confidence In Cor .,ission
''Tn that situation the Transit Com
mission, composed of citizens OF your
town, whose work, am sure, has al
ready established them in the public
confidence, Was created to deal con-
structively with the problem which
you had made football of in politics.
State power only was delegated to the
commission, not one iota of power
ever possessed or exercised by the
city, whatever may be- said to the con-
trary. The power to obstruct only
after years Of fatal destruction and
obstruction was limited. The problem
could not then be solved, it cannot
now be solved without the aid of all
Of the state power delegated to the
commission, and it may even be neces-
sary to invoke still further state
powers not possessed by the commits
aion.
sBut, as you know, when the unified
system has been established the plan
provides that the city shall have
public representation in the manage
by itself without interference from
Albany. That is what call read home
rule as distinct from professions Of
home rule which are not practiced.
Now the Transit Commission has
been at work only about a year and
FIVE months. Tangible results Of its
work are now in evidence. Service has
been greatly improved. Some serious
obstacles to the ultimate consumma-
ticn OF unified plan are in the way
of being removed 1nter-company re-
lations imposing unjust burdens on
revenue are being eliminated. A ten
tst{ve plan of unification was submit
ted year ago.
Suggests Cooperation
III am pleased to see that you your
self have produced plan at least of
suggested routes. That is step for
ward after SO many years of destruc-
tion and obstruction. was also
pleased to see that at least there is
talk that you and the Transit Com
mission may sit down together to dis
cuss plans. That is another forward
step. The truth is that the plan which
you profess to want, the plan which
the people certainly want, the plan
which the Transit Commission since
its, creation has steadily been working
for, is much nearer consummation than
many people realize.
"If you would only pull with the
Transit Commission instead of pulling
apart. that consummation could be
brought still nearer, to the great relief
and satisfaction Of the public. To do
what you now ask, to treat the bus
problem Independently, would inevita-
bly, cause pulling apart when there
is at least some hope that at last you
may be able to pull together. To treat
one element of the problem indepen-
IDENTIFY would certainly make it impos-
sihle to consider the entire problem as
whole. .
II shall, therefore, not call the extra
session of the Legislature, not alone
because it is not necessary to meet the
emergency which you say has arisen,
but because what you ask would GER
tainiy tend to undo much that has al
ready been accomplished.
Decrias Contention
~ assure you that the foregoing OBJ
servations have not been made in any
contentious spirit The public is en-
titled to have plain statement of
facts, ard l have only undertaken to
state facts as are pertinent to the
points raised by your resolution.
assure you that I desire in every way
within my power to promote the spirit
Of amity and cooperation which will
take q great problem out of politics
and solve it in the public interest.
"And permit me also to emphasize
the fact that i am not undertaking to
solve the problem. All the state legiti
mately could do, all the state has un-
dertaken to do, has been to create an
agency and to endow it with the power
Of the state to solve the problem. That
agency is composed of your own towns
men. The solution of the problem is in
their hands and yours"