Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-04-06

cal. The commissioners undertook
their appointments as a public
honor. Under them a paid staff
included the finest legal. f1nan-
cial. engineering and administra-
tive people that could be found.
No Right of Taxation.
The New York Port Authority
was given the right to raise money
by floating tax-free bond issues.
1t was not given the right to tax
anybody. To prime the financial
pump, it received special loans
from the State and Federal Gov
ernments.
The building program started
with the Holland Tunnel. 1t has
gone on to include other tunnels,
bridges. road systems and airports.
The Authority has paid off its
public debts. It has never failed
to meet its obligations on more
than $400 million in bonds issued.
Its credit today is second only to
that of the Federal Government
There is no doubt that the
New York Port Authority has
worked wonders. It is no wonder
that people are interested in
bringing the idea to Washington.
Probably the most specific ap-I
proach to the authority idea is
contained in the proposal of Mary
lands Representative Sasscer for
an interstate investigating COM
mission to study the possibility
of greater area coordination. The
proposal at least starts at the
same place that the New York
Port Authority started IS years
ago. It is not uncomfortable that
Mr.. Sasscer's commission might
come up with much the same
answers.
Possibilities in Washington.
What could such. an authority
do in Washington?
A wide variety of things have
been suggested. A Metropolitan
Washington Authority, it is said,
could follow the example of the
New York corporation in building
tunnels and bridges to link the
city with Virginia. 1t could build
roads It could develop and oper-
ate adequate airport facilities.
Going further. it might even take
on the problem of providing area
hospital centers, sewage and water
works. parking facilities and pub
lie stadia. Perhaps most impor-
tant of all. it has been urged
that such a group might take over
Washington's public transporta-
ton system.
This last idea, as pointed out
in previous stories in this series.
has received special emphasis
from transportation experts. A
plan proposed by Col. S. H. Bing-
ham. chairman of the New York
Board of Transportation. for semi
public ownership of transporta-
ton facilities. is based essentially
on the same idea as the New York
Port Authority. It has received
the Endorsement of President j. A.
B. Broadwater of the Capital
Transit Co.
An Important Difference.
There is, however, one import
ant difference.
The secret of the New York Port
Authority's success lies in the fact
tht the things that it builds and
the facilities that it takes over pay
for themselves through money
collected from the people who use
them. They must do this. or the
authority couldn't stay in bust
ness. It has been very careful to
avoid taking on any project which
requires subsidization or which il
likely to need it in the future. The
record of public transportation ir
other cities has not been encour-
aging in this respect. 1t is NJ
coincidence that the authority ha:
turned a consistently deaf ear tt
suggestions that it takes over New
York's unsupported public trans.
it system.
1t might also be pointed ou
that the purpose of all of tn,
authority'S operations is to stimu
late business and trade. It's owl
freedom from taxation has neve
served as a cloak for hidden sub