Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Please note: this text may be incomplete. For more information about this OCR, view About OCR text.

390 RECORD AND GUIDE September 23, 1922 lation o-f-price can be ordered^nd enforced. A reasonable advance over last year's prices may be tolerated, but if the shortage is to be the occasion of wild bidding for supplies and profiteering on the part of holders the public may be expected to and will put the coal business on a basis which will prevent periodical recurrences of similar crises. The greatest preventive of future disorders in the mine fields would be the insistence on the part of the public, expressed through governmental authorities, that the cost of the strike shall not be paid by the public in an increased Maity Organizations Endorse THE first public hearing on Mayor Hylan's program for extensions of the subway system was held by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment on Friday, Sept. 15. The room was crowded when the Maj'or opened the proceedings and asked for criticisms of his plan and suggestions for im¬ proving on it. Mayer C. Goldman, counsel for the Washington Heights Taxpayers' .'\ssociation, suggested that the plan provide six tracks instead of four on the proposed .\msterdam .'\yenue subway between Seventy-second and 162d Streets, and four tracks instead of three from 162d Street to the city line. Reginald Pelham Bolton, of the Washington Heights Tax¬ payers' .Association, suggested that the plan offered favorable opportunity for ultimate tunnel connection with Xew Jersey. Isaac Menlein, of the Washington Heights Chamber of Com¬ merce, favored the six-track subway suggestion and the plan in general. Charles H. Fuller, of the Harlem Board of Com¬ merce, asked for priority in construction of the proposed Tri- borough bridge. Dr. Michael C. O'Brien, chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Harlem Board of Commerce, and J. Conrad Schneider, of the Washington Heights Chamber of Commerce, Benjamin Franklin, of the Harlem Board of Trade, and William J. Donovan, of the Hamilton Grange Community Council, spoke in favor of the plan. Thomas F. P>urke of the Minqua Club, the Democratic or¬ ganization of the Twenty-third Assembly District, said that wealthy residents whom he characterized as the "big four," including a "Mr. Delafield," had blocked the transit develop¬ ment of the Riverdale section. "Is that the man who was appointed to the Governor's Char¬ ter Revision Commission?" asked the Mayor. Mr. Hulbert said that it was, and the Mayor said he wi.-hed this noted on the record. Former Congressman James \'. Ganly and Charles \'. Ha!ley, Jr., former Deputy Public Service Cominissioner, objected to the continuation of the high rates charged by the Xew York Central and Xew Haven Railroads from Bronx stations to Grand Central, which were put into eflfect during the war. Mr. Halley said there was no reason why the Transit Com¬ mission should not hold a hearing and put the fares down. .Andrew Cokelej', from the Bronx, invited the Mayor to visit the East Bronx with a view to establishing bus lines. "What I wish the people of the city would do is this: Re¬ gardless of party affiliations, I wish they would write to their candidates for Senator and .\ssemblyman and ask them how they stand on legislation favoring the right of the people to own and operate buses." said Mayor Hylan. Edward Polak, Register of Bronx County, advocated the Mayor's plan as a business proposition which would put into the city treasury the profits that would otherwise go to pri¬ vate interests. "The old subway has paid for itself thousands of times over," he said. "Why will the people of the city insist that we turn over the greatest social wealth of the country to private interests when they ought to take it and put it in the treasury to pay the expense of Government and not tax capital and labor." "1 don't think the people insist on it being turned over.' price at the mine of $1.00 per ton, as is now proposed. The miners, in striking, suffered losses in wages which they can only make up by increased hours of labor. The operators should make up their losses by increasing their output, not by increasing the price on a reduced output. The public must stand its loss in susjjension of business, in impairment of efficienc}' and health through poorly-heated lodgings and business quarters, and in other ways. Even if the miners and operators eventually make up their losses the public never can. Maj'or Hylan's Subway Plans cain thp Af3\-(",r '*Tf IC ll,n cliclAl^nA said the Mayor. "It is the subsidized press that is on the payroll of the interests and speaking as the mouthpiece of those interests that are exploiting the people. When the people thoroughly get onto the newspapers that mouth the ideas of these interests then we will begin to get a government, as Abra¬ ham Lincoln said, I think it is, of, by and for the people." Mrs. Harry C. .Arthur, chairman of the Bronx Transit Com¬ mittee, said that organization was behind the Mayor's plan. "I only wish McAneny was here to hear that," said the Mayor. "Do you think the people ought to take over these old sur¬ face junk lines and pay $350,000,000?" the Mayor continued. "Absolutely and inequivocally no," replied Mrs. Arthur. The only objections to the Mayor's proposals were voiced b}' Irwin Kurtz, of the Central Republican Club, Wth .Assembly District. Mr. Kurtz asked the Board to "cut out the conversa¬ tion and give us subways." Mr. Kurtz asserted that the Transit Commission was the sole body authorized by law to initiate rapid transit routes and that the Mayor and the other members of the Board of Estimate in discussing a transit plan had no more legal au¬ thority than any other group of citizens at a mass meeting President Hulbert read part of the resolutions adopted by the Central Republican Club, declaring against the municipal operation of transit facilities. Mr. Kurtz asked that he read the rest of the resolutions, which called upon the Mayor and the Board to stop playing politics with the transit situation. "We want subways and I agree with everything that the Washingon Heights and Harlem gentlemen have said." I\Ir. Kurtz continued: "but you can not get subways with injunc¬ tions and you can not get them by holding political mass roeet- ings. Comply with the law and you will get subways." The healing on lines south of 125th Street in Manhattan was held last Wednesday and the Board of Estimate room was again filled with those friendly to the Mayor's plan. The only suggestion ofifered by speakers was that the con¬ struction of the First Avenue line should be placed in Group'1, advocates pointing out that the transit facilities of residents along the line were extremely bad. Dr. Henry W. Berg of the Greater Xew York Taxpayers' Association described the inadequacy of existing facilities on the east side below Fourteenth Street, where, he said, 600,000 people were left without means of getting conveniently from one point to another. .Alexander I. Rorke, former Assistant District .Attorney, representing the Amsterdam Democratic Club, suggested that the southern extension "of the .Amsterdam .Avenue-Tenth .Ave¬ nue line should be put in Group 1 instead of Group 2. He praised the Mayor's plan and attitude for a five-cent fare. -Among the organizations represented by spokesmen at the meeting were the Afurray Hill Taxpayers' .Association, Miami Club, Horatio Seymour Club, Downtown League, Forty-second Street Property Owners and Merchants' Association and the Real Estate Owners' .Association of the Nineteenth Ward. The next hearing will be on Tuesday afternoon, when the Brooklyn phase of the plan will be discussed. Other hearings will be held later, each section of the city being taken up in turn.