Assembly Approves N. Y. Transit Plan

Trenton, Apr. 14 — The State Assembly voted to go along with New York lawmakers’ changes in its bi-State approach to the rail-transit crisis following a bitter 45-minute debate yesterday.

NO ALTERNATIVE

Opponents attacked New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller and the New York Legislature for changing the bills on the eve of adjournment and sending them back to New Jersey on a take-or-leave-it basis.

They said enactment would set a precedent which would forever exempt the Port of New York Authority from playing a leading role in maintaining and improving rail transit.

But Minority Leader Alfred N. Beadleston (R., Monmouth), who announced all 18 Republicans would vote for the two bills involved, said New Jersey should not block New York’s sound program to prevent service curtailments just because Jersey lawmakers had failed to come up with any plan to solve its own transit ills.

By a 39-15 vote, the Assembly approved a 2-man agency with an appropriation of $25,000 from each State, to draft a transit plan within the next 2 years.

By a 36-16 vote it gave permission for the Port of New York Authority to borrow $20 million from New York State to buy new railroad coaches and lease them to three New York railroads.

The opposition was led by Hudson and Union County Democrats. The bills now go to the Senate for approval. Governor Robert B. Meyner has indicated he will sign them.

Two of the opponents were sponsors of the original bi-State transit district bill. Assemblyman J. Edward Crabiel (D., Middlesex) criticized New York for making its approval of that bill conditional upon New Jersey’s approving the Port Authority’s role in purchasing the coaches.

He said New York could have supplied the coaches through any of a number of State agencies. The only reason for bringing the Port Authority into the picture, he said, was to preclude it from any larger role in aiding New Jersey railroads later on.

Assemblyman John J. Wilson (D., Union) withdrew his sponsorship of the measure.

Assemblyman William V. Musto (D., Hudson) and Benjamin Franklin III (R., Morris) launched a bipartisan attack on the Port Authority for what was termed sidestepping its responsibility for development of the port areas rail facilities.

A longtime critic of the Authority, Musto was vehement in his contention that it is a waste of time and energy to create a new agency to do a job the Port Authority was ordered to do more than 20 years ago.

“Who is Austin Tobin (P. A. executive director) to tell us they can’t do it?,” asked Musto. “We created the Port Authority.”

Franklin said the Authority has the administrative capacity and financial resources to work out the imaginative, far-reaching program he said was needed. He said he voted for the bills yesterday as a stopgap measure but held no hope that they would help Jersey’s situation.

A few minutes later, the Assembly voted 44-0 to set up a 3-man committee to study the Lackawanna Railroad's bid to drop all passenger service unless granted tax relief and other benefits within 60 days.

Assemblyman Frederick H. Hauser (D., Hudson) attacked the Lackawanna for what he termed ineptitude, colossal nerve, and intimidation of 25,000 daily commuters and the Legislature.

Hauser charged that the railroad lost a $1-million mail contract through inefficiency and mismanagement and used trick bookkeeping to charge all losses, including freight, to passenger service.

“They ought to be chastised,” he said. “They can’t threaten the Legislature, bulldoze the Public Utility Commission, and strike fear in the hearts of commuters.”