[PRCo] Friends in High Places?

[Fred Schneider]

THIS SHOWS THAT PITTSBURGH RAILWAYS HAD NO MORE FRIENDS IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT IN 1935 THAN THEY HAD THREE DECADES LATER.  AND THE PEOPLE IN THE MAYORS OFFICE HAD NARRAY A CLUE WHAT THEY COULD OR COULD NOT LEGALLY DO BUT THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY.   


http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fgAdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZY4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2381%2C3037712 

 

Pittsburgh Press, digital January 9, 1935 page 38, (Print January 10, page 32)

 

New [City Transit] Commission Comes Out for ‘Elevators,’ Low Fares

Father Tkach, Head of Transit Group, Also Favors ‘Absolutely Municipal’ Rapid Transit Line

    Sans title, sans authority, sans even the Mayor’s blessing, Mayor William N McNair’s own City Transit Commission, ignoring two hold-over members, held another meeting yesterday and laid out an elaborate “program: which has nothing to do with the Transit Commission.

    The “meeting” was held in the Mayor’s private office and Mr. McNair personally tramped up and down the corridors drumming up a crowd to see the “Commission” in action.

    Mr. McNair said he had abandoned his decision to appoint as members of the Commission “Hunky Joe” Lewandowski, South Side numbers king, Father Peter V. Tkach, Russian Orthodox priest and William Lando, real estate man, but they performed according to the McNair manner anyhow.

    Father Tkach outlined the new “Commission’s” program, embracing these revolutionary reforms:

   1—Monthly street car passes for each school child for 75 cents or $1.

   2—Transfers good “from one ent of de citee to de utter” for an extra two-cent charge.

  3—Special rates for women shopping in off-traffic hours.

  4—Purchase of the Wabash railroad station by the city, construction of a rapid transit line to Mt. Lebanon, an “elevator from the station to the Point and a subway to the North Side and Bellevue.

  

   Created 10 years ago to prepare plans for a $6,000,000 subway since abandoned, the Commission has no authority whatever.   It has been kept alive purely to keep at work a staff of 139 LWD men studying traffic flow and underground utilities.

 Commissioners ‘Don’t Know’

   On the special street car rate for school children, Father Tkach had this to say:    “I have a child myself.   I know what that means.  Commissioners who are rich don’t know.”

    Mr. McNair popped a question about the Mt. Lebanon rapid transit.   “Would the city run it?” he asked.

    “Absolutely,” expostulated Father Tkach.  “Make it municipal.  It would increase land values.  Of course there is no money now and it is useless to talk about it.”   As an afterthought, he added:   “Of course, Mr. Mellon could give us five or 10 million.”

 Boisterous Snicker

    Mr. Lewandowski, sensing a good joke, snickered boisterously.

     “Mr Lewandowski,” said Father Tkach, bowing to his colleague, complains about the South Side service.  I don’t think it would hurt to run a jitney to the South Side.”

    “Mr. Chairman,” interrupted Mr. Lando, silent until now, “I think we could have more to say when the right time comes.”

    Father Tkach indicated by a frown that Mr. Lando was out of order.

    But up spoke Joseph (Bozo) Lavery, ex cop, self-styled bodyguard to the mayor and chief sitter in the Mayor’s courtroom chair in the Mayor’s absence.

   “There oughta be better service for the children in Pioneer Avenue,” said he.  “Couldn’t you put in a bus line?”

    The answer was forgotten as an unidentified citizen, losing his restraint, spoke up:    “McNair can go to Chicago and still come home an honest man.”    (Mr. McNair had just returned from a speaking engagement in Chicago.)

    This moved John L. Powers, North Side legislator, to remark:   “That’s a wonderful point, a reduced fare for children is.”

    Mr. Lavery expressed himself again on the subject of the Traction Conference Board, saying to Mr. Powers:   “I think you should remedy that.”

    “I will,” promised the accommodating legislator.  “What good are those baloney-benders?” asked Mr. Lavery, answering his own question.  “No good to us.”

    Father Tkach made another speech and the “Commission” adjourned.