New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-21
UNFOLDING CORPORATIONS.
VI TELEPHONE LEGISLATION THIS YEAR.
TIE SENATE REFUSES 10 TAKE GEN. NJ MAioN
BILL FROM THE COMMITTEE WHERE IL
Is PRACTICALLY SMOTHFRED.
fly TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE'I

MIL FROM THE COMMITTEE WHEkf IL
/ is PRACTICALLY SMOTAFRED
rpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
Albany. March cO.-when the Democra"o
state Committee, for value received Ill Tue S""p. -
cold cash for election expenses, promised W Po',o'
certain corporations Of the State from interference "
the legislature 1t meant 10 carry out INC con""''
The telephone corporation Is one OF the srea'es' 'v
nonIes with when such contract was maue' III.
nemocro,s ~ the Senate showed that they recognIzeu
aha, oh,igotIons OF the contract tonight when oeha'"
Mcmahon moved TO discharge the Senate committee ."
Commerce and Navigation from further consme' ~,
q, tho hill introduced By him in January provdhs io'
a state Telephone Commission to regulate .eiep"o"e
charges I'm the cities OF the State 6eheral "o'''
Is ostensibly a member OF Tammany ifaii' Du' "e "
oucntly has shown an independence that MS sur
n,sod his rammany associates In the upper bfach W
Tho legislature When he introduced his telephone Vi"
and ecarod that he intended TO press 1t there was an
exhibition OF nervousness on the part VI ."e -"'
many men and the other Democratic Senator'S
Tho bill is an old acquaintance OF the people VI
Now York CITY, 1t Is the same measure worn ior
,ora .h,t os introduced in the Senate last year by
Mr. Asplnoll. and which received the vote OF nearly
every member OF that body. According 10 tne a0'
NJ the majority, there has apparently peeh al e'u'.
change OF heart since last year. On the opc!""s VI
the session tonight, Senator Mcmahon ssd Una. VIC
bill passed the Senate last year by pracucanS
session this year, In ample time ~
give the corporations interested a chance 10
Ie hoard "Nowv he continued "there Is no
longer any excuse for retaining the Dill IN com
mittcc which never intends to have a meeting. Inc
bill IS of the greatest importance to the country
In the city OF New.Iork alone we are ophgeo 10
nav twice as much as In the nearby places, ana
three times as much as In the other large cities.
There Is no redress for people Of these cities ex
cent through the Legislature. The telephone IS u
monopoly OF mOnopOlcs. Therefore Ii thcre ever ""S
business that should be governed by the state Legs
ature II Is this Over 1000 subscribers 10 the .eie
phone in Ncw.York City alone demand redress from
the oppression, and demand the assio'""'0 70 Wv
legislature I'm securing It,"
"smlIngp George Punkitt. one OF the brientes' s"rS
Of Tammnny Hall and devout slave Oh 'he o"'o
machine is the chairman OF the senate Coni"'eo VII
rornor,tons He has conducted himself In such
manner on this committee that he Is now termed the
miscellaneous chairman OF Corporations. lie w.
Tended tho telephone corporations In q remnrhaoie
ro.ch He said that the committee intended 10
meet tomorrow and fix time for the nearing
turning 70 Senator Mcmahon he remarked u nope
that will be satisfactory"
THAT Will not be satisfactory was the reply.
.Thcn will say Mr.. Punhu went on tn''
the telephone question Is one OF the greatest OF 'he
day. We know that any patents that THIS eorp'r"-
linn NAV have will expire soon, and that they mus
viii became the property Of the people OF the country
In consideration OF the great expenses that Tue 'ei
phone companies have been under, II IS UNFAIR wheh
Tho patents are about to expire to put them 10 uhe
additional expenses that commission would imply.
II 1, true that Ncw-York City pays more lor the
telephone than other cities. but why shouldn't she
.he IS rich and afford 1t. Can you name oho
,ubSo rber who Is complainng'
senator McMahon-I can name suoscrlpers' inc
members OF the Board OF Trade ana transportation
tho Chamber 81 Commerce and other SUBSCRIBERS VINO
are sending In protests.
.Tbe answer was not what 1 expected replied
Mr. piunkitt. al did not ask for the opinions OF
those living in Ncw-York who grasp all that they
can get and then blame the city. dont regiru 'ne
Chamber OF Commerce as better tnan others WIN ",e
s,,isI.d. Whenever u good thing appears ana Is
nut upon the market, there Is 100 mucn cryms !"
IN, down the price and thus ruin II. Ihere Is ho
lou comneIl,nr any person to the telephone any
NOR. ,bo, there A. 10 use railroad cur. Now iet
US have a hearing" - A.,
In answer 10 this remarkable speech senator NC
Nahon replied there was nothing row 10 De sau'
All that was necessary was said last year When INC
All was before the Legislature.
senator O'Connor supported Senator McMahon' iic
ao,,rd that the committee had right to slime
lccislation neither hid tho chairman the nsnt 10
say as Mr. IIunktt had said. that he was oppoSeo
TO the BILL and opposed to any consideration OF H.
Senator Cocrrshan surprised his associates by ap'
pcang asa champion OF the SorpGfsiT Intended be
said to allow him To understand tnat ne WAS n"' We
omly senator OF integrity around the circle ar.
Connor replied that tee was no necessity OF ~ NC
lending his Integrity. His career was sumcient
defence for It. , . -, .ho Ill,
Mr. Aspinal said that he was In favor OF tne p,ii,
but he would not vote TO discharge the conlms Me-
until 1t had a hearing. Inc vote OH ocha'"r M
Nahon's motion was as follows:
yeas-scnators Brown Mullin, McMahon, OConnor4.
xavs-senators Ahcarn, Asphalt. Bi"odgood. Cantor
rc,.shal Derby Donaldson, edwards. Emerson Erwin,
rndres Floyd Jones. Hunter. MoCarty MeCarren, Me-
cIoll,nd Nichols osborne, Inrker Persons, "lunkv,
richardson Roc,ch Saxton, Smith. Won Tofdcf' Walker
80.
II Is said to night that this Kills telephone ieeiNa'
uop for the wear The Democratic State Committee
Is loo powerful for the people
THE ANTI CRINOI.INE BILL