New-York tribune., 1896-05-01

-,o,.cu THE TAX RATE MAY RE LowEk-FE"
LABOR MEASURES ENAcTED-rIE CHAN'N'
~ THE BALLOT LAw-BIC-t II. LEGiS-
rArIoN IN THE Armstrong BILL
FEW sPURTs OF YRTuT-
NETWORK CITY + Ills.
,.,oxrHE REGULAR coRREsPoNpE II OF THE rH'DoNH''
Albany April 3O.-The Legislature Oh io'o'
.,,ch committed suicide to-dtE no' u '"e
~,., Of the community. Will le FAMOUS Vi III
s,mous in the history OF the ftate as inc o"o
rh,ch passed the Greater NewTorK act anu '"e
w.. ~ rSouor Tax law. The CREATION of the
x.,est city on the continent citX OF 5'Voo'oVV
s.s,,orts. by the consolidation OF New-York
-, p-ooklyn. In view Of the instrunsentalities
'-.,,oved In the Legislature to bring iboait the
90 Of the act as bribne OF Asst mpiymen
=. ,roffers Of State patronage. may well bring
10, ul.fame upon the Legislature OF his year.
- ,hs Raines Liquor Tax law. which to all
N..or, anpearances will increase the amount or
-..rnerance In the State. will surely never be a
..a,, n the Legislature which approved OF II.
ropcED THROUGH BY THE BOSS.
rs,sa ,mportant enactments had TIE addi-
.a,aI aetriment, also. of having b on forced
-. - 49, nover OF a political boss" Thomas G.
p,a,, Pfrely IN the history OF the Ste has
,au.s,oture b en- so cowardly. so servai like in
,.s attitude toward an outside influence rs this
ons was 1t Is a notorious fact that we ly the
,.od,ne Republican members Of the SCI and
,ssenbIy have visited NewYork for the sole OBJ
,.c, ~ receiving their orders" from the boss"
tor IN. succeeding week. Legislative power was
,hux turrendered to an unexampled extent into
,he hands of a man who had no official relations
u,,h she State Government Such an abdication
=, the,r mowers by the Senators and Assembly
nen3could not but work evil to the community.
THE GREATER NEw-YORK ACT.
The Greater New-York act creates Commls-
s,on OF fourteen persons to draw up a charter
forthe gigantic city which is to occupy the Ter
r,,orv covered by the counties Of New-York,
Rt .ond and Kings, part Of Queens and Iart
of Testchester The enactment was vetoed by
Mayor Strong Of New-York. and by Mayor
wurster Of Brooklyn but was passed over
their vetoes by the Legislature. 1t should be
s.ated that the BILL when passed over the We
toes had only two votes to spare in the Assem-
by. The Greater New-York act is still In the
hands Of Governor Morton. unsigned.
the State Senate, under Mr.. Platt's inspiration,
has set up a rival to the Greater New-York
Commission by authorizing the Lexow Greater
Nev-York Committee to continue Its work of IN
vesigating this subject. The general belief is
ths the Lexow Committee will report bills to
the legislature Of 1897. creating Platt Commits
siors TO rule over Greater New-York. and that
th.work Of the Greater New-York Commission
itsef may be rejected.
THE RA1NES LIQUOR TAX LAW
he Raines Liquor Tax law is a great inno-
vaion. 1t aboshes all Boards Of Excise and
MHquor licenses. 1t imports Into New-York
Site the Dow Liquor Tax law Of Ohio. but
trasforms that law into a great political In
stmmentality, whereas in Ohio the various local
tits collect the tax and there are few State
agnts: a large number Of these State employees
have been established under the new law In
Nw-York A large proportion OF the States
reenue from the bill. possibly $780, 900 yearly. Is
thus diverted from the State Treasury into the
pockets of politicians Local supervision Of
lhuor selling has been lessened. with the result
sready apparent in New-York and Brooklyn
that more liquor is sold on Sunday In these cities
N Sandwich hotels than has been the case
In many years before The commands OF the
also, with respect to the examina-
tion Of applicants for positions in the Civil Ser
vice Of the State. that there shall be free COM
petition, have also been dsobeyed in the selec-
ton Of sixty special agents for places In the
State Excise Department. The department has
become already a political machine which can
not but work harm to the Republican party.
REVENUE FROM LIQUOR LICENSES
1t is estimated that the liquor dealers will pay
into the State Treasury under the tax the sum
Of $3,00O,OOO. All this money will be taken from
the localities which have collected It, and which
have been using their revenues from liquor
licenses In paying various expenses of govern
ment and in supporting charitable institutions.
II this estimate Of 900 900 be correct the local
tiles taxed will receive Sc 600 00O since they will
retain two-thirds of the amount they will col
lect. This estimate, however is a mere guess.
and many members of the Legislature think
II was hazardous to estimate that the liquor tax
would bring In such a large amount as S9,O00.-
oO0
STATE TAX RATE AND APPROPRIATIONS.
one effect Of estimating that the law will
or'ne into the State Treasury the large sum OF
'o'0wv" VIII be, temporarily. at least. to reduce
'.e o'a'e TAX from the high rate Of 3.24 mills,
""ieh II reached In the first year Of Mr. Nor
w." administration. There has been no reduc-
'.o" IN the amount Of the appropriations. Thus
.ne supply Dill has been increased from s169l.-
''' 81 IN 1895 to 749 4O4 ~ In 1896. and the APP
nopriauon act from s9,713.0sO 67 in 1895 to $lO,-
''o'' u In 1886. Besides these there are mis-
.."a"eous appropriations amounting to 1885,
wv w. capitol appropriation of $4,000 an sp-
Sopidtlon of 81 800 900 for the State care Of the
Insane, ard 1861. $40 for the canal Improvement
sinking fund
CHANGES IN THE BALLOT LAW.
iae Ballot law Of the State was amended In
Aaay important respects, and the election laws
se ..e put into one statute with the Ballot law.
ane general effect of the amendments Of the
osnot law was 10 limit independent voting
nus the number Of signatures required TO
"ake an Independent State nomination was In
ueased from 5000 to 5000, and the signatures