The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-24
RAID ON PROPERTY BEGUN.
CORPORATE NTEREsTs ATTACKED
BR D~EM0ORlTIO LEGLsLlTORS.

~ 1"OOOAAA
MILLS TO wipe Out the Fronts OF Gas Cou-
pantes IN Few York City ana the state. %
Hsauce the Prsnts or street Railroads aad
Eiectrio LiGht ana Telephone Companies.
ALBANY, Jan. 2s.-The actual sessions Of
tho Legislature Of 1898 have covered less than
two weeks, but the raid upon properly has been
begun by the Democrats all along the limo. The
attack upon corporate interests and the In
vestments OF the thrifty is under way. Tho
menace TO business foreshadowed in Senator
Grady's Lakewood manifesto last month has be-
gun to assume q concrete realization. That
tho campaign against property in this State Ia
to be pushed speedily was shown by Senator
Cantor's significant remarks Just before tho
Senate adjourned on Friday. The first few
weeks OF the session are always given up al
most entirely TO the introduction Of bills and the
passage Of pressing but non-contentious local
measures which call for little consideration. The
discussion Of moro weighty proposals is left till
these relatively unimportant matters have
boon disposed of. On Friday, however, tho
ninth day Of the session, Senator Cantor de-
clared that unless the committees having in
charge his bill to reduce or wipe out the profits
of the New York city gas companies should take
It up carly this week, he would move for the dis
charge Of the committee, o proceeding which
would afford him an opportunity for grand
stand play on the floor Of the Senate. Last
year Senator Cantor was content to have his
cheap gas bill discussed at length, and It was
after such discussion that 1t was defeated in
both houses. This year. with q much larger
Democratic delegation In tho Assembly. he 10
anxious to hasten tho disposal of 1t as much as
possible.
Senator Cantor is the official Democratic
leader in the upper house. Assemblyman DON
nelly Of New York is the official leader Of tho
minority in the lower legislative branch. Tho
official Democratic cheap gas bill has been In
troduced in the two houses respectively by
these two representatives in their official ca
p~acities. This fact. however, has not prevented
several Of their followers from bringing In
other cheap gas bills, in emulation OF the lead
ere. The Cantor bill applies only to the Dor.
oughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. 1t fxes
the price at 81 q thou sand feet, and gives tho
Commissioner of Public Buildings. Lighting,
and Supplies authority to supervise the meth
DDS. appliances, and plants" Of the gas COM
panies. The power to levy blackmail on tho
gas companies that this provision would place
in tho hands of any INSCRIPTIONS man who
might hereafter occupy the place Of Commits
sioner needs no commen
The raid on tho gas companies, however,
does not stop here. Senator Fentherson Dem.,
N. " ana Assemblyman Green Dem.. n. w
| hNNO oAAho ~ bA AN ~ " 80 Wv
81 in every city in the State. Senator Guy
(Dem., n. W has introduced q bill to fix tho
price in tho five boroughs of New York city at
81 to private consumers and rs cents to tho
city. Senator Coffcy Dem., Kings and As
somblyman Oliver Dem. n. " have also in
troduced cheap gas bills.
Senator Cantor, the official Democratic leader,
has as yet shown no disposition to move in his
moro general and comprehensive attack on
nearly all forms of corporate industry. embraced
in q bill which he introduced the very first day
of the session. This bill declares unlawful
every contract, agreement, arrangement or
combination whereby a monopoly in tho manu-
~facture. production or sale of any article or
commodity of common use Is cor may be-
created. established or maintained, or whereby
competition in this State in the supply or price
of any such article or commodity Is "or may
be" restrained or prevented: and prescribes
severe punishments for any corporation. or
officer or agent thereof, concerned In any agree
ment which establishes "or may establish" such
a monopoly: 1t was pointed out in the discus.
sion of n similar measure last year that II two
green grocers in q small town found 1t impos.
sible for both to carry on business at a profit
and formed a partnership, they would be pun
ishable under this bill, because their combina-
ton might" establish a monopoly or might"
restrain competition. In spite of this rednctio
ad absurdnm of his proposition Senator Can
tor again hobs up serenely with the bill and
will undoubtedly do all he can to push it.
Assemblyman Green (Dem.. n. W has intro
duced @ bill providing that In any proceeding
such as the Cantor bill contemplates the per-
sons summoned must answer such questions as
are put to them. Last years bill prescribed
that these questions should be relevant and
material" Mr.. Green proposes to strike out
these words and let down the bars to O general
publication of the private business affairs Of
such person or corporation.
teT Nstsfh IN general neral and md the hitHt gas Ae eo SHSi"sss In IN
particular. and coming from official Democratic
minor lights Of Tie party to, trot out bills at:
lacking all sorts of.corporations and indiyid-
% ns,s dee so@e s ef tSc Of h tns f SeapS t IF tn slTsss
railways pay. dividends on the capital invested.
AS soon as this legislature met bills began to
come In to put a stop to this. Assemblyman
Streiher Dem, Eriel furnished the most radical
one. 1t applies to Buffalo alone, and compels
) sne cents satse &sse&biymaln Mitchell DEM i"fy New
York, and Assemblyman CHASER Dem, Queens,
street railways to carry a passenger all over
their respective systems, though It were from
Fort s,.. George sa to s SSnsS leland Sls for oI. a single aGaaso fSr e;
sxoiasifve use, Of a section and Desires The UPPER per
section. Assembiyman, oliver Diem, New
YORK; has iptI9dueod a bin providing that pP:;
| DcE bholi hob 10 'OI uhitbb OtSupltu
under penalty of $50 for each violation.
Tho business Of furnishing electric lights, as
well as that OF supplying gas. is said to be prof.
liable. Senator Tim Sullivan Dem. New
York; and Assemblyman Tin Sullivan Dem,
New York; have undertaken to attend to this.
They have introduced Jointly a bill providing
that electric light companies In New York city
shall not charge more than lhree-quarters of a
cent an hour for each incandescenL Light, nor
more than 4 cents an hour for each arc light.
Telephone companies make money, too. Sem
ator Coifey Dem, Kings is after them. He
has introduced o bill to cut down the charges
the companies to furnish telephones to sub
Bcrlbers at 1896 a year In New York city and at
lower prices elsewhere. according to aRraduat-
ed scale.
So far only q beginning has been made. The
railroads. banks. insurance companies. trust
companies. department stores, and, in fact.
Introduction of these bills shows clearly enough
that the Democracy. OF this State 10 70 stand
State campaign. and that tho Republican party
will have to mako the same fight for security