New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-12
TALK OF EXTRA SESSION.
ROOSEVELT MAY CALL THE LEGISLAT.
URE BACK TO ALBANY.
FORD FRANCHISE TAX AND RAPID TRANSIT
BILLS WOULD BE THE CAUSE OF IT.
HEARING ON THE FORMER
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBuSE.l

by TELEGRAPH TO THE TRiBUyEl
Albany. May 11.-Governor Roosevelt. with q
brief interval for luncheon. listened from noon
to-day TIL I:30 O'Clock tonight to arguments on
Senator Ford's Franchise Tax bill. Then he
announced that he would receive briefs on It Till
next Tuesday
The representatives Of the corporations pres
ent at the hearing were almost unanimous in
making tho suggestion that the Governor should
call special session of the Legislature to con-
slider the taxation laws Of the State. rather than
to sign the Ford bill. which, they declared in
operation would most injuriously and unjustly
affect their property,
The Governor said after the hearing that he
was glad to perceive that the corporations had
been driven into a corner where they were will
ing to have special session OF the Legislature
held to consider the taxation laws He was told
that Mayor Van wyck had vetoed the New
York Rapid Transit bill, and asked n he
had any thought Of calling a special session Of
the Legislature to act on that subject. He an
swered that he had not considered this matter.
but he could see no objection to having a special
session :or the purpose Of considering both
the rapid-transit situation in New-York and
the taxation laws OF the State. One Of the re-
suits of this statement was that there were
rumors about Albany tonight that the Governor
would call special session Immediately.
MIND NOT MADE UP
1t had been expected that the Governor would
reach decision on the Ford bill Immediately.
and he had prepared a memorandum giving his
reasons for signing 1t II he should decide after
the hearing that he ought to sign It, But ex-
Senator David B. Hill and John G. Milburn. OF
Buffalo. presented some arguments against the
ought to be referred TO by him in any memo
randum he might write His memorandum will
be entirely recast and possibly may be put aside
and another written.
Whether the Governor will approve the bin or
not was not apparent; and, indeed, he frankly
stated at the beginning OF the hearing that al
though he had shown a predisposition in favor
Of the measure by sending a message to the
Legislature urging its passage yet he was open
to conviction that it ought not 70 be signed. The
very fact that he consented to receive briefs
until Tuesday shows that he has not yet decided
absolutely to sign the bill or to reject 1t.
HILL PRoDs TAMMANY.
Nearly all the big street railway corporations
of the State were represented by counsel in op-
position to the measure but the most interest,"
ing persons present were David B. Hill. who
appeared in opposition to II. and a large body
Of Tammany Hall Senator'S and Assembymen,
who came a committee 10 favor II. Two fac
tions Of the Democratic party thus were arrayed
against each other. Mr.. Hill for an hour and
half hammered the bill. and boldly declared it
would give political organizations in cities trs-
mendous powers Of coercing and blackmailing
corporations This was a plain attack on the
Tammany organization Mr.. Hill added to bis
offence by saying that certain corporations In
cities had already incurred the enmity Of local
political organizations clearly referring TO the
Tammany attack on the Manhattan Elevated
Railway. "Once in while" he added grimly.
there Is corruption In the city of NewYork."
Mr.. Hill further referred to political matters
when he said This bill was pushed through the
Legislature by clamor, the same clamor which
demanded cheap money, an irredeemabe cur
rency and the income tax" Mr.. Hill represented
the street railways Of Elmra, Penn Yam, Corn
ing and Hornellsve.
There also appeared in opposition to the bill
Charles A. Collin for the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit road; Charles j. Bissel, for the Roches-
ter Railroad Company; C. L. Allen and William
p. Goodelle for the Syracuse and Auburn rail-
way and light companies; w. Caryl Ely, John @.
Milburn and Porter Norton, for the Buffalo and
Niagara Falls Railway Company; George Il.
Curtiss and J. p E. Clarke, for the Binghamton
Street Railway; c. Tracy Rogers president of
the Street Railway Association OF the State
Edward Lauterbach and William c. Trull rep
resenting the Third Avenue Railway Company:
NJ NJ. Fenner, for the Fredona and Dunkirk
Railway Company; ID. F. Van Vleet, for the
Ithaca Street Railroad Company; ]. W. Nc
Namara, for the Albany Railway Company: G.
b. Story. for the Hoosic Falls and Bennington
Railroad; {. Cleminshaw and William Shaw
for the Troy City Railway Company, and Wilson
S. Bissel, for certain Buffalo electric companies
DETAILS OF THE HEARING.
David B. Hill the first speaker The bill
he said, was peculiar in character and radical In
nature. No party man need feel obliged TO support
It. Neither the Republican nor the Democratic
party had indorsed the matter in its platform
The Legislature had not had sufficient time be-
tween the receipt OF the Governors emergency
message and the passage Of the bill give the bill
tho attention It demanded The scope Of the meas
ure had been msconstrued, especially by the mens-
bers from the rural districts
He quoted Senator Depew, who said that tho pro
visions OF the bill did not apply TO the New-Yorh
Central Railroad. Evidently Mr.. Depew had been
misled by the statements Of Senator Ford and
others at the hearing before the Senate Committees
THE BILL" he continued, establishes aston
ishing and unsatisfactory system Of assessment
We do not object TO the taxation of franchise.
but we do object to the methods that must be pcr-
sued under the provisions OF this measure. This
bill places In the hands OF unscrupulous Board
OF Assessors a fearful weapon with which to
sault any corporation against which IL has q
grudge II permits them to take the helpless cor
poration by the throat and throttle It without
mercy.
Senator Ford In drawing up his bill has not
taken into consideration the practical questions
which will confront the assessors ir the country
districts. Franchises are already taxed under ex-
isting laws and II this bill becomes a law II viii
cause a double taxation and alarm the people You
hear people the street say that corporations do
not pay any taxes. but Of over 100000 paid into
the State treasury taxes onetenth OF the whole.
fs hy
why II Your Honor signs this bill there VIII
have 10 be so many exceptions made next year
that you won't be able to recognize the statute
book I ask Your Honor to consider the people In
the rural districts who ably supported you IN
your last campaign and withhold your signature
from this measure
1.-The debate on this bill has been meagre, and
make the suggestion to Your Honor TO call an
extra session of the Legislature and consider this
hill deliberately and carefully. Tho expense OF