The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-05-05
LAWMAKERS FINISH.
New York Legislature Passes
Franchise Tax Bill.
GOVERNOR ROOSEVELT SATISFIED.
Says That Not a Single Law Has Been
Enacted or an Appointment Made
Which Was Not Right and
Credit to the LEGISLATURE.

ALBANY, April 29.-The state legisla-
ture adjourned yesterday afternoon aft
er passing several bills. The senate
finished it's work at 1856 o'clock and
then took a recess to await the conclu-
sion of business in the assembly. The
upper house reconvened at 1928 o'clock,
and Lieutenant Governor Woodruff at
once declared the senate adjourned sine
die. In the assembly at 2:30 o'clock
Speaker Nixon's adjournment speech
was read by Clerk Archie Baxter the
speakers indisposition preventing him
from delivering it. The speech was lis
tened to attentively by the members
and the hundreds of visitors who
crowded the chamber.
At the conclusion of the reading the
assembly was declared adjourned by
the acting speaker.
The assembly at 1905 o'clock in the
afternoon by a vote of 104 to SO passed
the Ford bill providing for the taxation
of franchises as real estate. The bill
has already been passed by the senate,
and Governor Roosevelt will sign it at
once, as it was his most earnest wish
that the measure should be passed be-
fore the Legislature adjourned.
Governor Roosevelt makes the follow
islative session of 1899:
81 feel that we have every reason to
be exceedingly well satisfied with the
result of the session. There has not
been a single law put on the statute
books which ought not to have been put
or a single appointment made which
ought not to have been made, and there
has been a very substantial sum of
achievements to the credit of the legis-
lature.
1.-THE civil service law is the best stat
ute of that character that has been en-
acted by any state or by the nation.
1.-THE rapid transit and the Long Is
land railroad tunnel bills have both been
put on the right basis, and the rapid
transit bill especially at the least gives
us a chance to secure rapid transit for
the city of New York without surren-
dering the cty's right to a franchise
which in future years may be of meal
culable value.
THE franchise tax bill makes step of
the very highest Importance in the poll
cy of seeing that hereafter the corpora
lions getting great advantages from the
public shall bear their share of the pub
lie burden.
"The passage of the bill authorizing
the payment Of Messrs. Fox and Mac
Farlane insures the proper disposition
of the prosecutions against any canal
officials, if such there be, who have been
guilty of fraud. or misconduct, and the
way in which Superintendent of Public
Works Partridge and State Engineer
Bond are conducting their offices is a
guarantee that no fraud will hereafter
be perpetrated with iInpunity.
"Steps have been taken moreover, to
render crime against the ballot in New
York city more difficult to perpetrate
and more easy to punish.
Finally, 1 feel that the legislature
deserves great credit for the way it has
succeeded in keeping down the tax rate
in spite of the way it had to make good
various deficiencies which it had inher-
tied and had not created.
"The salaries of the school teachers of
New York city have at last been made
what they should be- so that we no
longer endure the scandal of inflicting
grinding injury on people who are more
than any others responsible for the up
bringing of the citizens of the next gen.
Grafton.