New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-15
ROOSEVELT IT'S FRIEND.
GOVERNOR CHAMPIONS THE FORD
FRANCHISE TAX BILL.
Hrs EsPoUsAL OF ITS CAUSE MAY DEFEAT
THE APPARENT PLOT TO BURY
a~ ITtIN COMMITTEE.


~ ITtIN COMMITTEE.
Albany. April IA eciaD.-Governor Rocse-
Welt to-day expressed his hope that senator
Fords bill taxing public franchises as real es-
tate, recently passed by the Senate. would be
passed by the AS sembly before the adjourn
mtnt of the Legislature. 1t was perhaps sig
niAcant that soon After the statement OF the
Governor became known there was a rumor
that a resolution would be introduced in the
Assembly on Monday night providing for the
Anal adjournment OF me Legislature on April
% Adjournment being fixed for that day, 1t is
dcuhtfu, II the Franchise Tax bill could get
through the Assembly unless the Committee
On Eules should put IL forward. The Committee
an Rules has for its members Speaker Nixon.
Messrs Aids. Kelsey and Greenwood. Repub-
uf.ns and Messrs Palmer and Kelly. Demo-
Gratis.
The Republican organization 1t will be per-
ceived controls a majority OF the members OF
the committee. II. therefore can push the
Franchise Tax bill forward or hold 1t back as
Il pleases. 1t has been limited that the eaoers
of the organization" gave orders that the AS
scmbly Committee on Taxation and ketrehch
u,ent should delay the bill. and that TINS was
the reason dilatory tactics were employed py
the committee. Now that the Governor mas
stated that he favors the bill. perhaps the or
ranization" will permit vote TO he taken on
IL In the Assembly.
AssembIyman Trainer says orders have come
from New-York for the Tammany Hall members
10 support the bill. Possibly Richard Croker
thinks the Republican organization intends 70
XII the BILL and so seizes the opportunity 10
manufacture a campaign issue
The Governor made his announcement in re-
gard 10 the Franchise Tax bill as soon as he
mat the newspaper men at his usual morning
conference with them. He said he hoped the
Assembly would pass the bill, even though II
was not in the best possible form. BY its pas
sage at least the principle would De esta phsheu
OF the taxation of public franchises. Then the
Joint Committee the Revision or the Taxa-
tion Laws which would soon be organized. could
amend the act II serious imperfectlons were dis-
covered in IL. ,
The Governor also had talk about the bill
with Assem- byman Vincent. Of Broome County.
q member Of the Committee Taxation and
Retrenchment Mr. Vincent gives an interest
ing account Of the abrupt adjournment OF the
committee on Wednesday. which prevented
Senator Ford and AssemDlyman slater from
being heard on the bill
II had no knowledge on Wednesday. he said
To-day that the Ford Franchise Tax bill was
20 be considered. and had hardly entered the
committee room before a motion to adjourn was
mt and declared carried. / think that De
C;raw the chairman of the committee. ought 10
have informed us that Senator ford ana AS,
semblyman Slater desired to be heard ana
would be in the room in a rev moments AS
We were passng out of the room i asked TEL
low-men,ber IL the Ford bill had not been sent
10 the committee. and II we ought not 10 nave
considered II. | was present at the commlttee
meeting yesterday. and listened with great IN
ferest 10 what Senator Ford said in favor or the
hill I had a chat with the Governor about II
this morning. and have decided to support 1t"