New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-26
NTXON'S STAND ON RAMAPO
WILL. THE SPEAKER AID WATER RE-
FORM LEGISLATION?

will Speaker Nixon of the Assembly assume to- |
morrow night on the resolution of Assemblyman
Wheeler of Cattaraugus County, respecting the
Ramapo Water Company and the water supply !
bills introduced by Assemblymen Fallows and |
Morgan?'
This natural question asked to-day by
good many members of the Legislature who are
interested in the fate of the water bills and
who are aware how powerful is the Speakers
influence IL he chooses to exert 1t on any resolu-
ton or bill. Mr.. Wheeler Is a highly respected
member of the Assembly from Cattaraugus
County who desires to gain information con-
corning the water bills affecting New-York City
that he act on them intelligently II they
ever escape from the smothering embrace Of the
Assembly Committee Cities. His resolution
reads as follows:
Whereas The question of the water supply Iy,o Of
and several bills designed 70 prevent the city from
pany are now 6efore the sit COMMITTEES on Cities of
this body: and t., o,ooa T., +,o nh,,, nrass and
in Official communica cations tons that ofcals Of the city
Such Contract to SUCH pP p s' Company; and
Whereas The Governor Of the State in his an
quires that the city of New-York should own its
whereas. The Legislature. desiring to have all
the information upon this subject to guide its
Resolved. That the Mayor and the Controller of
f bsr De @ 10 beV e 70 the
in the interest of the city Of New-York that con
pany any other private water company. and their
}9dsment as to what bills shoud be passed TO guard
water supply.
ALLDs's CURIOUS SUGGESTION.
When this resolution introduced in the
Assembly on February 10 Mr.. Aids the leader
of the Plat organization in the Assembly ex-
hibited hostility to it by saying to Assembly
man Trainor, of Tammany Hail. You do the
OIN31
lection would have the effect Of postponing con-
sideration OF the resolution a week 1t seemed
extremely strange to many present to hear the
Republican leader of the Assembly thus sug-
costing to the leader of the Tammany Hall AS
semblymen that he should object to the
sideration OF such an apparently innocent reso-
luton, asking merely for the opinion of the city
officials Of New-York on measures which on
their face intended to protect New-Yori
City from making 5000 900 contract with
the Ramapo Water Company.
Mr.. Trainor himself seemed TO think that It
was hardly appropriate for him TO deprive
Mayor Van Wyck and Controller Coler Of
chance TO speak on behalf Of the city Of New
York regarding the bin. for he declined to make
the objection suggested TO him by Mr. Aids
The objection came, however from Assembly
man McKeown. Of Kings County: and thus the
Assembly was prevented from acting on the
then, according TO reports from the room of the
Assembly Committee Cities has revealed
himself as an opponent OF the bill repeating the
charter of the Ramapo Water Company and
also OF the water bills Of Assemblymen Fallows
and Morgan. His motive therefore in object
ing 70 the consideration Of Assemb,yrnar WHEEL
er's resolution is apparent he does not desire
! Mayor Van Wyck Controller Coer to have
an opportunity to say anything about these bills
CITIES COMMITTEE OF ASSEMBLY.
Speaker Nixon named the Assembly Commit
| tee on Cities whose members have thus far de-
! clined to report favorably the Rnmapn Repeal
! Hl any of the water bills. The members
Of the committee arc otto Kelsey Of Living
! ston; Merton h. Lewis. Of Monroe: Abram C.
! De GraW and Edward c. FREEMAN Of Kings
| Nicholas J. Miller OF Erie; Gherardi Davis Of
! New-York, Assemblyman McCreary, Of Albany:
Asemblymen McKeown and cain. Of Kings: As
! semblyman Trainor OF New-York and As
! semblyman Streifler OF Erie. The Speaker. hay
! ing named this committee. becomes responsible
/ in large measure for the character OF its ac-
tons 1t has thus far hung up" the Ramapo
Repeal bin and the other New York water bills.
| People naturally ask If In thus strangllng the
| water bills they reflect the Speakers feeling
POWER OF THE SPEAKER
Three men really control legislation in the
and Assembyman Kelsey. But the man who is
| supreme in the Assembly. who can pass any
! reputable bill, is the Speaker. II the bin re-
pealing the charter OF the Ramapo Water Com
pany or the water bills of Assemblymen Fail
lows and Morgan fail 10 pass the Assembly It
| will be evident. therefore that the Speaker was
| actually hostile TO them, for they have suf-
| ficient friends in the Assembly TO pass them
| under the Speakers leadership. The majority
| oP tbe PEI yho
! all from rural counties of the State and who
| are well disposed men, would aid in passing
the bills of Assembymen Fallows and Nor
| gan at nod from the Speaker.
| Assembyman Wheeler, OF Cattaraugus Coun-
| ty, lives in the Senate district as Speaker
| Nixon, and the latter is a candidate for nomi-
nation as State Senator. It would appear
therefore. that out Of courtesy to Mr.. Wheeler
the Speaker Will not oppose the passage of the
formers resolution. In respect TO the water bills
of Assemblymen Fallows and Morgan the
Speaker. however. may adopt different policy
Thus far it is not known that he has given the
Ramapo Repeal act any aid
People here are wondering over the neglect OF
any New-York Republican Senator to introduce
the water bills, and thus to aid Assemblymer
Fallows and Morgan. People rather expected
that Senator Ford might introduce such a bill
Senator Elsberg has good record, but IL wa:
thought that since Edward Lauterbach his
| political hacker, is counsel OF the Ramapo Waite,
Company, he would hardly feel like makinl
himself prominent as champion Of a bill tt
repeal the charter of that company
!, |
| JV-H A n