New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-07
THE BILLS THAT FAILED.
Continued from FIRST pGEe.

- oppssed ny Speaker Nixon. in 1895 MIR Nixon
'--rodsced the very Law which Mr.. Demarest
ugh TO repeal. When Mr.. Demarest asked
rat rs bin Re brought out OF committee before
.be Bsuse. Speaker Nixon and Mr. Aids saw to
=, tba the measure did not come out The de-
bste vas choked of. as is usual when these two
men lgree upon such q course.
THE Ac1TI- POLICY BILL.
II, bill to prohibit policy playing was killed
IN he Senate by few Republicans who helped
raurnany Al The appointed hour. It was so dis
,str,usly amended TAFT its trainers asked that
:. killed outright. The bin as it PASSED the
Ass,rabiy made the mere possession OF policy
slips sufficient evidence TO convict. Those who
-esrsd The suppression Of this evil said that the
hill could nu he less severe and be prohibitive
The a.-end-cnt by which the bill was defeated
rqs the Insertion Of the word knowingly"
throwing TIE whole harden Of proving guilt
,,n7n the -cs-cu-.on. and permitting the ac-
cused n obtain has release by simply saying
,hat some che had stuck the slips in his pocket
On The laS- day but ore Of the session. on a mo-
non Of sa-a-o- Elsberg. the bill was again
called I'd ald its enacting clavse stricken out.
TIE TAXATION BILL
T-r.sati,n relative 70 the taxation problem
n this stata has amounted 10 practically moth
sr~ At &c ginning CT fho session the report
~ The J.c- C--1-ni-tee On Taxation. whose in
...s-.ca.las Tad been carried on since the ad-
-,,,~-z-z-- = t-e nervous session. was eagerly
reaf IS bei-E rhs great r2nacea for the wrongs
nov 1lrEe1liE the staggering taxpayer. The
IS th55 report and the v0lu1lircUs bill which
was attached % il was 10 tax mortgages. Sucn
2 schere. II was said ny the committed. would
rur the burden upo1 the moneyed classes. the
Ienle-s q money and would therefore rebound
o. 7a Of
The TAX "a mortgages was 10 he only one-half
O. Per ce--. and s. w2S argued that because it
vas 81 Iit-,e il could lie collected. ard that the
rrocests cf THIS tax and others would amount
e.. tod 90 more than S1GOO0.000 or enough to
meet the entire expenses Of the State Govern
meat I-7uLsit0rial methods OF collecting taxes.
il was SAID, would be dol-e away with. and yet
every TX Ccdger would be caught. 4 tax Of per
cent was a.so 10 be levied upon the stock of
National and state banks and trust companies.
As natural consequence this measure aroused
az army Of foes. including the great corpora
tons. The influence OF the latter which was
brought 70 bear upon the committee having the
bill in charge was so potent that finally railroad
corporations Il the instance OF the Plat or
ganizauon. were exempted. Then it was that
the bill was doomed. A few days later il was
brought out on TIE aoor of the Senate and its
enactng clause was stricken out.
CANAL LEGISLATION DEFEATED
There has been little canal legislation of any
consequence this session. The labors of Governor
Roosevelt's Canal Advisory Commission which
was appointed for the purpose Of learning how
ana what extent the canals Of the State
should be enlarged. and Of the Commerce Com
mission Of Governor Black. appointed TO in
vestigate the decline in the commerce OF the
Port Of New-York. seem therefore to have re-
suited in practically nothing. The work done
by the former body was remarkable fer its
thoroughness and breadth Of scope. II gave
statistics relative 70 Improvement and operation
Of canals in foreign countries showing by conf
paTison how the canals Of this State should bt
improved. The report u this Commission ais !
indicated that the lack OF Improvement Of Nev- |
XOrks canals had permitted the railroads 20 !
monopolize the carrying trade Of the State, al
thar the enterprise OF Canada in building ew
and charging old canals would inevitably rsulJ |
in still further loss Of trade.
The report OF the Commerce COmmssia, OF I
which Mr.. Schieren was chairman, also prduced |
an array Of facts in favor Of canal improvement |
II showed that. according to statistics. rF com
merce Of New-York had fallen off canpared
with the other seaboard cities of the Atlantic |
Coast This was partly due to excessive port
rates and wharf charges, and partly the dl1-
ferentlal railroad rates Because Of ne latter
much Of the heavy through traffic from the
West, which used 70 go 10 NeW-YOr- City, mas
since been diverted 10 Southern port-
The legislation suggested by both 'eports was
along these lines Either TO cOmplet the ScheIne
Of canal Improvement begun il 1890, at an
additional expenditure Of S13.000c0 or TO en-
large The waterway 10 such a with as 10 ac-
cCnmOEaJe 5arges Of one thousand tons Durden
0lher bills We're suggested 10 pevent II pos
sihe, the revival Of the excessive wharf anu
Port charges. which, while the ConlInlssioH " d9
in session, were lowered as TO make I'M
mediate action less imperative was also sug-
gested that tunnels in connection with the rapid
transit tunnel should be used for freigh- ser
vice. thus encircling Manhattan Island ard DO
ing away with the anriquated system or trans
fer by trucks and boats now in use. wmch is
said 70 have allowed New-Yo 10 fall Denlnd
more enterpTising rivals.
As a result Of all this agitation only one bill
was introduced looking in any way toward
greater canal This was for an apprO-
prtation Of S2D0O 900 for a canal survey. II
was seen near the beginning OF the session that
any decided step OF canal Improvement would
BE- opposed by the Republican machine. II was
plainly the desire OF Mr. OdeN and Senator Platt
thar the Legislature should not commit itself 10
anything important in the way % Canal I'M
prOreraent on the eve Of a State eIedion. Never
theless. Governor Roosevelt urged that even II
the $50 100000 bill could not be passed IT should
be drafted. printed and circulated among the
people, so that their opinion migtt be learned
Thus. the legislature OF the next fear might act
more infelligently. The survey III was passed
q the closing hours Of the session
SCHOOL UNIFICAToN.
Thu attempt 10 unity the shool systems Of
the State proved a failure. biz was intro
duced by Senator White AID Assemblyman
Lewis for this purpose-the I'll Of the Unifca-
ton Commission-but it was aot reported favor
ably 10y the committee TO Which il was sent
Two distinct plans for tie administration Of
the public schools Of New York City We're Of
fered by Senator's Marshal and Elsberg. The
Measure Of which Sena;er Marshall was the
sponsor provided for the decentralization Of the
school system whereas hat OF Senator Elsberg
purp0sed 70 place all administrative powers IN
central board. Both measures were TO a great
degree revolutionary ana the Marshall bill Was
plainly Indicative Of the independent spirit Of
ne Borough OF Brooklyn. which wished for
.lInrna Of chnnls