The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-22
THE NEW YORK LAWMAKERS
Corporations Fare Well With the
Empire State Legislators.

Secured Nearly All They Sought In
the session just Ending-BilIs In
ImiCaI to the Interests of La
bOr-The Mortgage Tax Measure.
ALBANY. April 22.-The Path session Of
the New York Legislature. which began
January > Will end at noon tomorrow
by that time the corporations will have
secured pretty nearly everything they
sought. They will be compelled to con-
tribute about $5,000,0Oo more to the reve-
nues of the State than they did last year
Ry the time the books are balanced for
The session. it is said they viii have re-
Ce1ved legislative favOrs which they can
cash in for double that sum-
one item alone on the credit side of
the corporation ledger viii make up for
their aggregate contributions to the State
This Is the mysterious slaughter Of the
mortgage tax proposition, which if passed
would have realized at least 500 600. This
estimate IS based on figures furnished By
Governor OdeH-
The Governor recommended the passage
of the bill in his message. But with full
control Of both branches Of the Legisiat-
ure, as evidenced in more than a dozen in
| stances. he was seemingly unable to force
the passage of this important bill. He ia
| vored it. and the majority of the party
/ leaders endorsed his demand for its pas
| SAGE Still. without a vote being taken,
/ it was abandoned. The S26.o0o,Oe0 canal
| Improvement project was killed in pretty
much the same way.
/ Discussing the fate of both measures
/ the Governor expressed the opinion that
| it would be ten years before either the
/ canal or the mortgage tax propositions
no
The Governor is much gratified with the
| results of the session. He secured the en-
| actment of twenty-eight of the thirty
/ four features of the policy ne outlined in
! his inaugural address. The most impor-
/ tant o. mis- victories was the early pas
/ sage IF the bills proposing a tax on the
! business of savings banks, trust cOmpa-
! MES. and insurance institutions.
He foIIEwed this up by compelling the
! passage of bills abolishing the multi
/ headed State bureaus administering the
/ affairs of the lunacy, health, prisons, for
/ est. fish. and game, and the New York Po-
| lice Department BY reason OF these
! changes the State will save a large
/ amount Of money.
/ Other. recommendations of the Governor
which were carried out by the Legislature
/ included the abolition of the common-law
/ marriage the establishment of a bi-parti-
san bureau of election; the granting Of
/ limited suffrage 10 women; preventing the
! destruction of the Palisades of the Hud-
/ son; reducing the excessive printing bills
/ Of ti?e State, and reducing the incorpora-
/ ton tax on new corporations from one
! eighth to onc-twentieth Of per cent.
/ The purpose of this latter bill, which
was one of the series of measures bear
! ing the name Of Senator Bracket, IS to
| encourage the incorporation OF new en-
] zWzs4 4 ~ m
/ pelliug them to capitalize under the
! laws Of Illinois, West Virginia, Delaware
/ and New Jersey, where the laws are less
The other so-calIed Bracket bills are
I OF questionable value Here are two eN-
! anpIes of the generosity with which
/ CORPORATIONS are treated by the Bracket
} bills. In one Of them. section "a OF the
! Stock Corporations act is repealed This
/ section protects the interests of stock
/ holders and investors by defining the
/ liability of directors and holding them per
/ S0naIIy responsible for their acts as direct
I Grs- ---
( that directors, by \ majority vote may
! manipulate the property entrusted 10 their
/ care as they see fit, without regard 10 the
rights Of stockholders
I i the so-calIed Employers Liability bill,
! which according to the representatives OF
{ $50 co. WorkngmeH, is not worth the paper
I II is written on. because II guarantees to
! the employer rather than the employe Z
! greater degree of protection than he now
| This measure. which is now awaiting
/ the Governors signature. limits to sixty
DAYS the beginning Of actions for dam
ages for injuries. The law at present
/ allows three years in which person
| may bring suit This bill is considered
by representatives of labOR5ng men one
/ of the most dangerous that could be
! placed upon the statute books
/ Another bin that was so offensive as
TO arouse a spirit of revolt even among
| the Assenbigmen, provides that tn es-
| adjustment Of any Sdioonkeeper "ho may
| be convicted of violating the excise law
shall be closed pending an appeal OF his
/ case = literal construction OF its terms
! would result. it Is claimed, in wholesale
blackmaiI on the part of excise inspectors
and police officers
/ A bin which has already become a law
coruDeIS the closing of butcher shops on
| SUNDAY in every city, town, and village Of
the State IT was opposed by the repre-
! seutativeS of city districts in the LegiSia-
ture on the ground that its enforcement
! would result in untold hdrdShips among
| the poorer classes, who do not possess
facilities for keeping meat in their own
Tlaa one conspicuous bill that the cor
| pOraIiOns backed by the strongest po-
litical and lobby Influences, could not
| defeat was the measure deDTiYing the
! $26e. 1900 Ramapo water conspiracy OF
the special privileges granted to II by
| the Legislature Of 1898.
The one bin of any Importance, aside
{ from those granting more AdAbiS ~ AOl .
pOTations- which still remains to be acted
upon. Is the measure amending the pres
| ent charter of the GI>ater New York
tt has already been passed by the LegIslG-
t,Ire but was vetoed by the mayor and.
under the constitution, must be passed
again.
The bill, as originally framed and
passed was so t6D-heayy with legislative
! sickers" and so clumsy in construction
that il vas found necessary TO introduce
/ six amendments. These, with the charter
( bill. VIII be passed
| In the Senate ] ,0S6 bills were introduced
| in the Assembly LGgS- OF the bills sent
! TO the Governor he has signed 100 ana We
| toed &C. This is the largest number of
vetoes ever sent to New York State
| Legislature. The number does not in
| Guide many bills sent back 10 members
| and Withdrawn to avoid vetOes.
THE PORTO RICAN CASES.
| No Mention Wade Of Them in the su-