New-York tribune., 1903-03-18
FOR PRIVATE GAIN
1T PUBLIC EXPENSE.
Continuance of WGteT Commission
Denounced By Board of Trade.

Albany A1rch n.-An open attack upon the p4&A
Of water storage advocated By the eeAts WA'eF
Storage Commission and sought to be mace el-
fecttve together With the perpetuation OF the com
mission In the bill Of Senator Levie, Of Rocnester
was made to-day at the hearing before the senate
Finance Committee the bill It appeared nrSt
in q pamphlet addressed to members OF tne oOln-
Tnictes and oS the legislature, signed oy tne tore
con1nttxaa Of 1hs New-York Board o. Trace &Ro
TrnnRpo-4atton THIS Communication was read 70
the committee by ". F. Mcconnell, representing
the Board Of Trade and Transportation
The opposition appeared further IN the argument
Of Edward e Hall. assistant secretary OF 1i. -
soctGtior for the Preservation OF the Aolron9oCAS
ia ohTsctsd to the power given to the Gov
srnor ever the commission By the BILL IN 'h@' Ho
is 20 sppoInt hve Of the nine comnlsSloheis 60. -
hx thetr compensation He also 1nk1nueoeo -
this bill was = sequel to one OF last year eiNIHS
t,-har,,s, rovvsr 70 tnstitu.s condemnation pro-
eeedturz TO devote riparian rights and water fAclh
ctes TO the logging industry.
when NJ Mcconnell read the pamphlet OF the
committee Of the Board Of Trade and Transports
+fon vhfch CHARGES that exteasve stealing Of lum-
her is stu going In the Adirondack senator
Brown. Of the committee, priekSd up his ears
II want to know" hs exclaimed. whether you
make that charge just q matter OF form In op.
-5+on "a the biIl or ts there evidence behind It?
xupnose there u eorne stealing of lumber, out II
anybody In your organisation knows OF i1 oens
done on al extensive scale IL ts his duty 70 1horn
the Forest Fish and Game Commission II ms con-
State" A,
M, Mcconnell said he could give no Information
e fret hand ,
AnDeals for the bill were made on behalf OF vaEi-
GUS interested communities, by city omeefs anu
-sn-e.enfstiyes who told stories Of nood damage
and efforts TO effect local storage Among tneSe
were William P. Rudd, representing rhe dOehy
Chamber of Commerce and the NeW-1orK CenuA
Rsuroad. Mayor Casweu of Rome. ex-AHsambly-
man Near, of Hor1ellsville, and NJ L Barnes' OK
Troy.
The protest of the Board Of Trade was in part
as follows:
The difference between former scheme Sad sps Sns
wiling to make the structures at ther 1a own sn s1i
eI his expense amounting TO many millions OF o9I-
Tsrs Will be assessed upon the cities, towns, VI w
iSToFeIents and the Commission viii be the sole
undsPgted judge Of mich nnS T tboss Ss esed to Be
f5ed shall pay for 50 saPR0seq posed. immunity if0ha
snd !. ranted that the ostsnsibIe
poses Of the bill stated in its title and fstnersd
TssereEted that the scheme OF This bill is e:sentiaiy
dishonest not only tlS SreaS.r menace to LIE and
nTooerty than existing conditions In V1oient oppo.
sition 70 the proElslons o. OF inc S'ANe oO-0
The bolaness OF the PTopos0fnb fbe9 ~ nav BE- With
Euch powers is proposed by the Lewas i OH 20 20
be sSeR ye7 to me BEEN mHear eeue n the legislative his
tory Of this State-a commission whose conc4uS'on1
an1 eoicIs bselHtey no limitation or restriction Of
kT0d
~ The exoenditureS which they may cnoose 70 incur
and spportion to those benefited, except In Gns
cass n The State upon which the commission nay
snrorrio7 and assess the share II the cost OF Ine
improvements which the con1nlesaon I oesn-s o
State should bear, and in respect to suen & saaas
apportioned be paid by the State the G3TeEnoT
hss the power TO nterpose veto by WtnnotS1ns IN e
his surrovsl Thus the State, through Lne 0OH1
s-BoT nav escape being rnulcted Of any portion OF
TIE cost but the citizen cannot escape -, A.
T21t the fact is, IL the act viii stano az 81 tns
test Of IIttration which will surely follow fs en-
eCtrnent ii will authorize Just such Wild ana un--
Teasona bic extravaganza: and II Is unhearo % o.
na6ness and lacks even the slightest veSpGe eI
business wisdom TO give to any rregpon1ioe D0oy
contract debts, Whetner A8elukt
the STATE Or against communities within the state
Who Will own the water power developed Gne olI!
does not say. but the commission points out rhet
; probable profit Of SIS 10000 annually VIII be
realized Then why assess the cost Of maintenance
i,Don the alleged benehciaries who paid for the
original construction Ia n.1
VIII they have immunity from danger OF 1000
s-d frr1ndaton7 VIII the construction on tn0u-
sand dams storing billions OF gallons OF water pc
hind them. streams all over this Staoe-nASS,
far thousand dams perhaps-gtve no menace 10 tne
villages and communities their oanksE ASK
Jamestown n our neigAborng State, II the horrore
caused BY faulty dam in a season OF 9cessivs
rain viii ever be forgotten Are the LESSONS Oh
Johnstowr 10 be forgotten 50 scon In this Staoef