The sun., 1903-04-23
STyRGlS'S BILL IS DEFEATED.
ne WILL NOT BE MADE DICTATOR
or TIE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

The Police Increase Btii, with the Three
Platoon Amendment, and Elsbcrg'l
,Coroncrs .Biii Are Dead-The Thre<
Btils Desired by Gov Odell 20 Enable
Him to Break Into the New York
County Republican Organization
Albany. April 22.-The Legislature has
refused to give Fire Commissioner SturRis
tho arbitrary powers he sought, and he
cannot be made the dictator OF the New
York city hre department this year. To-
day,the Senate, by vote Of 2S to 70. de-
feated his bill. An effort was made later
In the session to reconsider the vote by
which the bill was lost, and this was de-
feated by a vote Of "a to "a, thus killing the
BILL
Twenty-six votes are required to pass
the bill in the Senate. and when Senator
Elsberg called up Assemblyman Bostwick' g
bill he was confident that he had the re-
quired number of votes to pass it. But the
unexpected happened. for he could muster
only 20 votes for the IN easure. Senator
MarShall Rep.. Kings) voted with the
Democrats against the bill. and Senators
LcfeHre. RHommedieu and Wilcox IRE
publicans) were absent. Later when Sena-
tor Elsberg made his motion to reconsider
s1Cuotor W. ~, DtoWu VI oNStt,O So'oo
Of Oswego (Republicans) voted witt, the
"a Democrats against the motion and Sena-
tor Wilcox did not vote.
This In another OF the bills which are de-
sired by Gov. Odell in his attempts to break
into the New York county Republican
organization. 1t authorized the Commits
sioner 10 appoint and remove two deputy
commissioners. who were to receive a salary
- AZ I,,tx, s,,
charge OF the department in Brooklyn and
Queens boroughs one OF the deputy chiefs.
TO receive an extra compensation OF $500
a year. II also provided for medical Of
Hcers at a salary Of 5000. 1t gave him
absolute say over the pension fund, and
from service any one over SIS years Of age
below the rank OF battalion chief. Bat
TALON chiefs were to be retired at 81 years
Of age and deputy chiefs at 90 years OF age.
They were to receive half pay upon retire
mont. The Fire Commissioner was to be
the absolute judge Of what should constitute
disability in the cases Of retirement. The
amount that should be kept on hand for the
life insurance fund was to rest solely within
the discretion OF the Fire Commissioner,
the sum al $4,000.
Mayor Low will not have an opportunity
TO veto a three-platoon police bill. The
Finch bill. providing for an increase Of 1900
HieI III ttle view IOTk Guy pOuCt IOICc anu
which was amended In the Senate to provide
for o three-patoon scheme. was returned
TO the Assembly to-day for concurrence in
the amendments. Assemblyman Howard
Conkling objected TO concurring. which
threw the bill into the Committee on Rules.
That committee held what will probably
be its last session tonight and refused to
place the amended Finch bill on the cal
endar for Tomorrow. thus depriving Mayor
Low OF an opportunity to say whether he
tho hadlv anpiIUh N
stand for a three-platoon scheme.
This Is also measure designed by Gov.
Odell, as the result of his frequent con-
ferences with Mayor Low. to AFFORD the
Odell-Low combination additional patron
age with which to build up factional Repub-
lican mschine in New York county. Even
Senator Elsberg now admits that his Coro-
ners bill is dead Thus three OF the most
important measures introduced this session.
which were designed to break up and break
into the New York county Republican or
eanization. have been repudiated by the
Republican Legislature.