New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-21
EXCISE BILLS IN SIGHT.
Tammany Sponsor for Jerome One
Another for Summer Hotels.
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE


Albany Ian. 2O-Two new excise bills were
sighted to-day which entirely distracted atten-
ton for the moment at least from the Newcomo
measure. One the real old Fashioned
Jerome bill, which has been here so often that
the story goes that It will find its own way 10
the committee without help. The other was a
modification Of the Yale bill of last year. pro-
viding that local option IN country districts sha
not apply TO bona fde hotels. The former meas
ure was introduced by sen--tor Foley; the latter
Is not yet introduced. but was discussed at
conference between Speaker Nixon and a num-
Der Of representatives OF the Hotel Keepers AS
ISOLATION.
The reappearanco Of the Jerome bill from
Tamnany sources was a great surprise The
Citizens Union and committee OF citizens mad
decided to urge the bill, and several OF the ne
publican members from New-York City had
been asked to present the measure and had re-
piled with adequate excuses. Now the Tam
many body has seized the measure and appro-
priated it bodily. How genuine the support Tor
the measure is among the local Democrats may
be gathered from story District Attorney
Jerome told on the platform during the last
campaign.
I'm going TO vote for your bill, Jerome" said
one Tamrnany Senator to him last year when
the bill came up for defeat. but don't mind
telling you that I wouldn't vote for 1t II 1
thought =. had the slightest chance Of passing"
The Tammany mems action is taken to indicate
desire to get in out of the wet before they
obliged to face the necessity OF action upon any
Republican measure. that is. any measure intro
duced by the New-York Republicans. They
are now in position to declare that they will
not support any measure the Republicans
through Assemblyman Newcomb decide TO put
in, because they already pledged TO the
Jerome bill, knowing the while that their adopt
ed child has not the slightest hope of passage.
The other excise measure which came up to-
day is one intended TO exempt reputable hotels
from the working OF the license law in country
sistricts It affects summer hotels particularly,
but also country hotels in general. 1t is urged
by its friends that such measure would relieve
the proprietors OF hotels from the hardships they
now suffer, since in several instances cited to-
day motel men have built expensive hotels only
to go into bankruptcy a result OF sudden
change in the sentiment OF the community on
the LIQUOR question. But the main Importance
of this bill of course is its reference to
hotels which are situated IN country districts
and depend upon city boarders for their bust
II Is expected that Assemblyman Burnett
will introduce this measure when II is drafted.
In the mean time the Newcomb bill languishes.
1t is limited that at present II is securely an
chored constitutional obstacles. and that 1t IS
likely to remain in this position for some time
TO How many times il has already been
rewritten revised is matter of conjecture,
but the Assembly paper supply is reported to
have gone down remarkably fast since the re-
vision Of the bill, or, indeed its actual drafting
was begun. Mr.. Newcomb. however, is still con-
fdent OF passing his measure, and even OF COM
peting the drafting of il.