New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-25
EXPECT LIVELIER WEEK,
1FGISLATIVE FORECAST.
RTs affecting This City Promised
-Ebberg Act ReUiUed.
rzr TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRIBUNE.l

,.v,ty IN the present week rest rather on the |
ct Of bills promised by their authors than |
nrevious Indication desire among the !
..lstors for serious work. The history Of the |
sent session has been one Of almost unbroken |
I,daIity Local bills. few State measures of
.r,,or Importance and the Tannmany attempt to
-...I the Jerome excise measures are the sum
.,.,l Of the proposed legislation to date. But
,ss coming week promises TO show more inn
+snt measures several affecting the city OF |
Eew-York especially.
The most important New-Tork City bill that
% expected in the next few days is the Elsberg
p,nld Transit act introduced but sidetracked
- year. Senator EIsberg IS hard at work get
.,,e this measure into shape. and Assemblyman
,-sv,eo-nb has announced his intention OF intro
sreng Il IN the Assembly. A mortgage tax ex-
srpt,ou bill IS promised from Assemhlyman
Eostwtck. Senator Stevens is scheduled to in
,roaucs his bill for educational unihcation. pre-
,sntIng the views Of the Joint committee which
g expected to report this week. Finally. Mr..
Nswcomb IS thought to be once more on the
mint OF presenting an excise measure.
IRE Elsberg Rapid Transit bill, which was
one OF the most important measures presented
last year. was introduced by him for the Citi-
ysns Union. and at that time expressed in sor:>e
measure the attitude Of that organization with
reference to the future conditions that should
be imposed on the letting Of contracts for the
construction and operation OF new street rail-
roads elevated, surface and subsutface' IN
Nsw-Yorl City. The most important provision
Of Senator Elsberg's measure was that limiting
The term OF years Of leasing new railroads TO
oornorations II provided that. IN cases where
the contract for the construction Of a road was
set 70 a company, the franchise Tor operating
this road let 10 the same company, should have
a Iife Of twenty years, and in cases where the
citv constructed the road the life OF the lease
should not exceed ten years. In both cases the
renewal was subject TO the approval Of the
BOARD Of Estimate and Apportionment. The
rul further Increased the power OF the Rapid
Transit Commission, but its most important
res+ure was the check IL put on the compulsory
ALIENATION Of city constructed railroads for long
terms Of years. There is a general feeling that
much OF the opposition to the measure last year
has vanished and that the support has at the
same time greatly increased
THE MORTGAGE TAX MEASURE.
The mortgage tax exemption measure which
Assen7bIvrnan Newcon1b is expected to introduce
this veeF Is no new bill, and has frequently
been described in The Tribune. 1t has been ru-
,nored that an effort was made to have MI
Bostvrick Join to his bill, which provides for tho
exemption Of mortgages from all taxation save
an initial record fee OF five mills, the revenue
from this fee to be paid directly to the State.
rsfunding scheme assuring the repayment Of
the total amount Of fees collected in eighteen
years TO the counties. This addition would
make the bill primarily a revenue raising
scheme TO assist in the plan for getting money
N nav for the 1O00-ton barge canal 1t would
also il u urge3 IN some quarters help along the
chances Of the passage OF the bin, since the
rural counties generally believed to oppose
the measure on the ground that II deprives them
OF their best source OF revenue Mr.. BostwlcK
has declared that he will not accept this amend
lnent, and 1t is expected that he will introduce
she bill he originally planned ana that IL VIII
be changed IN committee
Senator Stevens's measure for unihcation OF
the work OF the Regents and the Department
Of Public Instruction is the work OF large
3oint commission appointed at the close OF last
session Senator Stevens has recently declared
that he expects to rave the unanimous support
Of the commission for his bill, which provides
Tor division Of the educational system on the
basis Of tax supported schools, all Of which are
10 be under the control and direction of three
headed commission. Each branch OF the legls-
lature is TO elect one member of this commits
sion and the Regents are to name the third
Each Of the commissioners thus elected is to
have a salary Of Sc 600, and the Superintendent
OF Public instruction and the secretary Of the
Regents are to be leglsIated out Of office. This
commission meets on Tuesday and expects TO
submit a report on Wednesday or Thursday. At
three previous meetings adjournment has been
taken owing TO lack OF quorum.
CANADIAN MINISTER'S INTERESTED.
The Newoomb excise measure has furnished
the dull and unmteresting session with its only
real Amusement The measure was scheduled
for introduction on the first day of actual SEES
sion for busisess- L has been the subject Of
endless INTERVIEWS guesses and discussion.
Waile the matter was still being considered. the
Tammany nnery.sers cooIly introduced the
jerome measu-. AID deliberately set out TO
sidetrack all excise legislation thereby Mr..
EeWcomb's measure was originally intended to
provide a referendum on several different
schemes OF Sunday opening, and at least
O. closed Sunday. and 10 allOI tia people OF
the city 20 decide the plan the majority ia
NoTe1 But last weeks conference on the sub
sect raised the difficulty that the measure was
unconstitutional as then drawn, and the fran
'ag OF a rev bill became necessary. Something
DEFINITE nay pc expected this week. il is
ILIetestng commentary on the interest the out
&c world IS taking IN the New-York problem
t-at minister OF the Canadian Cabinet wrote
10 <AsSenanlyElan Newcomb recently asking for
q copy OF the BIZ
: Ae discussion OF new measures also suggests
"a H9IIu topic 81 discussion, namely, bad
'4i4s Last year The Tribune pointed out
I-i..DeI O. measures TO which il gave the name
5ld' DIS Up 70 the present time only
oie measure has seemed 70 deserve this name.
-S1tNaFt water Commission was dubbed
- - a HaInapo scheme. but az was pointed out in
- LL4DCNe proved only a harmless attempt 10
1900. $500 .of INC protection Of localities from
F-oiU eLideInic. the direct outcome OF the
SoIhelt epidemic Of last year. Moreover, IL was
So'-.seo OUT mat the State Department Of Pub
-s.. 1aeL1'n hao the power 10 act IN cases the
S silet mere IS that the bin viii die a natural