New-York tribune., 1905-02-20
A WEEK OF HEARINGS.
Water, Gas and Tdration To Be
Discussed at albany.
TBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBUSE.I


Albany Feb 19-Not merely does every sign
indicate that the present week will be the busiest
OF the session, but IL also seems to mark the
fact that IL will be peculiarly week occupied
with the affairs and the delegations of New
York City. Water, gas and taxation, affecting
.n their range the rich and the poor Wall Street
and Hester-st, are all 10 be considered at public
hearings. and these public hearings are con-
cededly the most important of the session. That
the general subject If gas will be disposed of,
with no more hearings after that the Fftz-
gerald 70-cent gas measure on Thursday. which
was adjourned from last week, seems probable,
since the consensus OF opinion among the legis-
Iators present at the recent New-York confer
ences seems to be that S0-cent gas, without any
legislative investigation. is the proper solution.
But water supply offers such hope Of speedy
solution. The hearing on Tuesday. TO be joint
affair before Senate and Assembly committees.
is expected TO bring Mayor Mcclellan and the
Corporation Counsel TO Albany. 1t will also
bring the mayors and city officials Of dozen
Hudson River cities and towns. Westchester,
Putnam, Dutchess and Ulster counties will all
be represented and nearly every county will ap-
pear tn championship OF some measure as dear
10 its community as Mayor McClella7's water
bill is 20 the majority of the citizens OF New
York City.
OF bills which viii be discussed at this hearing
there is no end. but in the main the interest
VIII centre around the Mayors commission BILL
making the water question local issue with
New York, and the two measures of News York
City Assemblymen Agnew and Prentice. provid-
ing for the solution of the vexed question
through the medium OF State commissions. Then
there is the Wainwright bill, allowing Westches
ter 20 "tie up 10 New-York City mains: the
Apgar bills, putting a dead line" around West
chester and Putnam counties for the further ex
tension OF the New-York supply. and finally. Mr.
Apgar has nearly completed another measure
drawn directly from the Massachusetts, statute
which created the metropolitan commission to
deal with water supply for a metropolitan dis
frfct which includes Boston and adjoining cities
and towns, q State commission having jurisdic-
tion In territory with upward of 100000 in
habitants That Tuesdays hearing will be ad-
5ourned along for several weeks before all par
ties are heard is inevitable.
The question Of stock tax IS not less interest
ing, TO State f1nancters on one side and TO Wall
Street on the other. The arguments this
measure viii be heard before the Senate Com
mittee on Taxation on Thursday, and a distin-
guished representative delegation of New-York
experts is expected 10 appear against the meas
ure. Mortgage tax. both in the form of record
tax. in line with the Bostwick measure of last
session. and in the shape of fiat tax, III line
with that prepared by the famous Stranahan
committee Of some years ago, will presently be
submitted as alternative propositions for raising
revenue, but just now the legislature means to
pass the stock tax bill.
II is evident. accordingly. that the week will
be busy one. On the results of its hearings
much depends in the way Of determining the
length OF the session, but the wiser heads are
already setting the limit late in April and every
present indication points to long session. al
the main matters of Importance are included in
the summary above.