The sun., 1905-09-13
EISI0NlS7S TO FIGHT ON GAS.
AFT TuEY CAN'T AGREE on a CITY
~ OU NERSHIP PLANK.
r,., name q Committee Of Four to
~ r,c,le That Probiem--Rcpubiican
,Lc,, TO Find Plank on Gas . Bcon.
.,,r " ouid Change Transit board.

r,,Lir That PrODlem- -NcpuDuCuns
ur,, 10 Find . Plank on Gas Boon.
,r,nr " ould Change Transit board.
r,o committee appointed by the fusion
.,nference To prepare PLATFORM mot ae'
oiab, at the Fifth Avenue Hotel and aiter
I,s .ss reprp-.ntatives OF the four organiza-
W. s mad chewed for about three hours
u.' 'te drafts presented by the four organ
on ,ors i, yas decided that as there was
hA,' '. cid. differences Of opinion the sim
su.' cav would be to refer the whole thing
p.'o committee OF one representative from
~" ~ psnu,lican organization, the Citizens
W' I tho German American League and
~. n' A,unicipal Ownership League, which
Wv 'uorid draw up a platform upon which
ali could agree.
~ uuniripa ownership and the gas question
,hs two principal issues which are to
:. ,oised by the flsionists. At last nights
..,irc the conference agreed upon the
wv VI. iss,,e but there was long disoussion
s 70 the other The representatives OF
~. uears,s Municipal Ownership League
'l,olated -" a plank which would mean
No,ically the conAscation Of every fran
rhse which has been granted by the city
70 corporations. -
rhe tvpewritten draft OF the platform pre-
-,.,sd hy the Municipal Ownership League
MAJ for the revocation Of all existing
.''noh;ses ." and demanded that they should
:. taken over and operated by the city at
' Then william Halpn, for the Republican
.,.aniza,ion, and F. c. Huntington. for the
",;,ens' Union, su omitted their ideas as
=. tho municipal ownership plank. Mr..
W,,nn said that the Republicans were not
- tsyor of interfering with existing fran
u.,..s hit that he and the heads Of the
parnblican party, for whom he said he
.rnke would consent to q platform which
ro,ld .pld call for the operation and taking
aver BY the municipality OF franchises
vhich had expired or which were expiring
Mr. Huntington took q somewhat similar
This conservative stand did not please
~. Municipal Ownership League men. Their
asmand was for revocation, and when after
. lone session it was made apparent that
~ aereement could be reached on this
nl.nt Il was decided to refer the contro-
rs,,v to the committee OF four. Tho
won selected for this committee were Will
lam Halpin for the Republicans; Charles
uatzbeim, German-Americdn League;
Huntington, Citizens Union, and F. E
shober. Municipal Ownership League. In
s,r,ctions we're given to the committee
10 nrepare Municipal Ownership platform
,non which all the four parties could unite.
One plank upon which the conferees did
arss was that the provisions OF the
Esberg bill, which calls for the separation
m the case of future subway contracts OF
construction and operation bids should 60
Into the platform.
Il WAS also determined to demand that
the seK perpetuatin g authority Of the Rapid
Tnnst Commission should be done away
With, A resolution was adopted BY tho
commission to tho effect that Legislative
,ction should be demanded modifying the
noSeu Of the commission and making such
eh,ness in the Rapid Transit act as would
oo,nnsl the retirement Of . certain number
n commissioriers each year by rotation,
and living to the Mayor the appointment OF
successors
The effect Of the change would be to give
to the party in power the control Of the
commission. To bring this about 1t was
decided that there should be no immediate
interference with the composition OF tho
commission but there should be an increase
IN the number OF the members Of the board.
In the course Of discussion on tho general
features Of the platform cheerful under
standing was reached by tho members
Of the committee that the special COM
mittee should 20 to any extreme 1t wished
in framing up paragraphs oriticizing Mayor
Mcclellan and his administration. The
subcommittee left the meeting with the
understanding that they were to whoopit up
good and hard against Mcclellan and let
fact 60 hang.
A copy Of Judge Seabury's letter to Max
F. Ihmsen consenting to be fusion candi-
date for Mayor, was obtained last night.
Apparently there Is no reason. judging
from its contents, why William Halpin
begged that it should not be made public o
at the meeting on Monday night OF the
nominating committee. The letter Is q
mere repetition Of all that the Municipal
Ownership League heads have been shout
Ing since they were invited to join the
tusion movement.
The decision OF Bouquet Billy Halpin.
Mr. 0dell's representative. to make gas
an issue in the campaign was received with
agrin. 1t was recalled that 1t was Senator
Frederick c. Stevens head gas investiga tor,
who gave Mr.. Halpin the name Of Bouquet
Billy. The gas issue, it was said. will bring
out all sorts Of fun politically.
1t was Mr.. Odell, Republicans recalled
last night. who as Governor Of the State
urged the passage Of the Remsen bill. 1t
was Governor Odells Republican Senate
and Gov. Odell's Republican Assembly
which passed by large Inajorities the REM
sen bill, which had no more to do with the
price Of gas for New York city than last
years straw hat
Repu blicans and Democrats Of renown
nave declared over and over again that the
asmsen bill merely perfected title to real
state owned by the gas companies, and that
was square measure. The bill came
Gown to Mayor Mcclellan and after sub
mttng it to disinterested expert legal
authorities men who had no interest remote
Or direct in the gas question, Mcclellan
eped the bill
instantly ex-Gov. Odell changed front.
'nd the word went out from him that inas-
much as McClel had signed the Remsen
rul Mcclellan would now be put in hole.
n-oov. oden, in adopting that line OF
conduct, the tactics Of politicians fifty
!safs ago seemed to forget that all-Re.