New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-01
MAYOR TO GET GAS BILLS
IF VETOED, TO HIGGINS.
albany Plans to Put Cheaper Light
Up to Mcclellan.
rRr rrLrerArH TO TIE TRIBUNE. ]

,rovides for the State commission. is not yet
completed but its salient features have al
ready been set forth in these dispatches. The
tn,r bills tonight made public will be sub
,q,ted to Mayor Mcclellan for his approval
o,5 this constitutes the main new development
in the situation.
This submission TO Mayor Mcclellan is be-
Iieyef by many to be unnecessary, since the
-rsoonderance OF the evidence, as supplied by
the legal branch Of the State government, is
,,sr the bills have no concern with the city
government and that the provision of the con-
stitution in respect TO this does not apply.
Rnt rbe possibility that the legal question
,,,sht be raised has decided the committee,
.f+sr consultation with the legislative leaders,
:, have its measures submitted to the Mayor.
= he signs them well and good. If he
-s+oes them. taking a course in line with his
,,tion in the Remsen East River gas incident
,bsn they will go to the Governor for signature
=, the theory that the Mayors signature is un-
-.,assarv IN other words. the Mayor will have
- chance 10 indicate how much good falth
.e ir,n1ied in his gas bill sent to the leglslal-
, :. since his particular bill provides for the
80 reduction III the price Of gas that the
stevens committee provides for
BILLS TAKE EFFECT ON JULY /
Tho hills made public tonight contain no
,ss--,-es Al variance with what has already
been forecast in the preliminary reports. Inc
,7rira of gas sold to the city is fixed by the
frs. measure at - cents for 1000 cubic feet
4 second bill fixes the price of electric current
sold 10 the city at 10 cents a kilowatt hour- A
7hf-i bill fixes the price for electric current sofa
- r-fzat4 consumers at the same rate when
sold for any purpose in the city The hIaI pi1
reg7,la1es the price of gas in New-York for the
me
that for The city, in the boroughs of Manhattan
rrbs BRONX and Kings. except in the Annexed
7oterricr and Coney Island, and Richmond and
,o,,sa7s boroughs In these excepted districts
,ra price is fixed al 81 p for the ensuing year
and then reduced by a graduated scale at the
,-a-a Of I'VE cents annually until II reaches the
rate Of 81 for each 1000 cubic feet in 1SV9 All
these bills take effect on July OF the present
year ....
The committee has consulted with the Attor-
,,el- General in the preparation OF the text OF
ali these bills, and that providing for a pup1c
service commission, which has not yet peeH
made public. This last measure, as applying
:, the whole State viii not be submitted to the
Mayor.
TEXT OF THE IMPORTANT SECTION.
The imnortant fact, the reduction of the price
~ Gas in New-York and Brooklyn, is accom-
,l,s-e5 in the following brief section. which IS
entitled Al act in relation to Illuminating gas
IN tbe city @? New-Yorll, and regulating the
quality and pressure thereof and the price to
consumers other than said city:
A corporation. association. copartnership or
person engaged in me business OF niaIluLrH. @ IN
ing furnishing selling Illuminating gas III
he city of New-York, shall not charge or re,
ceive for gas manufactured, furnished OF @ solo
tn said city sum in excess OIL the Ioi!o"lI6
rstes- I'm fbe Borough Of Manhattan, III lne
Borough Of The Bronx, except that portion OF
the Borough Of The Bronx which was alheAeI t
10 Ire city Of New-York by Chapter 934 OF lle
laws II 1885 and in the Borough OF BrookIyh'
except IN that portion Of the Borough OF b~fooh- ~
lvn known as Coney Island, the sum OF 40 cents
& thousand cubic feet.
This same measure makes stringent pro-
visions covering the quality ana pressure of the
gas at the burner. and provides for the for
feipre of 81 600 70 the State for every violation
All attention is now centred on the probable
fate Of these bills and that providing for State
Commission That an active lobby will contest
The progress Of these measures TO the very END
Of their legislative progress is assured as wen
as that an appeal viii be taken then 70 the
courts 70 determine their cOnsutuuonallty' II
IS interesting TO note in connection with TINS
that the question of the consttutionality Of the
existing law fixing the price at 81, has never
leen submitted to the courts for construction
That The bills will be passed Is regarded as un-
questioned.
NIXON. RESPONSIBLE FOR PASSAGE.
tits known definitely that Speaker Nixon has
told the Senate leaders that these bills should
be passed in tltat body on Tuesday and that ne
would be responsible for their passage by the
Assembly on Wednesday. Rumors Of graft
and corruption funds have already begun TO be
heard despite the fact that few legislators out
arc in
Any attempt to hlbuster these bills by the
minority win be net in one Of two ways-either
by special session or by prolongation Of the
present session--and this matter, taken in con-
necton with the Hooker situation is believed 10
make one Of these two courses inevitable.
We are going 10 do the business we were sent
here 10 do has been the dictum Of senator
Malby. and he has reafirmed it to-day. There
have been a number Of conferences of more or
less importance b@tween the committee and Sen
ator Malby and Ir. Rogers majority leader or
the Assembly to-day. These are in all probability
merely for outlining the legislative procedure
and for acquaintilg these men who will have
70 make the fight for the bills on the floor with
the reasons that moved the committee to rec
onmend this line cf action. Charles E. Hughes,
counsel for the SeVenS committee, has been
present at these meetings.
Senator Stevens vas asked tonight about the
submission Of the four bills to Mayor Mcclellan
and confirmed the report that this was the IN
tenton OF the committee IN drafting them NO
nl has yet been drafted which puts the inspec-
ton or gas meters On the local authorities. This
will probably be induded in the State commits
sion bill
PRECLUDEs WANTON SEIZURE.
Confirmation was secured here tonight for
the statement made IN these dispatches last
night that opportunity would be granted TO the
New-York City Democrats 10 amend the Mayors
wa bH in such fashion as to permit the city