New-York tribune., 1905-02-27
THE WEEK AT ALBANY.
MAY SETTLE GAS FIGHT.
Issue Bet1ceen the Lobby and Leg1s-
Iat0rs- Other Business.
[Br TELEGRAPH no THE TRIBrNE.l

Albany. Feb 26-The present week will prob
ably settle the question to whether this lesis-
lature will grant any favors IN the way oi
cheaper lighting to the people OF New fork
City. The lobby and the legislators will have
TO settle the question, but the party leaders are
still determined in their effort. A gas measure
sent from the Assembly to the Senate, and
reducing the price TO between so and 80 cents
has a moderate chance Of passage under present
conditions but If Governor Higgins takes Il
hand and there are not few who believe this
will happen this programme is much more
likely to go through, always however. by way
OF the Assembly first. for the Senators who
numerous enough to control legislation have
declared their belief that any gas measure
sent from the Senate TO the Assembly is sure
to die
Last week the lobby had it's way this week
the question will be put clearly and unmistaka
bly, before The Republicans OF the Senate,
whether they willing from any one of sew
eral motives to permit a party policy to be de-
feated through the real apparent activity of
the busiest lobby that has been seen here in
recent years. A resolution for a Legislative in
yestigation is at present before Senator Malbys
Finance Committee and 15-cent gas bill be-
fore the Senate Cities Committee One of these
bills may he brought out If the Miscellaneous
Corporations Committee remains obdurate, but
the fact remains that a majority of those at
present in touch with the situation believe that
the hope of the cheaper gas measure for New
York City rests entirely with Governor Hig-
gins.
But gas is only the preliminary skirlnish with
the lobby, the battle of the session between party
policy and the policy of the representatives of
the third house" will be fought over the stock
tax measure, which has already been outlined
as the party measure for raising the additional
revenue necessary. The stock transfer tax
measure would bring in about S5OO0O00
nually from Wall Street, but despite this fact
when the measure was open for a public dis
cussion last week not a solitary representative
of the financial district appeared The Taxation
Committee sat solitary and exploded it's wrath
in the declaration that il would give the oppo-
nents of the bill only one more chance to ap-
pear in opposition before the Legislature next
Thursday.
But the fact remains that a majority OF the
legislators have already decided that barring a
determined support for the bill by the Governor,
its defeat had already been arranged. Not
few of the Senators, who have insisted that the
gas reduction measure was doomed to be killed
In the Assembly have equally firmly proclaimed
their determination that the Stock Tax bill shall
not pass the Senate until il has passed the As
sembly. These men insist that there is 81 000-
oVO IN killing the measure in the way Of graft
and that il ought not to be put in the power OF
any three men. as ii would be In the Assembly.
to kill IL.
IF the Governor wants his bill let him see to
1t that it comes to the Senate last. then it can
pass" was a declaration heard in the upper
house last week IF IL once gets in the AS
sembly cooler IL is all off,
Before the question Of water supply is settled
there will be at least one hearing more on the
various bills, but Mayor Mcclellan has already
outlined the position of the city beyond perad-
venture While the Mayors bill will not pass to
judge from present indica tionS some bill giving
New-York City the right to have its own com
mission, granting it the right to condemn land
and water in the counties desired but limited
by the control Of a State commission also to be
provided for by another bill, seems likely. Ex-
Mayor Low touched the vital point of possible
last week when he suggested that
the State commission should be clothed with
authority to fix a minimum of flow in streams
from which water was taken. this minimum to
be enough 70 supply all the mills along the
stream