New-York tribune., 1905-04-24
Isr TELEGRAPH 30 THE TRIBuNE-I


when Il is more or less possible TO sum up hrenY
the situation nj the Capitol with reference 20 the
vsrlous important legislative measures when re-
main 10 be enacted or defeated. Such summary
may for convenience sake he divided into severai
sections n which the work sti 10 be done may oe
fairiv classified.
First a. these sections IS that belonging TO the
grab bills whose fate must be decided now ana
whose fate VIII involve the reputation OF the pre-
evt 1erislat,ro for I'D 10 the present time no I'M
portant grab" bin. with single exception mas
been sent 20 Governor Higgins by the legislature
Teen there are the administrative measures both
state and city. which. with the exception of ''e
stock TAX signcd by the Governor last week are
4 stll pending Again. there are numoer oi ''ii-
porrant bills already position so preearious as
- cs-r,,,t tho belief that they viii be defeated
Fynallv there is the legislation incloeht 10 INC
report of tho Hooker Investigation committee euu
the cas- Investigating Committee whch VIA DC
IoL 20 The closing week OF the session. since ooth
re1orts Win not until then be actually before lne
legislature.
To take up the first division. that Of the giao
bills. which in every session constitute the man
source ~ public interest. 81 is a t2ir Statement
the list OF those now pending IS not IN me man"
eonlnarable with the similar list Of last year "hen
A addition 90 the Niagara Power bill. common 10
both sessions there the Remsen East RIVER
Gas hill which finally passed both branches oi '''e
leeslstllrc and the Wilcox " allace-Beoeil
.eal,s more imposing than any similar list OF 'he
t
.ta Niagara bin viii Gle in the Assembly PUBIC
ir5ienatiou has reached pitcn too high 10 Oe oiS
REGARDED and for political reasons. as wen as ihol~i
ones legislative leaders have at the eleventh hou''
se-.~ graft and bribery had riot for weeks, oe-
tc-ined that The scandal incident TO the passage VI
r-,ch hin ought not be provoked Easy out
yre suppression confidently forecast for TINS nil'
gor al tribes we're contingent. and the hope Of re-
WsT5 is now too little 10 warrant canny legislators
going on record for 50 bad measure.
r-frf-a a4fn t1E he
tha F-lstere-I .aliterbach grab. that mysterious
hill rerlcdying defects Of unknown railroad char-
ters whose in;roducer knows nothing more about
A than the fact that tho lawyer who gave II 10 nm
also included clean bin q health so far as west
chester is concerned. OF course, the point aoou'
the biu that every one appreciates is that wheth-
er il gives a right without compensation 10 "es1-
chester OF some other corporations is reaIE maj
ter of indifference. since Il gives something belons
,rr "a fh. ulIblt. TO private corporation without
srv,. recorlpense Perhaps the only other thing 20
DO said about the bill that Il has been termed
sneak, till BY those who baye contended with TINS
variety Of legislation for number Of years tnousn
never before with a bill of this character oeaFihs
Senator IZlsberg's name. This measure has passed
,De senate and is now in the hands Of the Rules
,o1n,ittee of tho Assembly. II viii PROBABLY pass
h before The Governor takes action i will be fully
considered AT "a public hearing before him
TEXT or MEASURES OBSCURE.
Similar IN their qualities alike Of beniloence to
corporations and mysterious appearance. are the
teo bills that bear the more familiar name oL
Czoodseu The fact that the orange county sen
stor urged his friends iE the Senate 10 vote fof
she Flsberg bill mentioned above helped 10 ist ta'
1ut I'm tlo minds OF its opponents. HIS two biis'
.-ouferrinr on the InterbOrough the right IA one
case 10 have the old steinway tunnei ch8'l'i va
,s.o7 it,,,,- eNy,ense and without the trouble OF
recourse 70 the local authorizes IN Inc o'i-i' =
abandon such their Bronx trolley lilles ss O ~
and leave the residents along the lines tIaliueu'
f.eFoug 10 "A familiar type Of bills 10 reAo 'Ie 80
of fbe bills would gain as little ldea OF '''ti
rurport as II they were written IN plehisloIlo
srsnobll dialect Like the ElsbeTg BILL they seen
=, steal public right and they do IT IN a iasuioA
covert and concealed. A score ot IepIsseil'a'i'7
. -t,.3c bodies came 10 Albany last week 10 pro-
test against the bills: they had hardy slsIueo 04
,reir ret7,rn trip when Mr. Bedells Railroad COM
-,s...o toor favorable action these measures
s-4 Assembly rules may now keep them on the As
,s5fIy calendar until they pass the lower. as they
have the upper branch Of the legislature heie
erair the main hope IS the Governor
So much for the grab" bills. Mr. Goooseh mas
already rassed a third railroad benehting meas
,,r Increasing the powers OF condemnation IN some
ocou.t fashion known not 10 Mr.. Goodsell' whose
ex-lsr-stion of the measure in the senate was so
beaTdering 8 whisper 20 suggest complete in
-,ocence Of the meaning OF its provisions, but in
-reasing them IN some way, fact proved by the
Kind Of support the bill received in the legislature
and the speed with which II was advanced 70 pas
Tese hut TO the foregoing bills belongs the impor-
tsnt position IN the list OF bad bills Of the session
Fhe Savings Bank Investment bill which was
srsfted 70 carry out suggestions OF the Governor
and Of the Banking Department. has lost much Of
It's high character. II has been Kicked back and
forth N the Senate IN the brutal shion. and
fhe situation that seems 20 obtain is that
Senator Gardner. OF Brooklyn. Is IN a position TO
dictate that unless the bonds Of the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois which fall below the standard
originally set. taken o. the standardizing
of Investments for State savings banks win have %
Wait another year. Such tactics and such an
amendment certainly put this bill within the
grab" bin category.
The second division Of pending measures suggested
above was Of administrative measures both for the
State and Aew-YoTk City. For the State there are
hrst of all. the tax bills. One Of these-the Stock
Transfer bill-by virtue Of the Governors signature
became law last week: tho other-the Mortgage
Tax b'll-suu Hes on his table. There is a well de-
nled belief that attempt will be MADE this
week 70 pass another mortgage tax bill inDosing
INC same amount Of tax. but more perfect in
-'lAA' ana possibly eAemptiug building and loan
associations To this division belongs also ~.
AgpeW State Water Commission bill aIres,,,, ,a.5
~ ihe Assembly and awaiting SENATE ,c
non. which will probably follow promptly, aP,ar Z,
eyI-loA or iAe present taugle over the Havor.s
ol-. ID iiis class also belongs me measure r.
pT-LAls ne ta1 on savings banks surplus fn,ro
177a q INC outset q the session ana diractI,. o.
L-g|e1 oy Governor Higgins as fulfilling q car,
Pa3en pledge. but as vet ygst,lns a, - an
- -aSaton Committee ths sipoature %, :. e &c re'''te
Tax DiA. which WiI provide rs,,.-,,o - - "a gage
IpS-'' win us consequent loss ~ r.,--
--lsi' 7o'i1eilt might sdetTack this hin o,.1i,.
L4Nsase VIII oe great legislative ooncess,o, -, 80
Governor for The biil IS nos popular - '"e
-MAYoR McCI.EI.LAn,,s ,,..,,,r,