The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-04
SENATE MAY KILL GAS BILLS,
THE TWELVE INDEPENDENTS
STILL STAND FIRM.

0iuB ful OF FataAbo-Au OF Iuem
Except the state Commission Bm
Pass the Assembly by Unanimous Votes.
ALBANY, May s.-1he fate in the Senate
tomorrow OF the seven bills introduced
by the Stevens New York City Lighting
Investigating Committee. which passed
the Assembly to-day, IL problematical,
with the exception OF the one providing
for a state public service commission.
T The seven bills passed the Assembly to-day
with hardly q dissenting vote, except that
| there was q party division on the State
commission bill.
| Late this afternoon these bills were re-
! ceived in the Senate for concurrence, and
| all Of them wero permitted 10 be substituted
| for the Senate's similar bills, and they
will come up for final passage In tho Senate
! tomorrow. The single exception IL one
| Of the bills, which Senator McCarren In
sisted should be referred to the Committee
| on Miscellaneous Corporations. Senator
! McCarren supposed be was recommitting
| the bill fixing at rs cents the price Of gas
to private consumers In New York city.
| Instead he had recommitted the bill which
fixes the price Of gas to the city at the same
| figure. Senator Raines was the only one
| 20 discover the mistake up to the time
! the Senate adjourned this evening.
Few members Of the Legislature familiar
with the situation in the Senate would
hazard guess tonight that the bills, with
the exception Of the State commission bill.
would pass except with the aid Of at least
half dozen Democratic votes. In that
event, Of course, the combination would be
broken and pretty nearly all Of the Repub-
! lcan and Democratic Senators would be
| found voting for the bills. But II not
enough Democrats can be secured TO bring
the number UP to 90 that being the number
Of votes required TO pass a bill. the twelve
independent Republican Senators will stand
firm and their ranks may possibly be
added TO.
Gov. Higgins announced positively this
afternoon that he would call an extra ses-
sion Of the Legislature for Friday afternoon
at O'Clock. unless there Is definite action
by the Legislature before that time on the
gas and electricity problems affecting New
York city. This statement was made by
the Governor when his attention was called
to the rumors Of probable difficulty In pass
ing the Stevens bills In the Senate to-mor-
row. The Governor would not specify
what particular bills he insisted upon, and
In reply TO q direct question as TO whether
he would call an extra session all the gas
bills except the one providing for com
mission was passed be said
Il will determine that matter by Friday
at 3P. NJ"
Speaking Of the State public service
commission bill. the Governor said:
Il am informed that all interests In
volved, except, perhaps. Consolidated Gas,
think the public service commission bill
just and proper measure. At any rate,
a large number OF upstate gas companies
were represented here yesterday, and their
representative said they thought IL was
desirable bill, as 1t would give authority
to act 20 a commission which would be ao-
quainted with all the facts rather than 70
leave such authority TO a legislative COM
mittee, which might not be acquainted
with the facts. have on my desk bill
prepared some months ago by representa-
tives Of the upstate gas companies pro-
posing such an enactment. 1t was stated
70 me that the movement In its favor rep
resented all the gas and electric light and
power companies Of the State, except the
Con solidated Gas Company Of New York
There we're two very unexpected sur
prises in connection with the passage OF
the Stevens committees bills in the Assem-
bly,. The first was the fact. that although
the Senate decided 10 amend the bill pro-
viding for cheaper gas by fixing the price
at 80 cents instead Of rs cents, as provided
for in the bill the Assembly passed the bill
fixing IS cents as the price.
The attitude Of the minority members
in supporting the bills came as a distinct
shock to Speaker Nixon and Majority Leader
Rogers, who had expected hard fight on
the bills.
All Of the seven bills with the exception
Of the one providing for a State Public
service commission we're passed by hurried
roll calls, the clerk mumbling few names
and announcing the vote az 14s for each
bill. Only one Democrat voted against the
cheaper gas bill. He was Assemblyman
Grady Of Brooklyn. He said IL the bill was
amended so as to include Coney Island
district in the provision for Is cent gas no
would vote for IT, This, however, was not
allowed.
When the bills were reached on the calen-
dar Speaker Nixon thought there would be
a hard fight on them and he took no chances
Of calling one up without a sufficient num-
Der Of Republican votes TO pass the bill.
He therefore had them laid aside and when
there was no other business before the
house OF any Importance he permitted
them 10 be taken up,
To the bill providing for cheaper gas
amendments were offered by Assemblyman
Wainwright rep. Westchester) fixing the
price al rs cents throughout the entire
Bronx Borough; by Assemblyman Sullivan,
the same for Queens Borough; by Assem-
blymAn Grady, the same for all Of Brooklyn.
and by Assemblyman Wedemeyer, 81 FOR
Richmond Borough. All Of the amend
ments were defeated,
7 The Democrats vigorously opposed the
massage Of the state Public Service Com
mission uill and on this there was q party
division On all Of the other six bills As
! semblyman Tompkins Tammany) COM
4 mitted Mayor Mcclellan for them. In
, discussing the public service bin be called
! attention to the fact that every one Of the
six bills carried out the reoommendatio
and wishes Of Mayor Mcclellan
, Mr. Palmer tried TO amend the Public
service commission bill by having one Of
, the members a Democrat and also provid-
ing that two Of the members should be ex-
peiLs In electricity and gas Tho amend.
> ments were defeated by a party vote Of
80 10 a., and the bill was passed by strici
party vote Of % 70 a.