New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-15
DC NOT FEAR GAS PROBE.
TANN4NY IS DEFIANT.
Senator Page Thinks the Bribery
CHARGES Hard to ProUe.

,,,,.-. ms considerable OF a STIR yesterday when
t became generally known in political circles ma
the District Attorney OF Albany Co"its =.
6,c-,nq a quiet investigation, with the loea u
,-,-.i,9 criminal suits against various SehdIoI'
-.bo voted against the s0-cent gas Dill a Cia1 g
NJ bribery it is limited may be bFoUshI anu Ing
Senator's placed upon the defence,
This OF course, so far as New-Hork CITY Is CON
oo-,ed auudes directly 10 the Democrats as the
T7enubtoans we're a unit for the gas Dill. rive
Talnrany Senator'S and Senator McoaiIen' -
kings County voted against IT, Ever since the
legislature adjourned these legislators nave KEPT
90 Of SIGHT ana talked little. The developments or
yesterday did not Tend to make them more loqua-
cous
senator P. H AfcCarren Of Kings County, and
Senator Martin OF Manhattan, when asked about
the report that criminal proceedings were 10 De
taken against the members Of the legislature VINO
voted against the S0-cent gas bills, said that they
had heard nothing about the matter and dec4iheo
10 discuss the subject
Addition. division and silence" seems TO De the
motto OF the Tamrnany Senators. They say frankly
IN private conversation that they do not consider
there IS the least likelihood Of any proceedings
against them. They say that nothing could be
a6duced and declare sneeringiy that all TINS TAX
is simply 10 advertise few officials
Il should say II would be a hard task TO get
rroof that any money paid TO a Senator, or
even promised 70 HIM for his vote against the ~
cant gas BILL" said Alfred r. Page TO a tribune
reporter last evening. MI Page was one OF lhe
Senators on the legislative Gas Investigating Corn
rnittes and WAS of the hardest fighters Tor The
OIL TT is true there were plenty Of reports ABOUT
the payment or promise OF financial consideration
a. The tire the s0-oent gas bill defeated in the
eaaate" Senator Page continued. but nothing OF
"a y.oaitfro character came TO my knowledge. 1t Is
most didacult prove bribery charge for usuany
m such q case there are only two persons VINO
have the evidence, the man who Is hloed ana the
man who brides him, ana nelther VIII ten U@o"90
he cont dare 70 tell
a
-ev Addpgton might have evidence conveyed 10
him. and that IS suggested to me by what heaIu
In Albany the day after the close OF the session
That was that the persons who had promised
,-,d sur, for votes AGAINST the bin unwilling
10 nav more than q small part Of the sum- CON
tending that their promise had been contingent Oh
abe defeat Of all the gas bills If that Is true soie
Senator who voted NO by reason OF such a prom
use 10 him. may have blown out 10 some friends IN
his indignation over being cheated, as he thinks
and some OF his talk may have been carried 10 MI
uAddington
"As a matter Of fact il would not have been
worth while paying much for votes against me
s0-cAnt gas bill. long as the Gas Commission
hill rassed for I have doubt that the commits
sion viii have the power not only to regula<e the
manufacture of gas in the city and estaohsh q
standard OF purity, but also 10 regulate the price
70 the consumers. That means that the gas COM
nanies VIII have to supply good gas at fair price,
and that neatly is what the public wants"
How do you explain the division of the Tam
many Senators from Manhattan on the SO-cent gas
hill7" Senator Page asked.
'I think" he replied there was arrangement
70 have such division for political effect care be-
ing taken have just enough votes against the
measure TO defeat il. persuaded in my own
mind that II we had been able 70 get more Re
publican vote for the bill one of the Tammany
votes for the bill would have been missing"
You don't seem to believe that Charles T. Muir
ply sent an order to the Tammany Senators to
vote for the bill?"
Il think, II he sent any such order he sent It
after the votes counted and the bill lost,
and sent It merely for political effect If the
T,arnnauy Senators had been instructed in good
faith TO support the measure and had obeyed or
ders the bill would have been passed"
Senator Jacob Marks of the newest Tam
many legislators who voted for the so-cent gas bill.
said last evening:
don't take much stock in the talk about the use
OF money To defeat the bill. Personally l voted for
the bill according to my convictions the
subject not because Of any orders. I don't rGmem-
Der any order coming from Mr.. Murphy, but I
think there dispatch from the Mayor urging
the passage Of the bill did not hear OF any plan
70 divide the Democratic vote the bill for poti
cal reasons. any other reasons. I believe that
most Of the Senators who voted against the bill did
because they thought the legislature had no
right TO fix the price Of a commodity That
the reason assigned by some Of the Republican
Senators who voted against the bill.