New-York tribune., 1905-01-09
HIGGINS INFLUENCE FELT.
Il Nan OF BUSINESS.
Creates Favorable Impression at Cap
itol-The Coming Session.
IBY TELEGRAPH 10 rHK TsIBUNE.l J


Albany Jan Slight days make up too small
& fraction Of State administration, in which
TO estimate the character Of new chief ex-
ecutive and Yet in that time Frank Wayland
Higgins has made his impression on the charsc-
ter of the daily life that centres about the State
Capitol Moreover. he has done this in a fashion
that is almost battling II its lack Of ostentation.
on the day when he took office. Governor Hig-
gins was in small sense storm centre. The
difference over ihe Seaatorship has been bridged.
bu; there was stn an absence OF that feeling of
kindness that IS supposed 10 be particularly
prevalent at the New Year. Men came to Albany
with evident bitterness. and were not unwilling
20 talk publicly OF their wrongs and Of the
fashion IN which they purposed TO redress them.
But somehow all this talk suddenly began 10
wane. Party leaders who saw the execu-
tive came away and told their friends story,
which has been told and retold since in the
iobbies and halls Of the Capitol In plain
words this story amounted to this: That Cover
nor Higgins meant first and beyond all else
10 be Governor or the whole people. but only
secondly the representative OF a whole party;
that he Was determined that the Office OF the
chief executive should not be used as a club
10 punish any group OF members OF his own
party.
That was the first effect OF the Governors
personality on men and conditions about him.
Hardly less striking was his second influence.
The campaign Of last year was a campaign of
watchwords. like all Others and "a business ad-
ninistration." was cne Of the watchwords. No
sooner WAS he in The saddle than Governor Hig-
gins promptly violated ell the regulations that
the labor union OF STATE governors may be sup
posed toadhere -. HIS business day began
al o'clock. and that hour found him at his
desk with e promptress that would cause
panic among the employees Of a State depart
ment. His first effort was TO systematic his
Office He gave orders that he would receive
State legislators at a certain hour each day.
Stale officials al another. the public al third
and al the congestion. that not infrequently
makes the executive chamber look like New
York subway station in rush hours was eliml-
mated. In still another way the Executive
worked chsracteristically There traditions
that survive governors in the executive chamber
Governor Higgins returned 10 one established
by President Roosevelt. when Governor. He
announced that he would meet all the repre-
sentatives Of The press at ; O'Clock daily. On
the first day he stood alone in the chamber
awaiting their arrival al the specified hour; sub
sequently it developed that by ) o'clock the
Governor meant ) O'Clock
The single session of the legislature last week
developed a rush of business. In the Senate
fraction Of which consisted Of measures designed
30 remedy as we'll as Investigate the gas con-
tracts of the Mcclellan administration. The
Tammany contingent engaged in a close foot
race with the Municipal Ownership League OF
Congressman Hearst TO get their bills in. Not
one Of them pretended 10 enjoy the new policy
advocated by the city government; not a few
openly declared that they did not believe in It,
With city campaign IN sight the average
Tammany legislator believes It a grievous mis-
take TO antagonize old and tried friends like the
gas corporations II may be fairly assumed
that either the resolution Of the Merchants AS
sociston that Of the Municipal Ownership
League for a legislative inquiry the lines OF
the old Mazet Committee into the gas situation
is likely 10 pass. Moreover, Senator Elsberg is
probably slated TO head the committee in recog-
milton Of his failure 10 land the Craftsmanship OF
The Senate Committee on Cities, which will go
again TO Senator Horace White. Of Syracuse.
Senator John Raines is again busy tnkering
up his excise law. He will introduce measure
which. in broad lines, is identical with his
home rule bill Of last session, putting the re-
Eponsihility and the duty OF inspecting Raines
law hotels on the shoulders Of the Police. Fire
and Building commissioners William Halpin
president of the New-Tork County Committed
has In view a measure which aims TO abolish the
hotel features OF the excise law without disturb
inE the revenue feature.
But the one all important consideration of the
present session from an administrative point OF
view is revenue. The State Treasury is short
upward Of 100000 ana a return to direct tax
Viii be inevitable il the present session does not
provide new indirect revenues. The plan adyo-
Gated by many, which detailed in these dis
patches last week. is 81 tax on every transac-
zion OF one hundred shares in stocks This
would raise the necessary money. Doubtless the
people who nave been reading "Frenzied FL
lance with any degree OF creduIitv would sac
n fhls fair opportunity TO punish But this is
not the theory that lies behind the proposition.
rather II IS the belief that this tax would fail
on those who could afford il most provoke the
least objection on The part Of the rural legisla-
tors. who supply the Republican majority I'm the
legislature, and. above ali amply meet the necss-
SHY Mortgage tax and direct tax are other
coilsioeralons less likely because on the mort
sage tax there is wide divergence OF view and
on the direct tax there Is the decided opposition
q Governor Higgins
The Water Commission bill Of last week ran
against snaG the moment fl was Introduced
AS eXcusiVely told in these dlspa tches ii ra-
pesled in effect the Smith law of last session
Nhlch excluded NeW-York City from the
streams IN Dutchess County most avaiIab bIa
for the extension or the Croton svsten, Those
who secured the former law viii certainly 1eht
70 nave the new law amended TO a shane where
~ 9oes hot lnNalidate the Smith law. But this
VII be signal for the Representatives OF IL
ster and Columbia counties to rush 10 tha nro-
tecuon or Esopus Creek and similar front
streams IN their respective constituencies Bv
a process or elimination this would leave tba
commission with little short Of Iaka Eric as a
source Westchester County also, stands ready
70 ask that any extension granted NAV carry
with II the provision that the added New-York
supply may be tapped for Yonkers and other
cities along the line.
All the talk last week was Of short session
April was a cate not infreqUently heard but
the problem Of finance. the tanele over gas and
the out and out fight the canal Improve
ment may delay the adjournment until a much
later date.