New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-30
MAY Use WATER POWER.
An Important Feature of the Pro
posed SteUens Bills.
IBY TELEGRAPH 10 THE TRTBUNE,T

IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNAL
Albany, April 29-Gas became a clear cut
party issue, with Tammany and 1rcCarsn
united IN opposition to remedial legislation this
morning. when the Democrats members Of both
branches Of the legislature deliberately Sra-
vented the admission Of the report OF the Ste
vens committee. adopting fIibustering tactics
and thereby demonstrating clearly the bad faith
incident to their measures reducing the prics Of
gas, which were introduced with so much ecIat
at the outset OF the session. OF course their
| opposition is merely potent for a day. and on
Monday night the report OF the committee and
the three or four bills it Is drawing to-day 70
carry out the recommendations contained IN
the report win come in but the proceedings to-
day served TO indicate the position OF the local
Democrats, and might easily serve TO proIong
the present or force an extra session.
The bills to be introduced will provide for the
reduction of the price Of gas from 81 70 %
cents. the reduction OF the price Of electric cur
rent from 10 cents to 10. and separate bill or
else provision in the bill reducing the price
Of gas. for the inspection OF gas meters By the
local Commissioner Of Water Supply. Gas and
Electricity, provision which Will place on the
city government the full responsibility for an
attempt on the part Of the gas companies to re-
duce quality and increase pressure Of gas to
meet the reduction in price.
But the most important bill VIII be that for a
State Public Service Commission details OF
which were printed fully this morning. One
notable addition was made to this bill to-day
/ by the committee, and that was to include cleo
/ trio power transmission lines in the corpora
/ tions to be supervised by the commission. so
/ that the passage OF any bill such as the Leggetr
/ Niagara grab would no longer help any cor
/ poration until 1t had secured the approval OF
/ this new three-headed commission.
None OF these bills are likely TO be subject to
the Mayors approval. but wiI in all proba-
bility, be general bills. since the Democrats %
I the legislature have indicated Tammauy's atti-
/ tude on cheaper gas for New-Yorlz City. But
! this may not end the relations OF the members
( OF the city government or OF Tammany Hall
! to the Stevens committee. for the latter still
/ has the power. delegated to 1t by the Iagis-
/ lature. 70 resume its sittings and plunge the
/ probe far deeper into the relations between
! Tammany leaders and the gas combination in
/ New-York City. The committee has merely ad-
/ journed subject to CALI It can at once re-
sumo sittings and recall the Murphy brothers.
/ the Gafuey partners Commissioner Oakley and
( any other political witnesses who may have IN
/ the past. or even next week Will have. relations
/ Of public interest with the lighting corpora
/ tions.
HINT TO TAMMANY LEGISLATORS.
Assemblyruan Merritt of the committee. said
/ on this point to-day:
We have so far refused to take up the po-
/ litiCaI phases of the investigation, and we have
/ been criticised for not doing what other COM
+ mfttees have done. I do not know whether the
Witnesses that have been before the committee
realize the consideration shown them. but they
/ certainly ought 70.
This is a hint that may be taken by the Tam
/ many legislators who are already on record
! for a TO-cent gas bill and for the Mayors own
! 7j-cent bill
/ But one OF the most important points con-
tanned in the report of the Stevens committee
/ one which was lost sight of in the rush last
| night. is that recommending the granting to
/ New-York City OF the right and authority to
utilize waterpower now owned or hereafter ae-
! qulred by it. for the purpose OF generating
electric current for the use OF the city, provided
/ that no additional water shall be taken for that
1 purpose other than would be otherwise required
/ by the city. This would seem at first glance TO
4 be the provision stricken from the Mayors bill.
/ but it is not. on the other hand. # is the Inn
/ iting of unlimited power that was therein
( sought.
( What Mayor McC1elIan's bill did was to grant
the city the right 70 so anywhere in the StaJe
and take water for power purposes, which IL
could lease or sell as it chose, and it was not
( necessary that this power scheme should have
anything to do with the potable water supply.
This the phase which created objection
here and which the Stevens COMMITTEES recon-
mends 1t leaves 10 New-Tork representatives
the duty Of drawing bills therefor that the city
be allowed 10 use for it's own municipal pur-
pose any electric current it can develop az It's
dams and reservoirs which were originally IN
tended for water supply. not power In plain
words il let's New York use for its pur-
poses the property that IT buys primarily for
water supply. but it does not permit New-Yorl<
to go where il chooses and condemn land and
water solely for power purposes and at the sX-
pense Of the local community.
Apart from the fixing of the price the impor-
tant provision Of the Stevens committee IS the
bill for a public service commission. which
was shown in detail in these dispatches last
nieht. Telephone companies have been dropped
from the list OF corporations TO be supervised
rot because the committee does not believe that
they Will Ultimately be included but because IL
had made no investigation Of the subject Power
transmission lines were included because they
naturally group themselves with the other light
iug companies.
MR. MERIsITTS CONTRIBUTION.
Apart ION this the one important section Of
this bill which was drafted BY Assemblyman
Merritt, and represents his contribution to the
work OF the committee. is that covering the
monopoly lecture. namely a prohibition OF .ths
consolidation by purchase. after the manner IN
which the Consolidated Gas COnDanv acor,iv,f