New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-04
-.,...,,e oost hin, any advantage he may

have gained -,
The gas bills were sent to the Senate TINS
afternoon and were promptly substituted FOR
Senate bills and advanced for passage to-mor-
ROW without objection save in one instance; TINS
was in the case Of the bill fixing the price OF
gas for the city. not the private consumer a'
~ cents On this bin Senator McCarren SUI
denly arose and moved that 1t be sent 10 Nhe
Committee on Miscellaneous Corporations the
COMMITTEES that stiaed the Fitzgerald bill months
a-n the committee which has been known Tor
IFS handling of corporation legislation for years
,be committee which fathered and fostered the
I2enosen East River Gas bill last session IN
stantly the storm broke and the test came
on a rollcall forty-seven Senators voted. ana
.be Senators voting with McCarren numbered
twenty-four. The bib was committed anu
then. when IL was too late. ii was discovered
mat the ,nimportant bill had been selected
.bat the great measure. the lucent price 10 prl-
vate consumers, had already oeeh adNahceu, anu
- that the mistake of McCarren' ms mlsuld iz
Standing of the bill under consideration, had
served TO defeat him, even when he hao lhe
votes But satisfaction ended here, Tor the teSt
displayed the fact that, unless there was soIlIe
: desertion from the ranks of the enemy the gas
bills must fail tomorrow , A.,
AS a final test then, of the strength OF Ine
onnosing lines this rollcall is significant. ana 10
further indicate the character or the McCaIFen
Tanks the word Niagara is shown after each or
his adherents for this companion measure. me
Republicans voting against McCarreh anu ior
the gas bills are as follows --
Aids, Armstrong, Burr. Carpenter cooper
Cordt Drescher, Elsberg, Fancher, Gates Good
sell Human. Lewis. Malby, McEWan rage
Raines SAKE Stevens FULLY, Warwick, Nhlte.
Marks CTammany) voted with these twenty
two making twenty-three in all.
The Republicans voting with McCarIen were
as follows: Amber, Niagara; Bracket, Brown
Niagara: Cassidy, Niagara; Cobb, Coggeshall
NIAGARA: Davis. Fechter, Niagara; Gardner
Niagara; IrHommedeu. Niagara; Prime, Nj
democrats, all Of whom voted for Niagara:
Cullen. Dooling, Fitzgerald. Foley, Frawley
3asenfug Hawkins, keenan,, Kehoe, Martin
McCarren Riordan.
This then. indicates the battle line tonight
II the Tammany Democrats dare to take tho
responsibility they will vote with McCarren TO-
morrow against gas. If they find that the battle
is going against them. If the pressure from
New-York grows too great, they may change
front. but there are few weakhearted nenoeFs
in this solid phalanx
II remains 10 chronicle the passage of the
gas bills in the Assembly this morning. and this
may be summed up in single word-Nixon
Silent, helpless, forsaken even by John Nc
Keown, McCarrens handy man in the Assem-
bly,, the Democrats voted for the bills in order,
save for the commission bill. which injected an
element Of politics. Only single Democrat
from Coney Island ventured 10 vote against a
price bill, on the ground that the reduction in
the section was not adequate, but he changed
.lis vote.
AS for the Republicans, there was not strag-
gier nor falterer. Speaker Nixon is reported
10 have told Governor Higgins that he would
pass the bills on Wednesday If they were read
on Tuesday, ana send them over 10 the Senate
for Thursday. he kept his contract to the let
ter.
The talk over the commission bill was chiefly
remarkable because it provoked a rather strik-
ing speech from Assemblyman Merritt. who
drafted the bin. AngeTed by partisan criticism,
Mr. Merritt said in part:
MI Palmer, the gentleman from Schoharie.
speaks with much feeling about the appropria-
ton and destruction of property Of widows
snd inrocent Children You are called upon to
decide and are deciding, supposing that every
share Of stock in the great gas companies of
New-YoTk belonged 10 the widows and orphans
for whom my friend from Schoharie has such
tender feelings. And the other hand the
interests OF the great public in the city of New
York. Now, when they rise IN their seats here
from time TO time and say that we are doing
harm all the tine 10 the people Of the city
OF New-Hcrk We are running the city of
New-York, We are looting the city Of New
York. want TO have them remember
that this tire, at least, and once, If never
before and never again, We have done and tried
10 DO, and have actually done something Cor
the people the common people Of the CITY Of
New-YoTk. and if they did not believe that it
was true they would not be voting Tor this bill.
And II they did not know that if they did not
vote Tor these bills they would come back here
with number SO small that il would not he
worth while TO name leader at all, they would
not vote for them IauGhteT)
Now, NJ. Speaker, 1 want 10 make one more
suggestioTl. We h@ve been accused Of too much
brevity in this investigation. ! am not sure but
NJ that that claim should be made. Personally, I
al am satisfied with The rate fixed in these bills:
" personally, l an satisfied With the conditions
laid down IN them. Personally ] think that out
SIDE Of q few minor details the bills are well
drawn
We have been accused Of being Brvapites and
we have been accused OF being other horrible
ihings We have been busy-that is III we have
Deen. We 90 not feel the maiority-and I
think the gentleman from Schoharie would unite
WIN US on that DroDosltion-we do not feel
ike recommending anything with reference TO
anything beyond the scope Of The investiga ton
But if it is the feeling in this house and in fine
upper house and Of the Governor that we have
NOT recommended things enough or drastic
things enough, all you have got to do is to
recommend that we go and continue in our
LIE, al!1 see ! we cannot suggest some
thing more for the interest o9 the people of the
city OF New-YoTk We will meet You on that
PtyposIlloil ana take Up a whole lot Of things
outside % anything that has been done already
which viii he OF intense interest. The gentlen1an
from SchOharie finds fault because this hfJl
provides that corporations of this kind sbanif
invest their money in stocks and bonds of
similar corporations What has happened in
have the monopoly there. by paying for the
stock and bonds of subsidiary corporations a
price Tar beyond the market Value-they charge
II as an asset, what they have paid and for the
sake OF monopoly paid these prices and then
turn 10 the people Of the City Of Neyv-YorI< and
say: Vow pay US the interest: pay US diyi-
oeno on what we have spent Of our money in
our effort 70 have monopoly control" And when
the city gives them a franchise which is not a
gift but permit to do business and to make
money, the money which they put into the
business Of making and distributing gas and
electricity they turn around and capitalize the
value Of that gift, and say TO the customers and
the public Of the City Of New-York: Pay us a
dividend on What you have already given u.s."
-., Governor Higgins outlined his position in the
eependng fight late this afternoon and after the
passage Of the Niagara grab" thus:
Unless there is definite action by the Iegis-
lature on the report Of the Stevens committee