New-York tribune., 1905-04-21
NIAGARA "GRAB" PUT OFF.
LOBBY GIVES UP FIGHT.
RumOr That LQuterbach Admits
Purpose of ELsberg r. r. Bill.
tBT TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. J

z
Albany, April 20.-TwO distinct deve1opment.
marked the legislative career OF the grab. bsIls
to-day. First the Niagara Power bill. as was
forecast IN The Tribune this morning. was side
tracked Rs a result OF the decision OF the Re-
publican leaders last night that the bill must be
killed. When IL came Up It was put over until
next Wednesday. and the general consensus OF
opinion was that this action meant the defeat
o. the bill
The other striking development was the state
nsnt that Edward Lauterbach, while Ia Albany
this week. frankly said to two newspaper cor
respondents that the Elsberg Railroad bill.
passed by the Senate yesterday. after it had
been denounced by the Citizens Union as
sneak bin. applied 20 the New-York. West
chester and Boston Railroad and was intended
70 cure a defect IN this corporations charter.
This announcement created widespread COM
Enent because Il has been denied by Senator Els
berg or the floor OF the Senate and IN many pri-
rate statements In all Of which he declared that
while he cid not know what road Il did apply
10 he had been assured that il was not tie
Westchester. Mr.. Lauterbach's statement. as
narrated BY the newspaper correspondents TO
whom i was made. was ELECTED as the result Of
: Communication charging that the bill was
aimed al benefting the Interborough interests
and, specifically certain lines OF the Union Rail-
Eay o. The Bronx.
"Oh. no" Mr. Lauterbach is said TO have re-
marked 1T applies TO the weEtchester road
When Acknowledgements were taken for that. a
notary wrote we acknowledge IN a place
where he should have written we swear and
this is the defect that it is meant 10 cover"
When this alleged statement was called TO
senstor Elsberg's attention be made no de-
nisi Of the fact that the bin had come from
Mr Lauterbach, but instantly declared with q
10 M. Lauterhach on the telephone and find
out, asserting that II II did he would XIII the
bln and that in that case he had been lied TO
Ee did this and presently came out Of The tele-
phone booth and said hotly:
He says that IL does not apply 70 westches-
ter thar he never did say that & did ard that
ary such statement is q deliberate lie. I'm
tired q being asked whether this bill applies
10 Westchester. You people can say what you
please"
The character ef the bill was fully discussed
r. these dispatches yesterday. II was intro
duced or the same day an attack was made
In the Attorney Generals Office on the charter
q the New-Tork. Westchester and Boston Rail-
road. and the charge has been steadily main
tsined tn the Senate and IN the lobby that the
bill vas drawn for this purpose. At first Sen
Htor Elsberg said he thought the bill applied
% a railroad IN Queens County. subsequently
that Il reached a case IN The Bronx and West
chester County, but not tie westchester Rail
road. The bin was. IN q slightly different form
thu Wilcox Wallace grab" OF last session.
killed after great public agitation II is now
sn the Assembly and there viii be no hearing
IT, the Assembly Rules Committee takes
charge on Tuesday. The civic bodies opposed
10 il VIII have 10 make their fight before the
Governor.
The motion 10 lay the Niagara bill over was
made BY Assemblyulan Thompson. Of Niagara,
who has steadily opposed the measure this year
although he fathered II last year Speaker
Nixon declared that Il would be put on Wednes-
days calendar. AT the request OF the House"
indicating by this unusual statement that the
Rules Committee did not mean 10 bear any re-
Eponsibiity FOR the measure. Its lobby friends
practically abandoned The fight to-day The
fact that party leaders had decided TO kill il viii
cost many purchaseble votes for men who
have agreed To vote for II on promise OF con
tingenr" bribes-taat IS. brides payable on con-
oiron that the bin passes both branches Of the
iegislature-wiH not be put on record for bad
bin when they have no chance OF realizing. Up
q to-day the lobby IN charge Of the bill has
Eneered at the exposure Of the bill and the
means being used 10 pass II by the press To-
day they conceded the victory 70 the newspapers
which have steadily attacked IT,
Senator Jacob A. Marks, Of York. has
addressed TO Governor Higgins letter protest
irg against the three Goodseu railroad bills, one
Of which passed the Assembly yesterday. The
other tvo were favorably reported by Assembly
man BedelIs committee. despite the protests OF
The reQresentatives OF various civic bodies at a
hearing yesterday afternoon. In this communi-
cation ne discusses the bills in detail pointing
out their grab" qualities. IN summing them up
he says.
Z you consider the objections made against
these bills in the light Of your experience as
presiding officer OF the Senate, I think you will
conclude that the bills are bad in form, and are
meas I-es which should not become laws. think
Jour experience VIII convince you that railroad
corporations desiring relief from the legislature
should request II in plain language, and not
endeovor TO obtain valuable rights, which not
alone give them the right 10 exercise the privi-
lege which il IS claimed the bill IS intended 70
give but which even does not appear on the
face of the bin, but also gives them greater
powers and more privileges than would have
been granted - The exact purpose OF the bill
declared