New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-05

| "a 80, IRON nv Senator McCarren. ana MS hSA''
&c now 10 hold his forces. To TINS ne APP
riaa himself The friends Of the measure To-
pn.Sar With the Republicans of political prom
inence present, began to wage oa''ie ~ 0@ti'
49, RIM Two votes were still necessary. out
| q, the hall William Barnes. jr., chairman or the
| Executive Committee of the Republican state
Corn,nittee. Colonel George w. Dunn, John T.
| O.Rr,en Secretary Of State Colonel Michael }.
Dadv and William Halpin, as well as PUBIC
Works SUPERINTENDENT n. V. v Franchot' APP
narently representing the Governor cohlerIeu'
The proposition to abandon the price Din anu
forward the commission bill was proposed anu
then rejected. But one unexpected result was DC
con,nlished. Senator Edgar T. Brackett' VINO
had accepted the position OF the lhsurseh'
leader who had declared on the moor Oh lhe
Senate a half-hour before that he was oppoSeu
70 the commission bill and ready TO beat all
the others TO kill this, suddenly changed 'front.'
abandoned his associates Of the caucus anu
came out for the gas legislation.
This development was not disclosed urtil 'He
next roll call. when the bill fixing the price Oh
gas at rs cents when sold to the city passed ny
a vote of 26 to % The detection OF Mr.. BracK-
EFT had been followed by that Of waiter bro"I4'
and the McCarren forces for the moment "oto
beaten and their CONSERVATION was apparent
Senator Coggeshau, who sat beside senator
Brown and had voted with him, was SO en-
RACED at this detection that he arose anu uo-
clared to Mr. Brown that he would not SIT De-
side him. This break in the ranks was widened
on the next bill, when the measure proVlolls
for state commission passed by a vote Of 70
TO 90 This was the bill that Senator Bracket
had declared he intended to beat, and as ne
quietly voted for it there was a sound OF NUT
tering among his former associates.
Bracket has got of the commissioners
shouted an indignant McCarTenite.
.'I am a weather vane. and I have turned
sneered Bracket.
MCARREN LOSES EIGHT VOTES.
For this bill eight Republicans changed over
from the McCarren ranks. These were Messrs.
Bracket Brown, Davis Fechter, Hinman' NC
Evan, Prime and Wilcox. For the moment II
looked as # the battle had been Won This I'M
preston deepeued when the bills reducing the
price of electricity to consumers aud to tho city
were passed as we'll as those permitting the city
to use its water supply for power ana Tor the
local inspection Of gas. The vote ran as hlgh
as 80 to in two instances.
Six of the seven measures were thus passed
Two were amended in a peculiar manner Sen
ator Cooper, of Brooklyn, who had stood Loyalty
by those who were fighting for the reduction OF
the price of gas and electricity, and who is
large owner in Brooklyn electric lighting con-
Germ when the lighting bill came up without
appealing to any one, without any lobbying or
other effort, clearly asked for an amendment
changing the price of electricity, not to 10 cents
as the bill provided, but to u cents and as
tribute to his loyalty and TO the manner in
which he had made his fight his associates ac-
copied the amendment and passed the bill
AS the other matters had been disposed OF. the
time had come to attempt for the last time TO
pass the bill reducing from 81 to so cents the
price of gas TO the. consumer in New-York CITY,
This is the time when we lay all our cards
on the table face up and see whether we have
got aces or deuces" muttered one Senator, and
once more the Senate doors were closed and the
rollcau began There were no changes from the
roIcaI at the outset, save that Of Senator
Bracket who reversed himself and voted for
the bill Mr. Brown refraiDed from voting until
the end. He had been told that another vote had
been secured, and that he would gain nothing
by staying with McCarren.
Every Senator and almost every person in the
room were following the fight and had rollcall
slips in their hands. The list showed that twenty
five Senators had voted for the bill and twenty
two against it. Senator Brown still had vote to
cast. Then Senators Raines. Gardner, Arm
strong and half dozen others all rushed to his
seat. They expostuated and begged once mora.
McCarren turned on his faltering supporter and
the clerk In clear voice called hts name.
How does the Senator vote?" inquired Lieu
tenant Governor Bruce.
NO." faltered Brown and the battle was
over and while the clerk announced that the
bill had been lost. % to 90 one less than the
constitutional requirement, the spectators start
ed for the door. the Senators settled back in
their chairs and the tense nervous strain Of
eight hours was over, and the victory remained
with the calm and silent McC|arren
SENATOR STEVENS BLAMEs LOBBY.
Senator Stevens tonight gave out statement
summing up the results Of the days battle from
his point Of view. He said:
The result of the senate's action to-day in
passing all but one of the bills introduced by
the joint committee appointed to investi-
gate the gas and electric lighting situa-
ton in New-York City is most gratifying.
1t is a matter OF profound regret that
the one bill which failed to receive the neces-
sary twenty-sx votes was the intended to
bring relief to millions of consumers of gas in
the city OF New-York Its defeat was directly
que 10 the activity and responsiveness of the
representatives of the Consolidated Gas Com
pany, who have swarmed about the Capitol for
the last week
The bill which was defeated appeared to me
to be one Of the most important bills submitted
by the committee inasmuch it provided for
a maximum price Of 80 cents to the consumers.
me pllI Whlcn was passed provides that the
gas furnished to the city OF New York shall be
sold at a price not to exceed Is cents per one
thousand cubic feet, and carries with It all Of
the provisions as TO candle power and security
and provides that the pressure in any service
main shall not be less than one inch nor more
than two and a half inches When the pro-
visions or this act are enforced, I predict a
great reduction in the bills OF the consumers,
inasmuch as the consumption of gas depends
very largely on the pressure in the service
mains, and thus a great point has been gained
The slight amendments in the bills relating to
electric current furnished perfectly salts
factory to the committee, and in so far as the
price OF electric arc lights in the Rornlleh OF