New-York tribune., 1906-02-26
BILLS AFFECTING CITY
Legislative Tinkering Due to Its
O1cn Men, I. H. Whitney Shoes.


Albany. Feb. E-In statement given out to-day
Travis H Whitney assistant secretary OF the Citi-
zens Union OF New-York who watches legislative
affairs. shows that OF about thirteen hundred bills
introduced so far almost one-thrd affect New-York
City OF these bills many are positively evil while
many others are unnecessary. While there have
been few so far OF the so-cslied grab bils,' this
year the summary shows. has produced a re-
newal OF the attack the tenement house laws
IN viruent form: water legislation is designed TO
shut New-York City out of the Catskils as a
source OF supply while bills designed TO force pay
ment OF old claims uncolectibe through the courts
and pensions in various forms abound For about
all This bad legislation the city's representa-
tives are to blame. declares Mr.. Whitney.
HIS statement is. in part follows:
pde h9k anS bnD0 II ought b to & be Of city
bills OF the following classes are MOI Introduced or
passed at Albany:
whGS a1e been sowps claims at bs es the city
seeond-Bills imposing mandatory and unsought
Pr0visons or expenditures upon the city,
for s n sood s SO of opped
IRON eni, The uniformed forces.
rourth-BiIls cutting down the present discretion.
aTy z,l3S power g,;t Of The city charter.
city In ways not consistent with the principles OF
the present city charter.
..hS siSth.Bs amending general laws n such broad
neauon OF the particular special interest or public
privileges without fun discussion to its right
such privileges
The awakening OF public spirit by the events OF
lne last year or two is, believe. such that the
PUBIC wants TO know, among other things just
exactly what its representatives in the State lesfs-
lature are doing The corporal tons and other large
financial interests have long followed proposed
legislation in most careful way They see TO IL
that advance information is furnished to them
ana their representatives present at all public
meetings of legislative committees make sure
that no bill IS called up and considered by the
committee without getting chance TO be heard
themselves They make their influence and watch
fulness count in other ways also. This may be
reasonable precaution on their part but public
spirited organiZat atoms should exercise equal pre-
public, and the Citizens Union is trying TO do its
part in this work.
Aside from so-caled sneak legislation. one of the
most noticeable things is the great number of bills
unnecessary because OF existing law or power In
some State city board instrumentalty. Other
bills are not properly legislative subjects at all
For example. there have already been introduced
about seventy-fve amendments TO the Forest. Fish
and Game law. Most Of them make the most
trivial changes to open close season for some
bird or beast fish in some county or town. These
are matters that might properly be left 10 the
game commissioner to a State board, made up
of existing officers Then there already just
hundred bills amending the civil penal and
criminal codes. whose amendment is n technical
commission before such bills the legislature.
Governor Higgins last year urged that the number
of bills be down and pointed out that at present
the average cost 10 the State was $3.50 bill In
these days OF State economy 1t would seem that
even greater attention should be given 20 some
method Of restricting the introduction OF useless
bills