New-York tribune., 1906-04-18
SURPLUS TAX DEFEAT
ONSLAUGHT ON PAGE.
Senator Charges Colleagues sc'th
Taking Credit from Party.
lBy Telegraph TO The Tttbune.l

tBy IelsRrdph 10 inc If1Dune.I
Albany April 17.-The Page bill, repeating 'he
tax on the surplus OF savings banks. was de-
feated in general orders by the Senate to-day
after q hard and bitter fight. which exhibited
MANY elements of personal ennity against Sen
ator PAGE for his decisive victory In the repeai
of the mortgage tax. His opponents In the pat
tie to-day were tho same men. under the same
leaders but this time they had the weight OF
numbers on their side. This spirit OF retalia-
ton went so far, In fact. that Senator Page
openly charged that his Republican colleagues
were taking from him and the Republican party
credit for a bill to the passage of which the
party was pledged, both by the Governor and hN
predecessor.
similar bill now is before the Senate Judici-
airy Committee, presented by Senator Foley or
New York, a Democrat. This measures pros
poets now are bright. and Senator Page declared
that Republican thunder" would go to the po-
litIcaI enemy through the defeat of his measure
to-day.
Between Senator Page and Senator Malby
apparently there has been considerable bitter
ness since the mortgage tax fight Each has peen
taking sly filings at the other, and to-day wnen
Senator Malby urged immediate action 10 XIII
the Page bill, Senator Page burst forth:
81 know the Senator from the SD doesn't want
TO treat me with the courtesy due from one
Republican to another, even from one sen
ator to another He's entitled. Of course. 10 oe-
feat this legislation, even if it is Legislation
promised by the Republican party-yes' and oy
the man he calls Master, aliudlnS presuHaoiy'
TO Ex-Governor OdelL
Against Senator Page were arrayed oehator
Lewis. chairman of the Committee on IaXa.ioh
and Retrenchment who led the fight to protect
the present mortgage tax; Senator Armstrong
Sara+or Nalby and Senator Raines Win MIN
were a few Republicans and few Ne" ioiN
C,itv Democrats No votes were pledged 10 sup
mort this bill. as was the case with the repeal
of the mortgage tax, and his opponents held III
they had with them In that fight
Dabate over the measure occupied lohs
afternoon. and the bills prospects looked iaFoA
able until the very end. >when on a sudden Vo.o
Senator Iewis's motion to strike OUT lhe ehaO'
ing clause of the bill prevailed by three votes
Then, in the report of the committee Oh ING
whole. from which Senator Page dissented. came
the death of the bill. A sharp parliamentary
tapgle similar to the crucial phase or the patt4s
over the mortgage tax repeal arose, oet'.G "a
Page in trying TO gain another chaIce ,oI MS
measure was voted down. and Senator Maloy'
to complete the rout. pressed motion 10 recon.
slider the vote which defeated the bill, WHICH, OF
course did not prevail. Senator Page thus is
prevented from taking up his measure again.
The bill. which has been waiting for week IN
general orders, the last taken UP by the
for advancement. Senator Lewis moved TO
strike out the enacting clause. and then entered
into exhaustive treatment of the tax situa-
ton.
When Senator Lewis pressed his motion to
kill the bill he won. Then the committee OF the
whole presented it's report, from which, 70
this bill Senator Page dissented, and asked for
a rollcall. On this motion the following Senators
voted to accept the report killing the bill: Aids
Armstrong. Barnes, Brackett, Brown, Burr,
Cassidy, Coggeshall. COrdts. Davis. Fancher,
Fechter, Gates, Goodseli. Hill. Lewis, L'Homme-
dieu, Malby Prime Raines. Stevens. White.
Senator Page then moved to reconsider the
vote and let his motion lie on the table. but
was voted down on the question of tabling it.
He then withdrew his motion to reconsider. and
sprang a motion to adjourn. Again he was voted
down, and Senator Malby pressed the motion TO
reconsider the vote, which, OF course. was lost
Senator Foley Immediately served notice that at
some future time he would suspend the rules TO
get his bill out OF committee and passed out OF
its regular order.