New-York tribune., 1906-05-04

obviously the insurance reform bills formed
the one paramount issue of the legislative
session. Ihe eyes Of the entire country, and of
large part OF the civilized world were fixed on
the course Of this legislation It was the result of
a clean committees earnest deliberation for eight
months The administration Of the state was
pleuged TO It's successful passage was in effect
tne political party to which belonged the nnaforit
of the Legislature. Yet the Senate allowed tteaiY
to be persuaded into adopting an amendment pro-
poseo Dy Senator White. This amendment accord
ing to Senator Armstrong. devitaIlzed the most
important part of the most important bill COM
pletely dlsorganizing the well balanced scheme of
insurance reform. The vote which passed If was
led by the Malby-Grady element. Senator Raines
who had opposed other bills, voted against the
adoption Of this particular amendment
The error was, however quickly rjgbted tjov
ernor Higgins promptly took the situation in hand
Personal effort his part swayed the oninions og
rev Senators who had voted for the White
amendment while caucus CT the Republican SEN
ators bound all to reconsider the unlucky change
and pass the rest of the insurance legislation as the
committee had turned it out Governor T4Igo,rs
realized that the popular confidence in the nrobity
of the Armstrong committee because OF it's tn,,a
tigation demanded the passage Of the insurance
legislation practically the committee present
ed it.
The passage of the Elsberg bill. even in it's prss
eht IorIn' was distinct step iE advance for the
interests Oh New York City. Backed by the uni
Versal demand for some means of relief from the
tillSI liIOHOPolS > senator ESberP
sented his measure, revised. renewed edited Re-
fore it reached the entire Senate fights i'm commit.
tee and differences of opinion among the civic 60
cieties who were its foremost supporters threat
ened danger to it. Once on the floor the roiroo7
interests took hand in the battle
Senator Grady's amendment has been tho .
or much dimereace of opinion. At the time Of ;ts
passage everybody agreed that it was most dan
seIous 10 the principle OF the bill-cOmpettion in
bidding for contracts for subways Since then
an opinion has been growing that it was not ,,it
so bad as 1t had seemed. though there is a strong
opinion here that the bill without the Grady
amendment would have commanded more extended
confidence than it does now Nobody ever ros
doubted that its adoption was the cuIy,irati s
the railroad interests opposition to the Elsbere
bill
After much preliminary backing and filling. the
Senate passed the SO-cent gas bill The Governor
had demanded an S0-cent rate in his annual mos
sage to the Legislature. He had let it be known
on every possible occasion that he desired the In
functions of the Stevens committee carried ont
Puollc sentiment for cheaper gas in New York CITY
rendered it dangerous TO the future noliticaI as
pirations Of any New York man to vote against
the bill. There were fears for time that the
measure might fail, but when the test came the
Senate showed up we'll
Probably no better Illustration OF the power of
small band of Senators to block the plans and de-
sires of the majority could be found than in tho
proceedings regarding the original Page-Dovling
Mortgage Tax Repeal bill. Senators Raines NAL
by, Aids Lewis and Armstrong bitterly op-
posed TO the repeal of the present law Senator's
Lewis and Armstrong because they believe firmly
in the principle of the permanent mortgage tax
Delegations from every big city I'm the state had
advocated the Page bill before the Committee ~,
Taxation. and the Senators opposing the measure
knew that majority of the Senators favored n
and in most instances were pledged to support II
In spite Of this, Senator Page had to ight every
step Of the way When after hard battle he pot
his bill out Of committee desperate agbt n,,raI,,
techncalties kept up. In an effort 70 deloy,
the bill long enough to throw il into the "tb,rtr
day bills class thus shutting out all hope Of suc
cess IL the Governor vetoed 1t. It was only b
physical endurance and sheer force of n,rn,h
that the original bill was passed That victor,,
brought down on Senator Page the wrath OF Sen
ators Raines and Malby. His legislation was on
posed on every occasion. The repeal OF the sa,,,
bank tax was killed. To get even a show or cor
sideration OF the amended bill, introduced 49,
the Governors veto of the original rnortr-a
tax repeal bill hs had 70 resort 70 the nsthods 81
his opponents holding up their fnyOFfe
Ihe usnt over tne zeopna blll and the hf4f0rfS 5
night session are stu fresh n the public mind '