The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-04
Two GRAB BILLS GET THROUGH.
One Gives 10 a Corporation the Control Of
Streams in the AdlrOndaCks.

ALBANY, May 3.-Two grabs in the In
terests Of the electric power companies
marked the closing day OF the ses sion
of the Legislature of 1904. While one Dill
which passed the Senate bears the name
OF Assemblyman Edwin A. Merritt OF st.
La wrence county az the introducer and
sponsor of it, still it is known that that
is not the name that should be on the bill.
The member OF the Legislature who wanted
the bill passed did not dare place his name
on It, and a combination was effected
whereby he used his influence to help the
Malby-M Merritt grab get through the
legislature IL Mr.. Merritt would stand as
the sponsor Of this bill.
The bill extends the time in which the
Genesee River Company is to begin opera
tons five years after July 1 next. h
Genesee River Company is another electrical
power corporation and purposes TO use
the flow Of the Genesee River and the
Erie Canal to develop and generate electrical
power. The bill goes to the Governor
without having encountered any opposition
but more will be heard from 1t later.
In the Assembly Senator Malby's bill
amending the Constitution to permit OF the
flooding of the State lands in the q
rondaoks and the bui lding OF reservoirs
was PASSED, but not until II was stripped OF
all Of its responsibility and stood before the
Assembly as a grab. sui the orders had
evidently gone out that the bill was to PASS
and take a chance on being killed at the
next session of the Legislature. AS 1t Is an
amendment to the State Constitution it
will have to pass another Legislature before
being submitted to the people OF this state
at a. general election.
While the association for the protection
OF the Adirendaoks had underworld TO pre-
vent the Passage Of the bill. A~ssemblyman
Campbell of New York city made the most
telling points against 1t.
This BILL" he said, as in the interests
of the International Company, commonly
known as the paper trust. II practically
gives 1t control of the entire Adirondack
region and it can confiseate al OF the water
there. This company Is going to build
reservoirs and dams and have c~"utrol of
all Of the streams in the Adiro lacks and
Ia to be permitted to food Tho State lands.
But what is going to happen after that?
We are now engaged IN sResN Ing. SOL lodi,
to the Adirondacks 10 feed this canal with
water. And here is where the trust will
do its worst. The. State will have. to buy
the water from this trust, and as the trust
will be in a position to dictate they will get
a fancy price for the water,
It was also pointed out that the State
had spent several million dollars to acquire
lands in the ACKNOWLEDGES in order to protect
the watersheds Of the State. Assembly
man Merritt admitted that. the time was
coming when the entire State would have
TO 20 to the Acknowledgment a water supply,
and he was charged with fathering a bin
which would place all the State at the
mercy of a private corporation, which
would be permitted to flood State lands In
order to feed the immense reservoirs and
dams that will be built to generate electric
power. And this corporation is not to
reimburse the State for the grant.
As the Malby bill has passed one Legis-
lature the chances are more than favorable
that it will get through another, unless
there ia a complete change IL the com
piexion OF the MEMBER. Consequently
the Association for the Protection Of he
campaign Of education against this bill
early so that the people will realize what
they are voting on when the question 70
submitted to them a year from next fall,
which Is an of year In politics.