New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-18
WORK ON UTILITIES BILL
PAGE IND S4NDFORD.
Measure Beieved Safe-Fear for
Rest of Programme.
tBy Telegraph TO The Tribune.l


Albany. May 17-PreparatOrv 10 the Repub-
Hcan Senators caucus the public utilities bill
on Monday night. Senator Page and Edwin San
ford, Governor Hughes's legal adviser worked
all to-day on proofs Of the Assembly bill with
the proposed amendments which are to be sub
| mitted to the caucus. If the bill is adopted as a
party measure. then it will be reported by the
Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday be
committed to the Finance Committee and
ported and become special order for passage
on Wednesday, according 10 the present plans
Senator Page thinks it will be adopted by the
caucus without troube-at least he hopes there
will be no serious difficulty. and can foresee no
reason why there should be. The amendments
make no material change from that form of the
bill which indOrsed at the conference OF
Republican Senators several days ago. Other
Hughes men expect that the utilities bill will
get through without alteration to its harm. but
nevertheless the alarm which manifested Itself
yesterday when the Raines Reapportionment
Committee was announced still persists and
Hughes men fear lest at the last moment some
thing might happen TO the chiefest of the Cow
ernOr'S measures.
EXPECT RECOUNT BILL TO PASS
Considerable trepidation is felt about other
parts Of Governor Hughes's programme notably
reapportionment and ballot reform; and there
now seems likely to be stiff fight in the Senate
over the Moreland bill for investigation of state
departments by the Governor The general be-
lief is that the recount bill will pass but since
it is now considered a city bill II must be sent
to Mayor Mcclellan who naturally would veto II
Before it would get back here the LEGISLATURE
probably could adjourn and tllSIs leave the Cow
ernor without the law he desires. but with no
possible accusation OF neglect OF duty against th.
Legislature
Seemingly. all opposition 10 the utilities bill
has died out, save that of some politicians who
believe the removal power should rest in the
Senate Word has reached Albany through
sources which in other years have handled much
corporation opposition that the transit and
lighting concerns have decided to take this bill
lest they have more drastic one forced on them,
In fact save for one or two features. such as The
limitation of capital. the restriction over holding
companies and the lack of broad court review
clause these concerns are satisfied with this bill
They recognize that period has come when thsy
must give some Difference to public opinion and
that Governor Hughes with this opinion behind
| him is able to enforce obedience and measures
to curb any tendency to grab special privileges.
THINK GOVERNOR SHOULD BE CONTENT.
| But the situation which prevails as to the
other features of the Hughes reform policy is far
! different Even men friendly 70 the Governor
| men who voted with him on the Kelsey issue
| declare that if he obtains the passage of the
utilities bill and the recount bill there seems no
especial reason why he should not be content
/ Il don't think there is any urgent crying need
for the ballot reform suggested by the Governor
this year" said one Senator to-day. And re-
, apportionment-I wonder if the Governor ever
considered that. do your best. the necessity for
| Senate districts made up OF contiguous coun-
! ties and the prohibition against splitting up
| counties imposed by the constitution would pre-
vent any arrangement Of counties which
wouldn't show difference OF many thousands
/ of voters between the low and the high mark? I
wonder if the Governor would accept a bill which
] left only ten thousand fifteen thousand
variation from the ratio in the worst dis
tricts. if that variation we're likely to be
changed by the change in population within
a year two? Nobody who hasn't faced the
practical. cold, rock bottom on this problem
! can realize how impossible it is TO arrange the
counties Of this state into any ideal collection
OF Senate districts"
! All these difficulties becoming capital FOR
/ the opposed To any change in the upstate
| districts laid out by the apportionment bill OF
! last year The belief is general that the Ap-
portionment Committee will prepare bill leav-
/ ing those districts undisturbed. Any measure
making the radical changes which Governor
( Hughess mathematical reapportionment''
/ would demand. would have hard work to get
enough votes in the Senate. To get the twenty
/ six necessary for passage would be practically
/ impossible many believe. because the changes
/ taking place under it would tear apart the pO-
| ntical relations between public officials and
! party leaders.
MAY GET LOST IN FINAL RUSH
| The department investigation bill will come
up for passage in the Assembly early next week
| There some opposition is expected by Hughes
! supporters but little 10 what they believe II viii
| awaken in the Senate This bill is entirely an
| Assembly measure. II has not been introduced
! in the Senate II will need TO be considered
| therefore by a Senate committee after IL comes
/ over from the Assembly. Opposition TO the
! Governors programme growing out of a dead
/ lock In ideas over reapportionment easily could
! contrve TO make its way in committee so diff
cult that il would get lost in the rush at the
I end of the session Such measure. with the
/ disturbance of musty department precedents
/ and privileges which this presages conveys
much anxiety to some politicians who have
/ Jobs" at stake because most Of them realizc
Governor Hughes's' freedom from political points
of view and his single minded devotion TO the
| doctrine of efficiency. Therefore the Hughes
men are not feeling sanguine about the More
land bill.
Friends of Governor Hughes hope that all his
legislation may be obtained without another
deadlock such as took place over the Kelsey
case Governor Hughes himself is working away
quietly. determined that he will have what he
| believes is right and necessary for public good
if he can obtain IL by any proper methods at
his hand. His last thought is of giving UP his
demand for any of these measures. Apparently
the Legislature or the Senate at least. has set
tied down into a stolid resistance TO his views
which with renewed and insistent talk of ad-