New-York tribune., 1907-09-30
Toe MANY LOCAL LAWS.
CITIZENS UNION VIEW.
Report 1rgues for MOre Po1cer for
Various Com missions.

Citizens Iron The committees chief crlllciSih -
directed al the attempted wholesale unKelii's w"
she laws affecting New York city Inc repo't as
.e+s forth the long established principle OF me
Citizens Union that instead OF passing speCIai
sets 70 deal with purely local or lndlFloual caSe
g broadening of the scope Of power I" ne
~, hoards and committees would be more adFls-
nhle In several places quotations are cl'ed IoIii
s,aeches Dv Governor Hughes 10 show that at MANY
r,oints his opinions square with those held by the
union. .
The report details every important piece o. itSiS
rstiou at the last session, summarizes minor aCt9
,na pi,-es \ table of legislative statistics and Is
submitted 10y Julius Henry Cohen. chairman OF 'He
committee on legislation The other members oi
the committee are A {. Bard NJ B. Clarke f1ain-
flton Holt. r. l. Hosuet, Mark lyman + H.
NohInlan. John r. Loew and l.. A. Nanzer
The platform so TO speak of the union is an
nounced the following section Of the report;
of the 1es bills proposing amendments TO The
greater New York charter twenty-five many "
ynr !titT without amending its charter forty-one
became law. The total number oi 'h.s :.I ~
ats Ttst et5,,s he n1n,ediately reynedied. There
&C sin a tendency 10 seek relief from bad municipal
government moi "a by concentrating attention
In spfg iSi bf m resoring to the State Legislature to
cure by special legislation local evils that could PEI
ffe local officials responsible
The report continues by saving. This point Of
view is admirably forth by Governor Hughes at
n hearing held before him Al Albany on April .
The hearing related 10 certain proposed anle1la-
Inenfs to the charter Of Newburg. and at that time
Che Governor said in part: Il do not know any
thing better than 10 give the officers reasonable
authority to deal with such things when they are
put in there. and then have their taxpayers Watch
them closely that they do not spend penny
FOO much But just as you put any restric-
ticns. then there is feeling thar theF are HhL'eu
Ut to that limit.
On the point Of special legislation the report in
its table shows that bills having 10 do with fonk-
srs numbered tfirty-one. while there were eleven
for New Rochelle and nine for Iockport. not 10
mention the bills for larger places. Referring TO
these figures showing how much legislative ac-
rirty is devoted merely local matters. the report
says:
Almost without exception all bills amending the
charter Of New York City affecting the city were
or two exceptions there j. complaint TO he made
citr As the con1rittae pointed out last year the
besev of '-hayseed" legislation for New York City
has ne real existence, and this was particularly
true this year During the greater part Of the ses
n me lFi, o. me Assembly M .Iies s I G@in
r1a1oTity Of the committee were from New York
responsible for legislation affecting New York City,
not onlr hitherto. for its introduction but for its
from New York CITY in a 1ninortty in the
tns tendency 10 accept the judgment Of New York
members on local issues
After few words on the history Of the public
service act the report returns 20 its statistics as
follows:
viii be notjssi tla, during The late session 1a
iers !. with aectricity and o with gas. tofa
Of 2S- Most Of these related 80 matters that can
sfone Ths most Important Of these bills. one
1re-idinE for a two,cent rate. and another the
.rToT IN strong MESSAGES which pointed out that
hoth these subjects should receive careful tnves-
teation before legislation
Your committee did az in its power 70 keep un
seTviee &c gomnI,sFo'lS bill and 80 secure its pas
fiece of o17St-,,cti,a legislation that has been
passed in recent Years.
The report announces also that the committee
drafted the bill the reorganization of the rni-
nicipal court in Manhattan. a bill that afterward
passed with amendments providing not only for
an increase Of the number of judges in Manhat-
san but also for increase in Brooklyn and
Queens. The committee declares. also. that al
though this year Il has concerned itself only with
TIE organization If what Governor Hughes has
called 'the poor mans court" T. viii next year
take up the matter Of revising the Jurisdiction and
procedure
The Bingham poIice bill Is classed as among
The most bitterly opposed Bills providing for
fallet reform, direct nominations and the increase
nf teachers salaries are touched upon without
comment and Tith merely the statement that they
tailed n become laws. On the matter Of claim
Bills against New York City the report goes or:
fve5E Eesr many bills are introduced giving the
1SoarG or Estimate the Controller mower IN
nudt and determine certain claims. generally for
SUPPLIES = wor for the city. which, because Of
Eornn tec1nicalitv. cannot be collected through the
courts some Of these have each year become
The claimants with political influence have been
beIe 10 get their claims considered bv the city
Shlle others with claims equitable have failed
10 gtf "a nearing The Citizens Union has repeat
pdiE Urged that a general charter amendment he
passed giving the city authorities broad power 10
pass such claims
Such a fiT was introduced by Senator FoaIl,a-
efld became law. and II is expected that Tegfs-
iature VIII ihrs be rid Of this class Of bills
Following :ts general proposition that special
passage of those empowering local authorities to
consider and grant II advisable. the applications
Of policemen who have baen dismissed from The
fo-ce and wish q rehaariug.
There Is mention Of the introduction Of a bill by
Senator SAKE providing fer certain concessions TO
the New York Central after the latter had failed
To make agreement for the removal of tracks
from Eleventh avenue under threat of c0ndcmna-
ton proceedings 1T is fair TO Senator Sake" the
report adds. TO say that he withdrew his sup
port 70 the bill when some Of its latent objec-
flonahle features pointed him. and
the bin failed of ,,assage in the Assembly"
As an indication Of the increased public vigil
ence ia questions Of legislation. the committee
cites tae introduction 10y AssernbIyrnan Sheridan
O. a hill Ia provide that street railways might
Encer certain conditions remove their tracks with
put Impairment of their franchises. After saving
that few years ago the public would have been
greatly exercised the possibility Of this b!lI
becoming law, the report
excited only amusement. SO surely was its fate
kncwn with a public alert to bad legislation.