New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-22
KELSEY ACTION NEAR.
FRIENDS LOSING HOPE.
Case Expected to Reach Senate This
Week.
rBy Telegraph 70 The Tribune. ]


Albany. April 2l.-Again the Kelsey case will hold
the centre Of the stage this week. and present m
dications point 20 some action on the Governor $
recommendation of removal by the Senate Juoi-
ciary Committee Probably by Thursday that BODY
will be ready TO report to the Senate its decision
Unless distinct effort 10 obtain further delay be
made by supporters of Superintendent Kelsey the
Senate itself be ready TO say the final word
within a week after the committee makes its re-
port.
Even some Of Superintendent Kelsey's hrmest
friends have about lost hope OF keeping him IN MS
place IN the Insurance Department. Sentiment
within the Finance Committee is fairly evenly
divided but there the supporters OF Governor
Hughes seem in the ascendant. while final vote
in the Senate unless some sudden ana SUI piisiis
development occurs. seems certain 10 result j" Z"
verdict for dismissal by comfortable margin.
OF the thirteen members of the Judiciary Com
rttee seven and probably eight, will vote Tor the
dismissal of Mr.. Kelsey, If the most recent can
vases taken by friends of Governor mug
accurate There are two men whose atuluue -
triae in doubt-COhalan. a Democrat VINO Ia az
nrobability will vote with the Governors frlends'
and Crattan the Albany Senator. who represents
William Barness organization. In previous Noles
he has been recorded with the Kelsey men, pu'
supporters Of the Governor predict conhdehty tlaI
on the final vote he will stand with them TOT as
nissal of Kelsey. No doubt whatever is felt as TO
the final attitude Of Senator Human. Counting
Crattan and Cohalan the lineup within the COM
rnittee would be: For dismissal Davis Armstrong.
Cobb Page. Human. Grattan. Taylor and Cohalan
s. against dismissal, Aids Smith, Raines, Nc
Carren and Grady-5.
MAY REFER CASE DIRECT TO SENATE.
OF course there is possibility that motion may
he made 10 refer the directly 10 the Senate
without taking a formal vote on the Governor
recommendation that Superintendent Kelsey be as
missed This would be opposed vigorously by those
SUPERINTENDENT
but il II were fought 10 a point where addiuonal
delay would be caused by keeping the question in
the committee, the general opinion here is that the
Governors friends in the committee would yleiu
that point to get the case one step nearer
to determination.
Meanwhile. as the Senate Judiciary Committee
will stnl have its hands fun with the Kelsey affair
this week, the Assembly Railroads Committee Is
taking the lead with the Governors Public Utilities
bill Work on this measure will be continued ana
Assemblyman Merritt hopes TO get It in shape to
report early in the week. In sessions the latter part
~ last week practically the whole field of amend
Ynents suggested by the railroads was canvassed.
Several changes have been made in the BILL the
most important of which has been an increase IN
the salaries of the commissioners from $1,000 10
$4,000 a year. On one point alone OF the really i'm
portant changes advocated is there any doubt
that Of the removal power. Assemblyman Merritt
has reiterated the views expressed forcibly by
Governor Hughes at GIens Falls. that the power
Of absolute removal should be vested in the Gov
ernor 10 centraze responsibility. The solution Of
this problem is likely TO be left TO the Senate
mittee since il concerns the Senate more intimately
than the Assembly and IS a point nearly
within the jurisdiction Of the judiciary committee
question Of law than that of the railroads
mittee.
When the Assembly gets the bill in shape con-
ferences will be held with the Senate committee II
possible At least Senator Page will keep In touch
with the progress of the Assemblys work. II the
Judiciary Committee cannot sic with the Assembly
committee on the bill in its amended shape the
present plan is for the lower house 20 go ahead
with it, and by the time it was passed there the
Senate would be through with the Kelsey case
and ready to take up the Utilities bill
EFFORTS TO REPORT AMENDMENT
Strong efforts will be made this week according
20 the present plans. to get the Judiciary Commits
sions in both houses 10 report the o Nell Merritt
water storage constitutional amendment which
would permit the flooding Of state lands for water
storage The Society for the Preservation OF the
Adirondacks. the New York Board OF Trade and
Transportation and many other bodies have brand
ed as a broad gauge grab OF tremendous pro-
portions. which would work irreparable narrn TO
the states forest preserves and deprive the state
itself Of water power rights which. under broad
system of state development Of power. would bring
in large revenue. Governor Hughes has declared
his opposition to giving valuable privileges to pri-
vate interests
me amendment showed through the LegiS-
lature last year very late in the session. without
hearing. II has been lying quietly in committee
this session since the hearing two or three weeks
ago. when Assemblyman Merritt charged with
having pecuniary interest in its passage, and adj
mitted that he did have a financial interest in IT,
Senator O'Neil and Assemblyman Merritt maintain
that il would do no great amount of harm to any
state forest land. but would. the contrary, be
distinct benefit in many cases converting what now
in summer are malarial swamps into decent lakes
and checking floods In spring. The impetus TO
manufactures and commercial life throughout the
north country, they maintain would be marked IL
this measure should pass If il passes this Leg
islature. the amendment must be submitted to the
people this fall II II defeated this year II
could hold over without jeopardy 20 its existence
and chances Of passage by another legislature
Assemblyman Merritt hopes also TO get another
resolution Of his reported soon-ths one Of very
different character. II is his resolution authoriz-
ing Governor Hughes 20 invite the governors OF all
the states to great conference in this state look
ing TO the passage of harmonious legislation on
public utilities questions. divorce child labor and
other kindred important topics He has been
hoping to obtain some indication OF Governor
Hughes's approval of the scheme, but up 10 date
the Governor has not expressed any opinion on the
merits Of the plan.
RESOLUTION A NOVELTY.
This resolution while embodying distinct nov
city is regarded here presenting to the Iegisla-
ture Of the broadcast questions OF general pol
icy. Assemblyman Merritt maintains that the de-
velopment OF modern commercial and social life
has interviewer the interests OF large groups
of citizens OF various states so closely that
nothing less than complete harmony of state legis-
lation on the important problems OF the day or
absolute federal Jurisdiction over all OF them
would meet the situation. Believing that the
states could handle the situation better il working
together than the federal government and bearing
in mind Secretary Roots recent admonition that IL
creatures the nation must. Mr. Merritt Conceived
the idea of a great conference to talk the things