New-York tribune., 1907-02-15
UNIFORM STATE LAWS
MERRITT BILL PROVISION.
GoUernOr Of Nerc York authorized
to Gail a Convention.
rBy rsisgraph to The Tribune.


Albany Feb. 14.-In a bill introduced to-day by
Assemblyman Merritt effort IS proposed TO OBJ
tain uniform laws In ali states governing insurance
divorce. labor. public utilities questions and kin
dred subjects. His measure authorizes the Gov
ernor Of New York 10 inVte the governors Of all
the other states to appoint three delegates each TO
meet al great convention in this state in October
TO discuss the enactment Of such legislation The
bill provides that this state shall pay the expenses
Of this convention. and the actual expenses Of each
delegate and appropriates $4,000 for that purpose.
Conservative men view with some alarm the
suggestion or the conclusion that Il is necessary
for the states of the Union 70 surrender, directly
by indirecton, any portion Of their sovereignty
10 the federal government. which is not al
ready surrendered" declared Mr.. Merritt this
subject 1T is not question Of state rights. but
rather one OF preserving in its integrity the SOW
ereignty OF the several states in these matters
which properly theirs to control
Mr.. Merritt made the following statement in ex-
PLANTATION Of his bill:
Current discussion Of the regulation Of the public
service corporations. corporate organizations. and
xeloping in the direction of the federal instead Of
powers Of the States are sHicent TO give the peoS
Die OF the country all that Is necessary and whole
tant however, that there should be uniformity CT
action and Of statute in the different states go far
, The people Of the whole country are becoming
interests and it is important that the citizens OF
New York having interests in other states affected
have, as far possible knowledge of their rights
legal remedies end obigatons. and It is for the in
terest Of everybody that they should be much
alike IN the different municipal divisions of the
The powers reserved to the state by the Consti,
fn ~ On Of The United g States & ana the p0MTer ~ reserved
645t g94n T are ample to provide f0T general uni
best results in the regulation and control. for in
stance. OF public service corporations can only be
are in harmony with the federal statutes.
It is doubtless true that, by reason OF wide d.
practical unanimity Would be Thing which Would
require considerable time to reach AT the same
toward reaching this desired result New York
IS justly termed the Empire State, and very largo
number Of the states which have been organized
IN the last forty years have modelled their constitu-
tions and their laws upon those OF New York. The
forward step, therefore in seeking to promote uni
No doubt New Jersey or Wisconsin Massa-
chusetts can make excellent arguments to show
that their systems OF laws touching the great mat
ters OF common interest are satisfactory and
correct model II this be the case, II IS clearly
adapt their practice and statutes whatever sys-
tenn has proved most satisfactory, or whatever sys-
tenn preserves for the plain people the greatest
share Of equity and opportunity.
This bill proposes TO establish forum In which
sion and tie dissemination OF information which
would accompany and follow It would mould public
on the various subjects which might be considered
by q convention representative Of all the states.
The bill and the explanation of II given by Mr..
Merritt aroused much comment. It's similarity IN
almost every feature with the speech recently
made by Secretary Root before the Pennsylvania
Society advocating the tightening OF state regula-
tions over their creatures, the corporations and
business interests. lest the federal government De
remarked on every hand No less striking its
Hughes in Boston on lincoln Day' wien he took
up the states rights question in his own fashion.