New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-06
CONFUSION AT ALBANY
ADJOURNMENT IN DOUBT.
Utilities Bill and ReappOrtionment
Only Serious Problems Left.
IRy TsIeEraph . Tle rrIbune.I

alodnys May sh-Ane PUBIC utilities Dill and
the reapportionment question the only
serious problems with which the Legislature
has to deal Yet when the utilities bill will be
reported. il what shape 1t will pass the As
sembly and what the Senate will do with il
after that are questions which some of the old
est Legislators do not care to answer; and what
will happen to the apportionment message which
Governor Hughes sent to the Senate last week
is quite uncertain.
Adjournment apparently hangs on these
things. and these things hang the state of the
opposition TO Governor Hughes, which succeeded
In retaining Otto Kelsey against the Governors
recommendation and now seems be preparing
to tear apart the utilities bill Wild rumors.
even. of a refusal to pass the utilities bill and
the passage of an appOrtionment TO suit the per-
sonal and political preferences of those seeming
ly dominant in the Senate. followed by sudden
adjournment, aiOat.
Under ali the confusion and uncertainty is one
certain thing-that the little group of men who
dominated the Senate in the Kelsey cOntro-
Versy is preparing 10 do things To the public
utilities bill. Against this is another thing Just
as certain-GOvernor Hughes viii resist any at
tempt to weaken the utilities bill with every
legitimate weapon his control. and if an
emasculated measure in the end should be
passed he will let the public know Just why il
happened
For the Governor is just a trihe disiIlusiOned.
From the beginning he has not cherished large
hopes as to the agreement of certain legislators
with his reform plans. but now he begins TO
realize that some OF these men are imperviOus
even TO that public opinion which he thought
would be his most effective weapon. But he has
other shafts in his quiver. shafts for use in the
strict line of his duty as chief executive which
his friends think may have more effect with
those who oppose his plans
FEAR FOR LIFE OF UTILITIES BILL.
Men in the confidence of Governor Hughes be-
neye that the public utilities bill-the Gov
eTnOr's bill-stands almost in danger of it's life
They do not think that a bill-some bill-wil
fail of passage. But their great fear is that it will
not be a bill such as the Governor recommended
in his message-one 10 curb corporations wrest-
ing special privileges for themselves in spite OF
law the public
As the Hughes supporters in the Legislature
view the situation a powerful political organiza-
ton of certain factions in the Republican party
is being stirred work against the Governors
policies Hand in glove with the representa-
tives of these Republicans in the Senate stand
the Democrats. McCarren and Grady. who took
so prominent part In the Kelsey vindcation.
In the Assembly there stands the Speaker, pro-
nOuncedly opposed to the Governor in the KeI-
sey case. outspokenly against one i'm
|
Governor has felt it necessary to appeal to tho
public And, behind all. their interests similar
if not the same. Hughes supporters see the big
insurance companies which helped rescue Kel-
sey, and their financial friends and co-wOrkers,
the great public service corporations. the transit
and lighting companies.
1T is the same old story declared one OF
the Governors closest friends to-day the
legislators and the bosses are playing poll
tics for their purposes. as they think but
the money power sits back in nicely up
holstered chair and Chuckles-fOr they are play
ing politics for the purposes of the financial in
terests. Wall Street pulls the strings which
move most OF them"
Because OF the death of Dean Huffcut, the
Governors legal adviser. it is unlikely that tho
utilities bill can be reported in the Assembly
this week. It had been planned TO have Sena-
tor Page. Assembyman Merritt and the Speaker
go the amendments; then after consulta-
tion with the Governor the measure would be
put into that final shape which he approved and
be reported. But with mass of bills passed by
the Legislature pouring into the executive
chamber for consideration. the Governor would
have his hands full without any of the se-
rious labor entaned in whipping the bill into
final shape. Therefore il seems probable that
ii will be we'll along into next week before the
utilities bill comes up for consideration by the
Assembly.
To REPORT SATISFACTORY BILL
When the bill is reported it will be satis-
factory to Governor Hughes and the men WHO
father IT, These men. Senator Page and As
sernblyrnan Merritt. both have expressed in
the last day two fears of what might happen
TO it in the Assembly. earlier in the session con-
sidered absolutely safe" The danger seems
to lie Ia the belief that the Speaker. with all
his power chairman of the Rules Committees
is out of harmony with the Governor on his
policies.
Four important features of the bill seem des-
tined to have hurled at them all the combined
power of political and financial opposition These
are the court review provision. at present toe
closely ciTcumscribed suit Wall Street: ths
power OF removal of commissioners, which The
Senate desires to have lodged in that body; thu
provision prohibiting holding companies which
the financial jugglers would chop out. and that
section which would prevent the unlimited
watering of stock by capitalization of fran
chisss." Speaker Wadsworth has announced
hts agreement with Senator's Raines McCarren,
Grady and the others the removal PROPOSE
tion and some who have talked with him say
ne wants some kind of a compromise on the
stock issue question rather than the short-tern
note provision which the amended bill now car
rtes
Friends of the Governor consider this defec-
tion of the Speaker-for they place him among
those who do not want the kind of bill the Cow
ernor wants-as one OF the most perplexing ele-
ments in the complicated situation. They at
tribute IT largely to the Governors attitude
toward Superintendent Kelsey. who is a political
protege of the elder Wadsworth and close