New-York tribune., 1907-05-24
PASS 2-CENT FARE BILL.
V0te IN the Senate 81 to 9-Mc-
C0rren Sarcastic.
lDy Telegraph to The Tribune. !

Albany, May 23.-The Senate to-day passed the
Baldwin bill requiring steam railroads 80 miles
more In length to sell tickets at the rate OF two
cents mile If this bill is signed by the sovernor
the Empire State will be the tenth to enact such
laws The vote was 81 to 9. The measure now goes
TO the Governor.
When the bill came up this morning Senator Full
Ter said that yesterday he had been read oIt of
-he Democratic party and called a socialist or an
anarchist, but that he would deserve such appela-
uons II he voted for the Baldwin bill
Il do not see" he said how this body, knowing
as little as ii does about the matters involved, can
'ee itself competent TO say to the railroads; You
shall charge this. or. you shall charge that We
are too ignorant to pass bill of this nature. We
should protect the corporations well as the pub
lie"
Senator Hooker was interrupted he began
a defence Of the bill by Senator SAKE who insisted
that the public utilities commissioners should at
tend TO the fixing OF Senator Hooker repled
that the utilities commissioners might have the
power to determine rates, but that that was 10
reason why the Senate should not pass the bill
THE Railroads Committee has given this matter
thoughtful serious consideration this year and last
year he said. Assembly and Senate committees
after careful study frequent hearings have de-
cided that the Baldwin bill is just. equitable
measure from the testimony of counsel for rail-
roads much from anything else. We have
found that roads giving two-cent rate have IN
creased their earnings thereby"
IF you pass this bill the roads will have to In
their freight rate" interjeced Senator Cas-
sidy
Il for this BILL declared Senator McCarren.
II for II because ii will hasten the complete
ruin and destruction of corporations Why should
this Legislature let a corporation hang on by an
eyelash? Do not let leave this TO the utilities
commissioners They might take four or five years
10 settle It. Let pass 1t now and bring ruin and
destruction once. The sooner do this the
sooner will regeneration come. There Is really no
in passing laws here. thereby tying the
hands of the public utilities commission. My prop
ositon is that abolish the Legislature and leave
the utilities commission in fun charge of every
thing. | repeat, intend voting for this measure,
that ruin and destruction may be precipitated and
regeneration hastened
THE roads afford to give the rate and al
the same time pay dividends 10 the public who have
in good faith invested in their securities. asserted
Senator Cassidy. I'VE should protect those in
vestors well others"
well, when they bought the securities" said
Senator Hooker. they knew what they were doing.
They certainly know how roads were OvercaptaliZ-
ing-how they We're watering their stocks Knowing
this, they invested. and them must fall the con-
sequences
Senator Raines said he could not for the
bill because he thought the Senate legislating
without sufficient knowledge of the questions In
volved. He said he believed the bill would he de-
cared unconstitutional. anyhow. Senator Agnew
voted against the bill because he believed the uti
ties commissioners should settle the questions in
Volved.
The Senators who voted in the negative were
Agnew. Cassidy, Hinman, Page Raines, Sake.
Smith and Wemple.