New-York tribune., 1907-06-27
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE. THURSDAY. JUNE q. 1907

mated
departments could be conducted better ana more
economically If their systems of accounting WeIe
revised occasionally and their accounts auo4teu'
Governor Hughes desired the bills enactment De-
cause while officially he had certain power 10 IN
vestigate state departments, he had no men 10
designate for such work and no money TO pay out
side accountants. A large part of the Governors
summer probably will be devoted to an examna-
ton of some of the departments under ihe proV4-
sions Of this bill.
The Averiu BILL providing that highway cross
fngs used by business concerns should De taxed as
originally by the State Tax Commission and urged
by the Governor. In large cities, where such street
crossing privileges are of great value. they nave
been untaXed since several years ago. A secuon OF
the law providing that they be taxed was repealed
the ground that it cost more 10 tax these rights
in the greater part of the state than the revenue
derived from them. Considerable revenue Will be
derived from this taxation in the opinion OF the
Tax Commission.
OF considerable interest to medical men was the
passage of the medical unifcation bin, which pro
vtded for board Of medical examiners instead
OF three and conferred recognition upon the oSteo-
paths. They had their bill here this year. pro-
viding for special board Of examiners for osteo-
paths. but after considerable sharp discussion the
committees on public health agreed 10 the unihca-
ton bill
Assembyman Wainwright's bill providing for
thorough investigation of the National Guard and
a revision of the military code the first meas
ure to which Governor Hughes gave his formal ap-
proVal Whlle II was under consideration by the
Legislature. 1t had rather stormy history be-
cause OF the differences of opinion then between
the Governor and the Legislature, but eventually
II was adopted Governor Hughes and the heads
OF the two houses appointed investigation COM
MISSION winch received much commendat1on for
It's high grade and its work probably will result
in the clearing up of the many scandalous charges
aLeged recently against various branches OF the
Guard.
Comparatively little insurance legislation was en-
this year Bills were adoDted CONTINUING the
right to vote by proxy but providing for an Of
hclaI ballot to be approved by the Superintendent
of Insurance After long conferences between the
insurance committees and the Governor and repre-
sentatives of the companies and the poIcvholders
a oili was drafted prohibiting officials from using
administration tickets" After sharp battles in
both houses this finally passed amended 10
after business hours" which Assernhlyman
hogers has denounced as a patent evasion Of the
restriction intended by the original bill
FAILED TO GET MASSACHUSETTS, BALLOT
Not al! the recommendations of the Governor
though. were enacted into law. Notably the Leg
islature failed give him the Massachusetts bal
lot Against this there was distinct and direct op-
position from the very start. 1t was urged that
II would penalize straight voters and practically
result In vast numbers of country votes never be-
ing cast for more than the head OF a ticket Even
@ 1ne city men. ordinarily more responsive to de-
Inands voiced by progressive associations than
the upstate men. did not take kindly to the Mas
sachusetts ballot idea. A lively campaign was car
rled on here for a while after Senator Page and
Assemblyman Prentice introduced their bills pro-
vidng for the adoption Of the Massa achusetts form
or ballot Hearings were held at which the repre-
sentatives of the Election Laws Improvement AS
sociaton told of the advantages which would flow
from lIs adopuon But the legislators could not
take that view. The Page-Prentlce bill died in
committee
Not So however. with another BILL which on its
surface seemed designed to carry out a few OF
the things urged in favor of the Massachusetts
ballot This measure was the bill presented by
Assembyman Phillips, limiting a candidate to one
place on the official ballot. Seemingly this would
do away with the development Of fake inde-
pendent committees organized solely 10 get
didate's name In many columns on the ballot
as possible the finest type Of which custom was
shown IN New York City last year. In reality.
uough. II would have gone much further. and
would have shut out any legitimate nomination
by bona-fde independent movement OF any can
didate OF either OF the regular parties The bill
was urged In the Assembly the ground that
II met the suggestions of the Governor for ballot
reform; and, despite the protests Of men who
knew that the Governor never had meant anything
Of that sort IL passed. The Senate. though.
killed IL IN the judiciary Committee
Pure food legislation introduced in huge
bulk but not much Of IL became law. or the nu-
merous bills perhaps the best was Assemblyuan
WainwriEht's, which applied the provisions Of the
federal pure food statute TO conditions in New
York State. Chances for this bill were promising
until 1t was discovered that in some Of the re-
drafts or amendments OF tho bill a section had
appeared exempting wholesale grocers from pen
alties for violation OF the law Mr.. wainwright
abandoned tho measure, and Il died peaceful
death. Several bills designed to render more Ger
tain the purity oc agricultural products became
law.
a few Of the recommendations in tho Governors
message TO the Legislature never taken up
These included the suggestion that the right To
institute proceedings TO try title TO office sho,,Id
be lodged with the Supreme Court, instead OF the
Attorney General; for permanent coudenna-
ton board to save expense and great labor in ac-
quirement or property for state uss: an amend
ment to the labor law specifying dangerous occu-
pat!ons at which children might be employed.
ana legislation 10 prevent the stealing OF conven-
tons IN fashion similar TO the transactions at the
Democratic carnival at Buffalo last fall.
&--