New-York tribune., 1907-06-27
VIEWS OF CITY CLUB.
AnnuaI Estimate Of the Work of
the LEGISLATURE.

The city Club yesterday. through its secretary
Henry c. Wright. issued it's customary annual re-
view and estimate Of the work Of the Legislature
as II relates to this city It is pointed out that
Ave remarkably good bills and only two unim-
portant bad ones passed While twelve good
bills failed TO pass. yet fifteen bad ones did not
succeed in getting through.
a committee of sixteen men, a majority Of whom
are lawyers, met every Friday evening during the
session to consider the bills introduced at Albany
affecting this city. This body Of IS const-
tuted less of tho same individuals from
year TO year. and. having been in existence for a
number OF years. has established a uniform basis
of judgment as to the kind OF bills which 1t favors
or opposes. The report says. in part:
During the session Just passed 2522 bills were
introduced. OF these 63t local bills affecting
New York City and 1909 were general bills fndi-
rectly affecting the city OF these 631 local hills
the committee passed favorably upon 2s as aeainst
80 In the same class last year, and opposed 10 as
against 70 last year. or general bills affecting
New York City the committee favored o. as
against 20 last year. and opposed 30, against IL
last year So the total number favored during this
session was 90, as compared with 56 last year. and
the total number opposed this session was 100 az
compared with 81 last year.
These figures do not bear out the general i'm
preston that the Legislature considerably bet
ter this year than last Has not this impression
OF good work done been created by tho passage or
Two exceptionally good bills and the absence Of
any very striklngly bad ones? With these tyo av :
ceptlons the good and the bad bills were of n nedI-
ocre quality which attracted little attention NOT
httie or the virtue manifested by the session ia
TtNP
hughes Aside from the measures, with ona ex-
ception, which were passed because OF his uncoTn-
promising advocacy, little be said I'm praise of
any marked affirmative work by the IeR-sIators
1NoIeWorthy records were made by n few members
Dy thelr independent and Judicious voting
OI Ihe good bills passed by the Legislature most
or which have become law the following orc the
most important Under this class the n,,bJ,c ,,+,it
ties bill Will easily hold the first place II ie rho
most far reaching in It's provisions OF any measure
or like import which has been passed In the TrnIted
States. 1t is the largest step that has Vet been
taken In this country toward the control of pnblIo
service corporations.
THE Citizens Union Municipal Court bill passad
which redstricted tho city. reducing the number
or court districts. making their boundaries clear
and simple and at the time increasing the
number of magistrates
Another Of the very important bills was what
was popularly known the Bingham police bill
The friends OF the bill worked more largely
through the newspapers which, in the main were
friendly to the measure. In fact. IT may be said
that newspaper publicity was the chief factor in
passing the bill
"a bill designed TO protect the Bronx River from
pollution by creating parkway along its borders
was passed
among the most important good bills which failed
TO pass is one introduced by Senator Mccall ex-
enpting bonds issued for the purpose of building
rapid transit lines for the purchase and building
or DOCKS provided these undertakings in the iudg-
nent OF the Supreme Court, produce more than
enough revenue to pay the interest on the bonds
II New York is TO continue 10 build rapid transit
nnes and 10 secure more docks, 1t is absolutely
necessary that certain of it's bonds issued for these
purposes should be excluded from the debt limit
ana II is unfortunate that this bill did not pass this
session.
The Jerome race track bills, providing that gam