New-York tribune., 1907-01-12
PETTY GRAFT CHARGED
-Mr. Whitney Criticises Delay IN
Printing Senate Journal.
rBy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

p Albany, Jan. 11--Charging that underneath
apparent neglect lay a system Of petty graft
Travis H. Whitney, the representative here OF
the Citizens Union, made public a statement
laying the ''blindfolding of the public" by
means of the Senate journal. This important
record, he said. never printed that
the acts Of members might be known publicly
until long after the adjournment Of the Legis-
lature. Sometimes copies supposed to be on the
desks of members within three days of the
date did not get printed for year
He shows that there is a legitimate demand
.or the information contained in these jour
nails by recalling the existence of several very
profitable legislation Information bureaus. These
bureaus send out exactly the material contained
In the journals of the Senate and Assembly. not
whit more.
Mr.. Whitney's statement is in part follows:
The constitution requires that each house shall
Keep journal of its proceedings Both Senate
@n9 Assem6iy are required to pave their journals
journal Of each days proceedings must be on the
regard whatever IS paid to this ru-e by the state
printer, and of course, in consequence. TO extra
the Session Of ssos was not nd deyeEsd ss
ourns for last | a3out session eaf has only usf
come from the printer. Bound volumes have been
STq o9 Of the st oyf been able to get
ment AS to the official action of their represen-
tatives in the Senate after February 9, the pub
senhcant fSst the journal is not printed
Voters Of the ee safe st d FOR ne s s3H
ton as 10 the acts of their representatives. first
much praise cannot be given for their public spir
@ ea Work a "a and seeondy upon the records as Kept
zens Union This is very different from the stua-
prints day by day complete reports, not merely Of
sDeeehes shes but also Of bills tntrodgced and rolless
Fee0rds las as We'll as an m index to what ACTION has
Nlly prints With two DAYS, the complete
proceedings Of the Board OF Aldermen and within
and a monthly index, AS TO the New York Legis-
ton is the original manuscr7t Journal kept by the
clerks N5is 9Th Of The two two houses house ,,,
paiep 10 II II nee9es f important during RI G cam
OF AsSemblyInaI or Sena tor UP for reelection.
tEere is absolutely, no available journal OF pro-
tained In other words, any citizen may keep
the elected ofciais in New york city by subscrib
Ing to The Congressional Record or The CITY
IKE information senator or Assenlsy-nan
ne must suoscrine at an expense OF $50 o. more TO
lative Information and which have sprung q: De.
Some Of these buGeans are operateG y t
sentatives of politicians who receive from IhaTn
yearly revenue
Mr. Whitney announced that among tbs bills
which would be actively pushed by the citi-
zens Union this winter were the new baiIo. bill
introduced On Wednesday night, a bill fo-
railroad commission for New York CITY 2 bill
amending the New York charter as % the
power Of the Police Commissioner or which
measure st is understood that the Citizens Union
and Police Commissioner Bingham are work.
Ing together The Union Will send % AL
bany soon bills OF wh;ch It has been work.
Ing for some time, designed to relieve ths
congestion in the municipal courts of New
YORK City. Governor Hughes in his mes
sage pointed out the overcrowding of litigation
IN lleSe courts, and cd fhat +ba
legislature give immediate attention to this 1t
is probable that the Union Will have introduced
biils repeating the charters Of several CORPORA
uons which years ago obtained special privl-
leees IN New York City by special acts Of tie
Legislature, and which still claim these privi-
ieges. although they have never taken advantage
Of them.