New-York tribune., 1908-04-08
FOR ADJOURNMENT SOON
RESOLUTION SAYS 23D.
Friends of Racing Bills Erpect
Passage 7cith Close Margin i.
fRv relss-aph to ne rr:bune J

nittee reported to-day the Assemby's resolu-
ton for final adjournment. amended TO take
effect on April %. This will be passed to-mor-
row. go to the Assembly and be passed there
Thus with the Governors anti-racetrack
gambling bills still unpassed- only half OF the
important banking reform measures through
the Legislature. the Public Service law amend
ments in a serious tangle and both houses in
different or hostile to the direct nominations
and Massachusetts, ballot bills. the Legislature
is speeding preparations to stop its work in two
weeks One week will be so badly Interrupted
by the Democratic State Convention that little
real progress can be made then
Most of the Governors legislative programme
ia in grave danger While it seems improbable
that the gambling bills Will be killed. II IS
unlikely that any of his other recommendations
save the banking legislation will be adopted at
this session because of the indifference OF tns
Legislature and it's leaders or open hostility to
the Governor and some OF his projects
THE SENATE SEEMS INDIFFERENT.
The Governors deep interest in the success
OF the Public Service law amendments and the
direct nominations bill IS known 10 everybody
here. Likewise the antagonistic attitude OF
Speaker Wadsworth and his Assembly leaders
to the direct nominations proposition IS COM
mon knowledge: the Senate this year seems
merely Indifferent. The Assembly committees
handling of the Public Service law amendments,
with its weakening of many important points
in the present law and apparent preparation, 10
ninsle the telephone and telegraph features.
certainly indicates great degree Of friendt-
ness to that project Because of all this the
belief is general that Governor Hughes will
deem these matters Of sufficient Importance 70
demand their consideration at an extraordinary
IF oTp- =
posed Of properly before adjournment
The anti gambling situation probably will be
disposed of finally Tomorrow Again to-day
sentiment shifted. and those strongest in sup
port of the measures admitted that their pas
sage while probable, would be achieved only
by close margin The racing forces are not
sanguine, but they lsboring with desperate
energy TO swing every Senator susceptible OF
approach their side Senator Cassidy. who
last week voted on the Governors side is placed
tonight in the doubtful column by the friends
of the bills Senator Wilcox. despite Senator
Rainess belief that he would support the bills.
seems much more inclined vote against them.
If the racing forces could gain Wilcox. switch
Cassidy and hold Grattan and Knapp. who voted
with them on the September I amendment. they
would effect a tie There is much talk tonight
that some amendment embodying the substances
of the McCarren amendment may be presented
tomorrow. and the racing people say they could
pass such amendment now
AN EDITORIAL QUOTED
Some idea of the pressure under which Seua-
| tors are placed and the quarters from which il
comes is afforded by an editorial tonight in
the newspaper of William Barnes. jr- This IS
the third in a series attacking the Governors
project as bound to result in the glory and
profit Of pooIrooms. After long diatribe against
the moral forces and dire predictions of the
future of the state and horse racing if these bills
pass. Barnes says
1T would be a distinct disappointment to the
intelligent and farseeing people OF Albany
County if Senator Crattan OF this district
should be led from the path of plain duty by an
unvise and thoughtIess cIamor and add his
vote 10 aid the passage of the repeal bills
To kill the anti-gambling bills would be the
crowning glory of the anti-Hughes men. even IL
II resulted in the immediate calling OF an
traordinary session to take up the subject again
1t would please them only less well TO pass an
emascuIated version of the original bills and
force the Governor 10 accept II or veto ft and
call an extra session
Lawyers familiar with the present Public
Service commissions law who examined care
fully the Yale changes in the Page e-Wainvrig1t
bill to perfect that law and include telephone and
telegraph companies in the jurisdiction Of the
commission said that nothing short OF mas
ter hand penned those alterations
"A man familiar with every section of the law.
who knew just where the changing Of word
would do greatest damage. drew those amend
ments" said one lawyer They would render
practically abortive some of the most important
sections of the law. and they are framed to ben
eft equally the lighting and transit corpora
tions"
AMENDMENTS ARE TECHNICAL
These amendments are absolutely technical
and practically impossible of discussion without
the original law and lawyers briefs interpreting
It. In only few cases are their purposes ap-
parent at a glance One Of those cases is the
wfping out of the new section designed to give
the commissions power to audit the books ct
the companies under their controI-A power
which would render impossible II repetition
conditions like those disclosed by the MetropOIi
tan investigation. The breaking down of con-
troll over stock and bord issues is another.
Proper discussion Of these changes could not De
held in the remaining weeks Of The session
II this bill PASSED the Assembly and jts com
panion bill putting telephone and telegraph
companies under the commissions which is
somewhat unlikely to pass. they would be In such
shape taat the Senate hardly could ske them
up adequately in the time remaining That
house now has calendar containing nearly
TWO hundred bills some Of considerable moment.
notably the cassidy nti-buclzet shop bill
The direct nominations bill IS in the Assem-
lily Rules Committee. where il will probably
die unless Governor Hughes sends in a message
forcefu, enough cause the Speaker and his
associates TO let the House have its say on the
proposition. That woud only result in its death
cn the floor. The Senate Judiciary COMMITTEES
never has taken vote 10 report il. Alto