The sun., 1908-01-31
?. S. COMMISSIONS EXPENSIVE
APPROPRI tTION FOR UPSTATE
BOiRD AEOUT S262 OOO.

ALBANY, Jan. ID lnDt the fuDhc service
Commissions are going to prove most
extensive luxuries for the State of New
York is evidenced in the draft of the ap-
preparation bill which has been introduced
in the Assembly by the Ways and Means
Committee. The Legislature is not called
upon 10 appropriate moneys for the ex-
penses in administration Of the New York
city commission. merely appropriating
the money for salaries. but all expenses
Of the upstate commission are borne by
the state. while New York city defrays
the expenses Of the New York city COM
mission.
The sum appropriated for salaries
for the commissioners and employees OF
the New York commission amounts to
$4,000. The appropriation for the up
stare commission is about s282 600, and
this is about SlOO.OOO more than the Lagisla-
ture was called upon TO appropriate for the
old railroad commission and the old light
lng commission, which bodies the upstate
Public Service Commission succeeded.
There is no certainty either that this sum
will be sufficient TO defray all Of the ex-
penses of the commission for the ensuing
year, and IL is expected that the amount
will increase from time to time.
The Appropriation bill this year contains
an increase of over si,OOO.OOO as compared
with year ago and it is believed that tho
amount of the appropriation bill this year
will bee considerably larger than that. A
subcommittee of the Assembly Ways and
Means Committee is TO be appointed to look
into the question of making increases in
the salaries of officials and employees Of
state institutions. and the expectation is
that these salaries will be materially in
creased.
One change that is to be made in the
usual disposition of the avalanche of bills
that usually comes before the Railroad Com
mittee is that anything pertaining to ad-
mnstratiou of the corporations and does
not need legislative action will be taken
up with the Public Service Commission.
The Assembly Railroad Committee does not
intend to act upon any bills that can be at
tended to by the Public Service Commits
sion. Therefore members who Introduce
bills to compel street railroad companies
10 vestibulc their cars, abolish turnstiles
and such Old timers that have been kicking
about the Legislature for years and years.
will have their trouble for nothing. The
Assembly Railroad Committee will ask the
opinion of the Public Service Commission
as 20 whether legislative action is neces-
sary on any Of the bills that come before
the committee. By so doing it is believed
that perhaps the bill boz will not be filed
With old timers.
Recently As ssemblyman Palmer said he
would offer an amendment to the rules
TO provide that when a bill had been in
troduced for twenty-one years it would
not be necss ssary 30 formally introduce
IT,; that the bill would walk in itself This
was said in reference to a bill TO compel |
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company to !
remove tuTnstiles from It's stations.
There Is considerable disappointment I
among lawyers who generally pick up /
good by acting as special cOun- /
sci for the Assembly Privileges and Flee .
lions Committee. In former yeas il was ,
one Of the most desirable apr ointments
nat coul be hal. Two years ago former .
Senator Myer NUsbium tiled 10 collec,
.Omething like $1,000 foI aching a. c,,I.s-i
for the Privileges and FL 'ctiOns CuInmit.y
IN contested seat C,Usts. tie COrr . missed .
his claim last year for SlO.pOo. Thi, wear
there are two Assembly seats hSiur 1Jl.-
es6ed and the Committee on PRIVILEGES au.
Elections has been sitting. But Gov. EuEhes
has served notice on the COmm lee Thst
~ VIII not approve of any bill hich r3-
ldes for ComrCnsaton for legal -. i,Cs.
lie takes the position that the cOGmi,,e
aw 10 proceed in such matters Ni,hcIt
Employing counsel and If an opinion =
'ecessaTy the Attorney-Gsner3l can fun
,ish one.
Considerable mystery surrounds III
movements of the Anti-Sa Oon L. Ggll, 4.
Whether or not there will be a local loptiol
I'LL before the Legislature it, SOM thing
hat only the promoters of that movement
an say, and they re fuse 10 talk az present
o-dav representatives OF the Anti-SaOon
eague were about the Legislature for tha
lrst time this year, but rC fused 10 disclOs,
hat their purpoSs was. Later they called
N the Governor and had cOIf renCa with
i'm. The Governor was asked if Ia I'D
ron requested to assist in bringing about
he passage Of local option bin this yer
nd hs replied that he had received letters
skiing his cooperation. The GOyernCr,
hough, did not imply I'm any way that ne
7ould send a message TO the Legislature
skiing for the enactment of a local option
'ill, and the fact tina. tho Anti-Saoon League
a keeping its plans under cover ia taken
% mean that tna Governor has not given
ny assurances Of assistance.
Another effort il To he made by the As
embly this year to prevent the appearance
t a candidates name on the election ballot
2 more than one column. Assembyman
p. F. Murphy of Kings introduced the bill
~ an effort 70 in a measure comTly with ,
toV. Hughes's recommendation for the !
doption Of the Massachusetts ballot here
w Assembly IaSt year IaSSeu such blII {
s the Murphy measure. but when IL was
armed that the Governor would not sign !
the Senate held the bill up. 1t il argued I
hat upstate the passs ge of such a bill
ould work 20 the advantage Of the Re-
nbican party and thereby prevent fusion
lovenents in Republican counties. But in
lew York city it is claimed that if the law
,ent into effect it would end the chances (
the Republican party ever being able TO
AIRY Mayoralty election.
Assemblyman Walters has introduced a |
Ill amending the Public Service Commis-
ions law 30 that letter carriers, policemen
nd firemen in uniform may be carried or
lreet railroads at either a reduced rate of
are or free. There is some doubt a. to
neither the street railroads have the right |
, make that concession under the law of | {
~ year. which permits only employees
railroads to ride for nothing
Assemblyman O'Brian of Erie has intro
uced a bill amending the franchise tax
Nv 10 provide that when a corporation /
ppeals from the payment Of the franchise
"A the municipality mus be made party '
? the case and also that the corporation
nall give bond TO pay the costs in the
ctlon. A similar bill passed the Legisla-
IRE last year, but Gov. Hughes permitted
70 die after II reached him.
senator Thompson introduced a bill