New-York tribune., 1908-03-16
HUGHES TO PUSH BILLS.
Wants Direct Primary Nominations
and p. S. &. La1C Changes.
fRv Telegraph to The Tribune

Governor Hughes Is deeply interested. These are
the recommendations made in his message for the
adoption of system OF direct primary nonlfa-
tions and the amendment of the Public Service COM
| missions law to include telephone and telegraph
companies. For the enactment of these recommend
ations into appropriate laws Governor Hughes will
do battle if the occasion arises according to the
judgment of men close to him.
Apparently both these propositions are sleeping
deeply now. The Assembly Judiciary Committee
by decisive vote has refused to report the Green
bill for direct primary nominations, which was
drafted by the counsel to the Governor. Two or
three bills designed TO include telegraph and teie-
phone concerns within the jurisdiction of the Pub
lie Service commissions are in committee. hard ana
fast. The Legislature to have the idea that
| the Governov put these recommendations into his
| message more less perfunctorily, and would oe
content TO see a final adjournment without any
decisive action taken them.
| Never was there a greater mistake, if his
friends read him Alright. Governor Hughes be-
lieves in getting results. and taking the most
important tasks first Hughes say his opin-
ion that the abolition of professional gam
| bling at racetracks absolute, pressing
need, thing to be accomplished before the less
urgent task of changing the primary elections
system, or even of amending the Public Service
| Commissions law. Yet never for instant has
| he had any idea Of not pressing these issues to
| passage by every legitimate means at his COM
mand His friends in the Legislature expect
| that just the anti gambling bills are
shown to be certainly out of danger. the Gov
ernor Will remind the Legislature that he has
recommended action on these other important
questions. they would not be surprised to
have him test the sentiment of the public on
these propositions in speech or two.
| Hughes here say the Governor expects the
direct nominations bill to become law this
sion. Surely he viii have hard battle to bring
/ this to pass. There Is much talk here, more
less unsubstantiated TO be sure. OF a combination
of political leaders in the against this
legislation Whether or not such combination
is reality, there is little doubt that the senti-
ment of the working politicians is largely against
/ the proposition. Last year. for instance, though
! State Chairman Woodruff has been record
several years in favor of direct primary nom-
nations, his influence thrown openly to the
support of the Gilchrist bill making this system.
compulsory. whereas other advocates of the
proposition maintained that the surest way to
kill the idea was to enact mandatory Iegisla-
| ton. Many legislators openly charged that it
was due TO the influence of Woodruff and other
| leaders that the Governors measure, recon-
! mended specifically, killed in the Assembly.
! The sentiment this year seems even more strong
| ~ against the system. Assembyman Green.
who has the bill in the lower house. says will
| ask some time this week to have the Assembly
| judiciary Committee discharged from further
sideratton of his He hardly expects such
n motion to receive more than the necessary for
! nal conslderaton-indeed he is quite certain that
| it Will be beaten by heavy vote. Senator Traviss
| bill seems likely 10 stay indefinitely in the Senate
Judiciary Committee. Therefore a strong fight
| be needed to get any action these bills. Gov
| ernor Hughes is prepared to make this fight.
It seems likely that this battle for direct nom-
| nations will come next in the Governors pro-
! gramme. The Public Service commissions law
anlendment-that is, one satisfactory to the COM
missions-is not before the Legislature yet. Work
! is being done a bill to bring in telephone and
| telegraph companies. bit it probably will not be
! ready several days
! Meanwhile the Legislature Will have fight
| the racetrack gambling question. This will
| up in both houses this week, probably on Wednes
! day In both. When the Agnew bill is taken up in
general orders the Senate its sponsor will move
TO restore 1t to its original form, making il take
| effect Immediately. From present Indications he
| will have votes enough TO accomplish this. The
lineup on this question will indicate pretty clearly
the attitude of the members the final passage Of
the bills. although some Senators may vote to
tain the September l amendment who will vote
afterward for the passage Of the anti ti-gambling
bills in whatever form they come up for passage.
Senate Judiciary Committee will give
Wednesday hearing the amendment to the
PerCy-Ciray law. Now that the Codes Committee
has reported out the code amendment, the ardOr of
the Jockey Club in opposing this bill probably will
be much dampened, it is the code bill which
actually does the work, although this Percy-Gray
law amendment will complement that work.
In the Assembly both bills have been reported
and will taken up the order of second reading
early in the week. perhaps Wednesday. There
| is no doubt there of their advancement The date
of passage by this House depends on the tactics TO
which the opposition may resort. but the general
belief is that they viii be adopted by a large vote
time next week.
All the banking reform measures down for
discussion by the Assembly Tuesday The Dem
have their knives out for these bills
and the Banking Department IN general An all
day debate probably will result, ending in the
passage OF most of the bills time this week.
Some of them have been amended and cannot be
passed until the latter part of the week This
legislation is not so well forward in the Senate
The school teachers equal pay bill is sched-
as special order for Tuesday in the Senate.
1t is practically the bill! of last year which Gov
Hughes vetoed. The school teachers lobby
which reused much adverse comment then has
not been prominent this time and by just that
much the bills support weakened, since many
legislators voted from any fundamental
convictions the subject, but because promises
had been Hheedled from them by seductive school
teachers The prospect IS that If the measure
should pass the Assembly-which it did with diff
Guilty last year-it would get no more favorable re-
certion in the executive department
Aeanvf fe the idea Of adjournment April 10
seems generally to have been dropped. The lcgis-
lative leaders willing. The Speaker believes
lis house can have affairs adjusted TO quit be
fore that date. The Senate is not in such good
shape but might finish week later. But in that
the Legislature is reckoning without the Governor,
having counted on killing quietly and expeditously
all his recommendations save the antf-racetrack
gambling proposition. The Governor will have sew
eraI words o say about the date of adjournment
If that scheme should be carried through. If or
dinarv reasonable consideration is to be given TO
the direct nominations bills and the telegra ph and
telephone amendment, the first week in May seems
a much more probable time for farewells to the
legislative halls This would recessitate recess
of a few days for the spring state conventions.
pPOTECT FROM CKENE