New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-04-23
P. S. AMENDMENTS OUT
UE4KENED STILL MORE.
Debt Limit amendment Still Held
By assembly Rules.
IL. go . u T.l5une

Assembly Railroad Committee. the senate JUDICIARY
Committee tonight reported the amendments 70
he Public Service rounnt law desired oy me
commissions 10 make certain their powers over
+,.1,,-,, generations At the time the com
r1ittae reported the consolidated railroad law as
= passed the Assembly. measure in slch shape
.ha- lawyers expressing the opinion freely 70
eight that Governor Hughes vill veto II Il IT gets
70 him.
While the ,Ipper house thus took action soma
NJ the important legislation which the rail
road LAWYERS have been striving 10 MAIN or XIII,
no corresponding action taken by the Assem-
blv To he sure. the Rules Committee did report
the Robinson rapid transit law amendments proTtd-
ing for assessment subweys and offering attractive
terms 10 private capital invest in subway enter
-7rfses But Sreake- Wadsrorrh and his associ-
sres refused positively act the Travis Lee
constitutional amendment intended "a furnish funds
for municipal cor.struction of new subways' ana
-o-nizht representatives % New York CITY transit
lines e-e chuckling with jov over this measure.
which they consider dead ALREADY II seems alfo-
getber prot,able tibet friends. obtain action
OF any sc-t. will compelled soon 70 attempt -
discharge the Rules Committee from further con
si5ers:ion Of 81
cisrv COMMITTEES are traceable directly the ars1
rnents Of the railroad lawyers section giving the
commissions power TO take up rate cases on ther
own initiative with view the reduction Of
rates either Of common carriers or lighting com
NAMES was stricken out So provision de
sired by the upstate commission. especially com
Mailing railroad cor7panies furnish adequate "a
cli7ies for proper inspection 10 prevent acclden's
The powers desired inctuded permission for en-
royes Of the commission ride on freight trains
or engines paying regular fare or 70 have speclsl
trains engines for inspection purposes a
regular rates Senator Davis. who comes from
Buffalo had his committee provision pro
rectinE the Buffalo street railway syter from re-
ductiop II fares by sanctoning the Milhurn agree
rnent as rates there Various reasonaoles Win
which the Assembly committee had been liberal
were scattered through the by the Senate
Committee For instance provision Of the orig
fnal iav gave the commissions power over gas ana
lighting corporations. TO order such improvements
as will best promote the public interests Ihe
committee made II read reasonable Improvements
L also excluded municipal ferry companies from
the provisions Of the law
EXTENSIVE INQUIRY CONDUCTED.
The consolidated railroad law. reported. does
not repeal Section IS. providing that the Legs
lsr11re shall not reduce freight charges or fares
below rate which will yield 10 per cent profit on
+he capital Invested To this section. railroad
lawyers have labored with might and main The
Public Service commissions and many lawyers have
held that 1t vas repealed by implication by the
Public Service commissions law The Legislature
stse:f two wears axo evidently thought il dead
or obsolete. it passed 2oent fare bill without
any investigation as 10 WHISTLER II would reouce
profits below The 10 per cent, and without calling
on the 1,pstate Public Service Commission for any
opinion on that point. Governor Hughes vetoed the
bill because the commission had power TO reduce
and that has conducted an extensive
investigation Of the situation since then
The temper of Rules Committee on the Travis
Lee debt limit amendment shown by the attitude
Of Asseublynan Beverly R Robinson. OF New York,
OF this question
What viii the Rules Committee do regarding the
Traxis-Iee amendment he was asked to-day
We intend to wait until the Senate has passed
every one Of the Cassidy committees bills, he said,
and then well think about it
What them"
VIII. then we'll think some more, and then some
and about it
When il was remarked that the opinion Of many
legislators that they'd see an extraordinary
session il this measure were not passed MI fonn-
son uttered denunclation of Governor Hughes.
Apparently the fact that the Senate Cities Com
ntee to-day. in accordance with the promise given
by Senator Human to State Chairman Woodruff
reported four of Mr.. Merritt's Cassidy committee
bills has made no difference in the Assembly
Speaker Wadsvorth is giving 10 the advocates OF the
constitutional amendment the same reassring prom
ises regarding his attitude this legislation which
gave the supporters Of the telephone and fele
graph company bill
Assen7bIvn1an Lee went to the Speaker to-day
asking for some definite assurance regarding the
reporting Of the debt limit amendment He re-
ceived general talk. There is widespread indigna-
zion in both branches Of the Legislature at this
harding Of the amendment which affects not Only
New York City. but every third class city In the
state and which is needed imperatively by most
IF them as il would permit the excluding OK their
water bonds from their debt limits. leaving avail
able money to complete important improvements
DEMOCRATS WOULD VOTE FOR MEASURE.
Of the Rules Committee, the Speaker, Mr.. Mer-
nit the majority leader. and Assernhlyrran ROD
fnson are violently opposed to reporting the amend
r7ent Mr. Phillips. Of Auegany County, reported
il from the Judiciary Committee, but VIII not vote
against his colleagues in the Rules Committee II
* believed Nessrs. Frisbie and oliver. the Demo
cratic members are counted to vote for the
Amendment If ever X reaches the floor. but can
do nothing 10 compel the Rules Committee to re-
port it
.e-esnR TO friends of the amendments 10 the rapid
,ransir law the Travis bill. ernbodyng the assess
rnen- subway proposition and Inducements 10 prl-
vate capital the OF easier franchise Terms
pes prevented from being passed Ia the Senate TO-
d.. Yesterday Senator Travis served notice that
=. could move 10 suspend the rules, the bill
might be rassed out cf its regular order. To-day
he had an emergency message from governor
Hughes certifying 70 the necessity for the imIne-
sisra massage Of this bill He told Senator Raines
OF his purpose call the bill UP and pass 1t under
-, emergency message Senator Raines asked him
10 wait until IT reached on the CALENDAR IN
stead OF taking IL Up out OF its order MI Travis
consented While he was out OF the charnoer
Senator Aids moved for adjournment He with
80 .ssr motion 70 permit the introduction OF bills
IN, would not permit Mr.. Travis 10 have the emer-
sencv message read and the rapid transit bill
passed
"a senator Grady's bill repeating the SAKE EleV-
,tl, avenue law and containing provisions drafted
nv the New York Central for disposal Of Tie
West Side surface tracks. Clever lawyers nave
sstd that the effect Of bill would be TO give the
railroad perpetual franchise for West Side tracks
II Is understood now have plans drawn for an
elevated structure the waterfront. instead OF
the surface tracks through Eleventh avenue. This
Grady bill IE legislative gossip is termed new