New-York tribune., 1909-06-16

these bills, the report gives them. Is not
overfavOrable to the New York legislators.
The three-platoon bill required the establishment
Of that system in ALL first and second class cities
Says the report:
It had been made quite clear that the merits Of
this bill had nothing to do with the merits Of the
lshed by action of the authorities in any city of
10 such a detail of administering the Police De
partment should be left TO the LEGAL othciaIs;
Otherwise It becomes quite impossible TO hold
these local officials responsible for the efficiency OF
their administration that administration beng di5
rected not by them but by law slnlliar 1llI had
been passed by the Legislature OF 1908 and the
reasons against II as an antl-home rule bill had
teen stated by Governor Hughes in his memoran-
Another Of the ant-home rule bills was the so
CaeI teachers saiaTy Dill in1r2auced by SFnt3r oS
among other things the appropriation each year
for the general school fund Of an amount equivac
lent TO not less than four mills on every dollar or
assessed yaluon Of real and personal estate IN the
,,tor o,,;ri- az, ,r,Iro-rfalnr oe civ funds
for a specified purpose. This bill was defeated by
rhs tErd q these antilhone ral rale bills Tas ,.1
oaT s1n me saarSs of drivers Of paro
wagons. It was vetoed by Mayor Mcclellan.
nish the excuses 7or en- extravsgant adulnlstra-
ton when an effort Is made to hoId Locsi on'g,s as
Senate a single vote was cast against any one
senator Travis against the teachers. salary bill
In the Assembly also 70 single Sew foTk ''JE ny
member voted consistently against at three OF
these bills.
The report crftcises severely the familiar leFisla-
tion permitting compelling the refuniing OF
local assessments on specified property the can
ceiling Of assessments religious or q harttahle
institutions. authorizing the city authorizes 70
allow claims for damages sustained by Specihed
property in the course Of some public improvement
when such damages cannot be collected under the
present law
such bills the report saws. always emhoiy at
ternpts to give individual institution benefit
not allowed by law AT the expense or he city
treasury. Sometimes the particular claim may be
ALA go ha1 TaD
maintains Governor Hughes in his first term took
a decided stand against the bills. They almost al
ways used to be passed by the Legislature IN
hesitatingIy but more recently they have heen
scrutiuzed carefully. That IS due the report SAYS
in part to the opposition Of the Citizens Union and
similar bodies.
The Board of Estimate has authority under the
charter 10 determine any claim certified In writing
by the Controller a Illegal or invalid claim
which. his Judgment. is equitable and proHsr Tor
the city 70 pay wholly partly. II the board de
cides unanimously that the city has received the
benefit and is equitahy obligated To pay the claim
and that the city's viii be subserved hy
payment or by compromise. payment or eompro-
mise is authorized This does not authorize pay
nent Of any claim barred by the statute OF hmita-
tions or claim for services performed under an
appointment in violation Of the Civil Service law
But this provision attacked. says the report
in an effort 10 open the cftys treasury to claimants
through a bill introduced by Senator Kissel and
Assemblynlan G F. Murphy, both Republicans, OF
Brooklyn. Says the report:
1t proposed to strike out two important safe,
the clause to the effect that the interests of the
city must be subserVed by the ti tLuS
which the Board Of Estimate and Apportionment
was to do. Instead of compromising claims, the
board would have been empowered 10 give gratui,
ties The other safeguards which the 6ll would
have struck from the law was the pfoIvlSloh '1as
no claim for services performed IN violation OF
gave 10 the hin the character Of raid upon the
CITY treasury in the interest Of apponees 10 public
Ss a S %h9 2hs y 5g serTce both
houses by the quick rollcall roethod None OF the ne
the negative Consequently they all voted for the
bill. except those who were absent
sessment cancellation and refunding bills. One OF
these which has appeared In permsVe fo 2 or an
was introduced by Senator FraWley This his year a 1t
in mandatory form and directed the Comp
troller to refund assessments on property bounded
riveTs These assessments were levied in 1891 to
the amount of S6 o4s A. of which $22 $40 80 has been
~ 16 81 The amount which the bin would actually
have taken out of the city treasury is. therefore,
about quarter Of a million dollars
To secure by, general statute the cancellation OF
assessments which are a lien against real estate
owned by religious, charitable or beneyoient cor
porations. two general bills were lntrodnced aue
thorizing such cancellation by unanimous vote OF
approval of the Comptroller Both of them were
passed, although their provisions were somewhat
Of them to become law at the same time.
Assemblyman Louis A. Cuvillier. who is from
the district represented by Percval E Nagle in the
Tammany Executive Committee sent letter TO
the Citizens Union yesterday declining its invita-
ton TO step up the captains office and look
over the things recorded both against and for him
Mr. C1vilIier says that Assemblyman is re-
sponsible only to his constituents. and that he is
going 10 let II go at that
II most respectfully Decline" says Mr. cuvlier,
ssto submit myself to the Interrogation and in
uuisition Of a few self-constituted moraists. who
believe themselves above all other citizens and po-
litica parties combined"
Mr. Cuvillier calls attention to an article IN the
constitution of the state which reads
Members not to be questioned for speeches FOR
any speech debate in either House they shall
not be questioned in any other place.
ANOTHER OEMocRACY BORN