New-York tribune., 1909-04-26

! by a technicalitv in the Senate committee OF the
whole-"the morgUe''; the other is being strangled
/ by the Assembly Rules Committee, a clever divl-
! sion of labor and shifting of responsibility when
! makes the Governors friends in this Legislature
declare that the present generation of unrghteous
lacks none OF the cunning of the preceding Eener-
/ alton. Only a sudden and tremendous demonstra-
public indignation at the Legislatures con
/ duct could change the result
TALK OF EXTRA SESSION.
Around this legislation will centre most OF the
interest Of the closing week of this legislative ses
SION for this remains unpassed the Governor will
have seen practically all his legislative programme
| wiped Also failure of the Legislature to act
on either of these by direct vote OF ooth
! houses many Of experience in political affairs
maintain, would be almost certain to result IN the
! Governor calling an extraordinary session 10 per
! nit the Legislature complete its work
In refusing 10 report the Travs-Lee constitutional
amendment exempting income producing transit
bonds from New York City's debt limit the AS
! sembly Rules Committee is defying the demands OF
almost every civic organization or public body IN
New York City which has acted on it, and OF
great mass Of voters represented by none OF thoee
bodies But not New York City's interests alone
are at stake: the covers also water suPpl'
bonds for third class cities, and score or more oI
uustate cities scattered across the state from
Niagara Falls to Cortland and Poughkeepsie' have
asked the Legislature to pass IT,
! Moreover. State Chairman Woodruff, acting IN
bebarr Of Kings COUNTY has used all his resources
10 obtain favorable action the amendment Re
sponsihIity for its being held in committee rests
on Speaker WadswoUth. Ass@mblymen MerFllt anu
beverly Z Robinson of New York city. Who' per-
haps Is more violently opposed to this and otheF
transit legislation desired by the commissions than
any man in the Legislature. and Jesse = fhlhps
Of AIIegany. who would vote to report II II tne
otrer Republicans in the Rules Committee would let
! him.
there VAS much sneering at Governor Hughes
/ aDd denunciatIon of his interference in legls-
Iative affairs when several days ago he sent spe
clal message TO the Senate and Assembly polnl'HE
out the necessity this constitutional amendment
and the desirability OF passing 1t speedy' oela'oI
F2aiDes in a Caustc speech. rebuked the Governor
for 'butting in and predicted that the amendment
would be passed. Senator McCarren hotiy reSehleu
what he called the Governors gallery play ie'
the amendment still is unpassed and unless the
d., ,,r,,,,fttee he discharged from further con-
sideration of the measure either by the votes OF
/ indignant Assemblymen or the protests OF an mug
/ uaut public It will die. The serious pnase Oh u'Is
situation lies in the fact that two years Will be re
/ oured to undo the mischief thus wrought no
mount of rrotestations OF lamentations. moreover
can remove the responsibility for us death "oi''
the Speaker and his associates Tor the amend
rnent II reported Is practically certain 10 pass 'i
| lower house with ease
AT FOOT OF GENERAL ORDERS CAl'hN ia l.
7, the Senate the Public Service commissions law
| amendments are at the foot OF the general oIue'7
calendar sent there by Democrat from brooklEil'
| an associate OF Senator McCarren's. and one with
him IN his friendly regard for the gas ana tii'-
.io,, interests The rush of legislation in the last
! week of A session makes it almost lmposSlDle ~
keep up with the bills reported from committee 10
| third reading or advanced to that order o1 DUST
ness by unanimous consent. For the Senate 10 81
| into tine committee OF the whole in the last ="
da,,s Of a session would be almost unprecedented
BY unanimous consent the rules might DE SuSp
ed and the bill advanced to the order OF 'ihd pas
| sage This too. with measure of this nature
| would be almost Unprecedented. The only o'hei
! chancc under the legislative routine of getting II
| ONT for a vote would be to suspend the rules anu
take the measure of the committee ol the "hols'
and put it on it's final passage The last time I'S
| Was tried II caused the famous all night Ses-
| sion at which the present mortgage tax law was
rassed hv the Senate II. as seems entirely pron@-
| BILE nothing is done to permit vote on TINS Dill
IN the Senate the railroads and lighting companies
and especially the surface railroad companies III Nc"
! york will know that the Public Service commits
ions are crippled for another year, ana that thtr
! orders can be defied with impunity
The transfer situation in New York Clty-one
| og the most important and critical matters under
tho control of the commission for the metropolitan
dfstrIct-frnishes the best illustration of the prac-
tcal effect of failure to enact this legislation Ihe
| commission is held up from compelling obedience
! IN its orders for transfers by d court proceeding
the nature Of which not two citizens In ten could
tell and of the very existence of which probably
| a vast number ignorant. Meantime the COM
mission is subjected to attack and vitcation for
spending 100000 or more year and doing
| nothing" Until its powers defined by law 50
that no evasive resorts to court delays can staVe
OF obedience by the corporations the commissioners
| believe they do very little big enough to make
the general public admit they have "madc good
EFFECT WOULD BE NO TRANSFERS.
Tho net effect of killing these sections OF the
scheme Of transit legislation will be no transfers
and no subways, except such as private capital
NAV choose build at extremely advantageous
/ terms wrested from the authorities. Transfers
would be issued only the dead bodies of Re
ceivers Whtridge, Robinson and Joline, and new
transit lines would be built only over the dead
bodies of Mcssrs. Ryan and Belmont, according to
a widely held view here, if this legislation fails.
| Meanwhile. a recaptulaton Of the Governors
! legislative recommendations with their result may
prove interesting. He urged in his annual message
! consideration of:
LEGISLATION for up-to-date forest preservation.
Legislation extending the project of state water
| power development.
Up-tO-date motorcar legislation, with appropriate
| taxation OF motor vehicles
Prevention of the pollution of streams by sewage
Repeal of a law compelling the obtaining of the
consent of local authorities for the establishment
| of a tuberculosis camp