New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-04-12
4 D0-yOTHIyG LEGIsL4TURE'

With adjournment probably near at hand, the
present session of the state Legislature prom
ises 10 be one of the least productive in good
MANY wears Not d single important law OF
general interest has been passed and very Few
of those pending are thought by observers OF
legislation to have more than slight chahce 81
massage The direct nominations bill is probaDiy
dead for the session. The bill extending the
sphere of the Public Service COMMISSIONS So do
10 bring the telephone and telegraph companies
under their jurisdiction has been acted upon
adversely in the Assembly, and while that action
was not final it cannot he said that the chances
Of the measure are good Charter revision has
annarentlv run against q snag. Rapid iran
sit legislation. which, like charter revision, Is
of enormous importance TO one-half the popula-
ton of the state, seems to arouse niue lh'erest
at q session devoted to local acts Inc dlieiu-
mont of the Raines law, which decency de-
mands. is receiving scant attention. Inc sla'e
warrants farm BILL a meritorious measure
though perhaps not of the first importance Is
said to have no chance this year. -
Al, of this is in such striking contrast WIN
the work of the last two or three years, when
1oc;S1a+fon was enacted of such primary sig
nifcance as the insurance law. the Public Ser
vice commissions law the highway law, the
banking reform laws and the antigamDllnS
laws to mention nothing else. as to call for
some explanation. With variety OF important
subjects before It at the beginning OF the SEES
sion WHY should the Legislature choose 10 10
nothing comparable with the work or recent
years. When the members come 10 explain their
iuaction to the voters, will 1t serve them 10 say
that they followed Franklins advice ana huhg
together for fear that if they did not nahS 10
gether they should all hang separately! LAST
wear some of them hung separately to VIII
aT1T0lp
year there appears to have been general con
sent 10 make it difficult to signal out any one
for punishment All the Hughes measures
seem 10 he marked for slaughter indlscrlmlnate-
" Hughes recommended charter revision; that
settles it. Hughes recommended the telephone
and telegraph bill: which disposes Of that
Well. perhaps the new tactics of hanging TO
gether so as not TO hang separately may sue
coed. and there will be no such monitory ngureS
ar the political crossroads as were LETT AFTER
tie last session. But an indiscrlmlnate deIedI
of all the Hughes measures as Hushes meas
ures NAV move the public to a little indiscrimi-
nation IN IFS own part The people do not
like that spirit They sent their representatives
10 Albany not to .humiliate the Governor but
70 act upon legislation on its merits II the
7 agsIatr1re closes the session leaving the I'M
preston that there Was bipartisan cohDlha-
ton TO defeat all the Hughes measures. q good
many OF the Assemblymen will have to do plenty
of exnIaining 10 their constituents next fall
The bills affecting this city are so important
that utter neglect of them would now appear
TO Justify the calling OF an extra session. Not
only rapid transit legislation. but, with mu-
picinal election approaching, the revision OF the
charter, is of vital consequence TO the city. An
frnnrnvement in the form of government for
half the population of the state is big enough
subject to deserve the consideration Of the Leg
islat1re and If the present record Of that body
should continue to the end 1t would command
little sympathy in case the Governor should
see iii TO cali il back.