New-York tribune., 1909-05-01
NEWCOMB PLAN FAILS
NO SLAM AMENDMENTS
Faibuster of Manhattan Senator De
molished By Leaders.

Albany April 3o-The Senate machine with
! Senator Raines in the chair and Senator Grady d.
recting proceedings on the floor, completed the de
! molishing of the Newcomb fHbuster to-day with
/ celebrity and accuracy. Under the mechanism which
smashed the Manhattan Senator and his hHbuster
the vital amendments to the Public Service COM
missions law for which he fighting were
/ crushed powder. So efficient was the machine
! that Senator Newcomb unable even to obtain
rollcaIl on the final bit Of procedure which ef-
fected his defeat. and when he demanded one Ser
ator Raines gaveIled him down In short order
With the death Of the Public Service law in that
fashion pershed any small chance Of the Public
Service Commission in New York City being able
tc enforce its orders for transfers between the
split up surface car lines. Also pershed the search
of the upstate commission for power to lower COM
mutation rates. and of both commissions for the
strengthening of sections of the law regarding gas
and electric lighting companies, which at present
| are .concededly inadequate.
In striking contrast to the readiness with which
Senator Newcomb's last effort obtain vote on
the Public Service law amendments was defeated
was the ease with which the Kings County Court
house bill, IN favor Of which State Chairman
Woodruff was working, passed The parla-
mentary procedure was exactly the same in both
cases. involving suspension OF the rules, the dis
charge of a committee and final passage of the bill.
On Chairman WoOdruffs bill only two vOtes-those
of Senators Hinman and Newcomb-were recorded
against suspension of the rules and only one vote
that Of Mr.. Hinman- against the bill itself. There
tIon TO suspend the rules was made il tabled
by viva vote motion of Senator Grady.
SENATOR NEwCOMB'S STATEMENT
After the adjournment of the Legislature. Senator
NawcCmb made this statement:
The defeat OF the Public Service Commission bill
carrying with 1t the right enforce transfers in
New York City. caused by the majority and
minority leaders in the Senate chamber acting SYM
pathetica1ly. Against this a single Senator even
r1 o1-alIx-
obviously make no headway. except fully TO place
the responsibility where it belongs This has been
done on the records OF the Senate"
To this Senator Raines made answer:
IF the Senator from the 18th District had taken
the advice of the majority leader, who was in favor
of his bill the bin could have been voted on two
DAYS before the Senate adjourned
Senator Raines to-day dispelled any doubt which
might exist about the intent Of the legislative
leaders to have the special committee to be ap-
pointed investigate the working OF the two Public
Service commissions
Surely this committee will look into the work
the commissions said he The whole subject.
the powers and duties of the commissions and
how well they have performed their work will
investigated before any responsibilities are put
on these bodies. These commissions never would
have been created in the first place if It had
been for the newspaper talk Of graft IN the LeFis
1t declared that corpora Ons controlled
committees and could put through or kill legisla
ton as desired. The press hammered away on
that theme until II created public feeling which
made it advisable to put the control and regulation
OF railroads and similar public service corporations
under a separate body. Now Il is perfectly proper
for the Legislature examine into the practical
working OF that plan"
WARNING FROM HINMAN
Before the senste's session was well begun this
morning, II apparent that under the various |
notices of intent suspend the rules jail de- |
livery all kinds of bills which had not received
fayo tfonf I'm
Senator Hinmap, chairman OF the Senate cities
Committee. early sounded the warning. with the /
phrase. The lid is of Now. 1 suppose you'll 20 /
as far as you like and word of mine or any |
body else stop you
The bill under discussion local measure ot
Senator Harte's. which had been turned down by
the Senate Cities Committee.
Responsibility for the irregular condition ip
which we hnd ourselves is not due Senator
Newcomb" declared Senator Hinman- THAT re-
sponsihllity rests the leaders this floor, and
everybody knows It. But now the lid IS on
Senator Hartes motion TO suspend the rules was
lost by vote OF Is 10 q owing the Hinman
warning: but a few moments later Big Tim
Sullivan engineered through bill OF AssemblyUau 4
divers to compel New York city to pay the cost .
of improving Canal street and moment later q
bill to permit the increase by tho courts ~ the /
compensation Of commissioners of estimate and /
appraisal Senator Hinman protested against this ,
measure. but the rules We're suspended by a vote {
of 90 to 70. and the bill passed. % To J.
The effectiveness OF the Senate machine vas !
shown a moment later when Senator McManus
undertook pass. under suspension of the rules. /
AssembIynan Hackett's bill for hospital ON i
the West Side Of Manhattan. Senator Hinman Oh i
iected 10 II, as had not been acted favOrahly
by the Cities Committee. Senator MCMauus uu-
dertook 10 argue the bill. but senator Newcomb
raised the point OF order that no debate a mo-
ton to suspend the Jules permissible. To show
how easily they could dispose OF senator Newcomh.
Senator Grady mc-ed a fye-uiuute recess. 50 that
on the rollcall that motion Mr.. McMauus could
get a chance to have his say about the Hackett
bill The plan worked perfectly. and Newcomb was
squeIched Thereafter the rules were suspended.
and the measure passed.
ELECTION REFORM BILLS KILLED.
moment later the same smoothly working ma
chine Republicans and Democrats alike. killed four
election reform bills desired by Herbert Parsons
and the New York County Republican Committee
lust because Senator Grady opposed 90 them