New-York tribune., 1909-04-21
MAY PROVE BOOMERANG
AcCELERATTON OVERDONE
WHlcor at Hearing DelirerS Bloc at
Let Us Alone" Talk.
[By Telegraph to The Tribune-I

Let Us Alone IGtE.
GBy Telegraph to The TrbuneI
Albany. April 20-Though railroad and traction
company lawyers and other lobbyists registered
and unregistered haunted the Capitol by the score
to-day. there were indications that the great 'let
alone" campaign OF the companies they repre-
sent was beginning to prove a boomerang Accel-
Grated letters. kilograms and petitions worked up
by the railroads still being dumped on legis-
laors' desks by the basketful but their nature has
been disclosed so Enthusiastically that they now are
about much of a laughing stock as the cele-
brated forged letters sent out stage Of Gov
ernor Hughes's anti-gambling fight TO create sym
pathy for the racetracks and bOokmakers-
Already lawyers for of the big railroads
have gone out of their way 10 let il be known to
the Public Service commissions that there no
organized movement to defeat legislation desired
by those bodies this year. to emasculate exist
ing law. That statement is accepted with grain
of salt by most of the commissioners.
IF there wasn't any hard and fast conbina tion
of public service corporations standing by a writ
ten contract. there every appearance of
'gentlemens agreement to abolish cripple state
regulation of franchise holding corporations, de-
cared one official to-day And anybody who
knows much about Wall Street as these corpora
ton representatives. knows how effective such
agreement be
Possibly as 4 result of the overriding Of this cor
pOration acceleration though due directly TO the
hard work of Chairman Wilcox and Commissioner
Bassett, of the 1st District Commission, and repre-
sentatives of the upstate commission. the public
service law amendments have fair
chance of passage II Is still extremely doubtful
though, whether any OF the other legislation de-
sired by the 1st District Commission will be en-
acted, although the Travis-Lee constitutional
amendment may be released from the Assembly
Rules Committee presently.
Chairman Wilcox appeared to-day at hearing
before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the
amendments passed last night by the Assembly
and delivered a telling blow at the let alone
talk and the piteous tales that capital scared
death because of the Public Service commissions
activities. There never had been time. he said
when capital was so anxious to get into transpor
tation work IN New York City
REFERS TO ADVERTISEMENT.
Look at this" said Chairman Wilcox waving
before the committee copy of of the Inter
borough's recent advertisements Here you have
the InerbOrough advertising that it seeks the Priv
lege of spending s50.000000 of its own money in
transit extensions under conditions which would
leave the city owner of all this development
without cents cost at the end of the franchise
term"
The chairman also told of the aner made by the
Bradley CTaffney Steers Company TO build subways
its expense. and the application of the Nc
AGoo company for a $4,000 600 extension. and OF
various tentative offers broaChed to- the commits
sion which he did detail All these proposals
were made. the chairman pointed out since the en-
actnent of iniquitous legislation. the Public
Service commissions law, which had taken The con-
troll of transit companies away from their owners
to vest it in the hands OF officials. Commits
sioner Bassett also appeared for the amendments
which though weakened by the Assembly. are de-
( sired by the commissions I. P Hale. counsel 70
the upstate commission represented that body at
the hearing Nj Wilcox said in part:
Now on the transfer question believe that II
the question of transfers could be dealt with under
Section 80 The commission has so proceeded in
the seth street case But very able lawyers hold
lawyers for the railroad coTnpanles-tnat that sec Sec
With With the transfer tr9l question
| The question of the vested interests the question
OF confscaton. is always open to go TO the courts
on. What we want to know is whether the Legs
right TO deal with the transfer question II it
deal with the transfer question. then there is no
! harm making it definite and certain. If il IS
fer question dealt with then of that should
be known. and the commission should be relieved
We believe in New. York that the policy that has
sone t2 I "ard IN IN tT Ir@{ ed@{ lev % -
Of line so segregated, that it costs citizen
stances is situation that ought TO be dealt with.
There ought TO De some power 20 4 Ge4I win that
whether the final determination of the commission
is conhscatory not. but We believe that the power
should ne .oased IN ne commission I 20 aet Ni.n
theSe t15nSter Gasss 6t so .9hg as tne question
he dehnitey determined once for all What the
meaning of the Legislature is We believe that we
should have that power The amendments passed
Sion @ and our contenon IS that they should @ Become
a part of the Public Service commissions law.
AMENDMENTS MAY BE CHANGED.
Chairman Davis of the Senate Judiciary Commit
tee said he knew OF reason why these amend
ments should not De reported by the committee or
Thursday II is probable they will be changed
somewhat from the form in which the Assembly
passed them These changes viii not displease the
railroads but will be comparatively unirnportant
To all appearances the consoli lated railroads
is dead. The various railroad lawyers have been
fighting it tooth and nail for one reason and an
other The repeal of the ID per cent profit section
is one OF the matters which have troubled them
most Several other points of similar nature
have aroused their bitter antagoniSm. and a
suit this probably the only enc OF the consoH-
dated laws which Will fail of enactment. Its sup
porters are cOnSolng themselves with the reelection
that if il is not passed the state will be
of than at present all these lawyers. If unable
TO accomplish much good for their companies. ct
least on this affair. haven't worked much harm TO
the general public.
permit assessment If subwdys and to afford greater
advantages to private capital than the present rigid
enactment is having stony road 10 travel II is
ON the order final passage in the Senate. but
there is nothing whatever to indicate its fate. and
even if passed in that body it has the Assembly
Rules Committee and the Assembly itself 10 en-
counter Also there remains little more than
week of legislative activity
Meanwhile the Legislature is passing considerable
special legislation which the railroads may not
like The Schulz bill. providing half fare for school
children in all cities. adopted in the Senate
dav bv vote OF A to > The Surpess bill COM
pelling the complete vestibulng Of streetcars in
Kings and Queens counties was passed by the
senate by a vote of 42 to }. Senator Hinman voted
against it because he believed Public Service
Commission had Jurisdiction in the case. Also.
after a rather lively skirnish the Senate adopted