New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-04
INCOME TAX BILL
KILLED At ALBANY
Federal Amendment Fails in the
Assembly by Margin of
One Vote.
SENATE is AGAINST 1T
It's Judiciary Committee, Which
Had Set Hearing for To day,
Will Probably Not Report
the Resolution.
rBv telegraph to The Tribune !

Albany, May 3.-After hanging in the
balance for several weeks the Murray
resolution to ratify the federal income
afternoon in the Assembly. A motion to
reconsider the vote by which it failed to
pass recently lacked one vote of the nee
essary f6 to pass. Sixty-seven members
voted against it. When the measure
came up in the Assembly before this year
it received "a votes
1t is now expected that no further eff
fort will be made to report the income
tax resolution from the Senate Judiciary
Committee. which had intended to dis
cuss it tomorrow at its executive ses-
sion. The Senate undoubtedly would
have defeated it if the Assembly had
passed it.
Senator Hamilton to-day offered his
resolution providing for a legislative
committee to investigate the question of
a state income tax. Senator Grady,
however objected and it therefore could
not be considered, as unanimous consent
was necessary. Senator Grady declared
that the resolution was the result of
plot of the Republican majority to delay
action on the federal income tax amend
ment resolution. Senator Hamilton will
press his resolution as soon as possible.
Assemblyman Murray did not make his
motion to reconsider the former vote on
his resolution until 8 o'clock this after
noon, when he was Informed by the ser
geant- at arms that only eight members
were absent The close call Of the house
when the Assembly convened in the
morning showed that twenty members
were not in their seats. Four of the alb
sentees Mr.. Murray said afterward'
were for the resolution. They were Gar
fem, of The Bronx, and Edward Young
of Ulster, Republicans, and Herrick and
Gerhardt. of New York, Democrats. the
other absentees were c. F. Brown, OF
Cortland; Alexander Macdonald, Of
Franklin; w. G. Miller, of Nassau, and
James S. Parker, of Washington. all Re
publicans. Assembymen Friend ana
Delano. who voted for the bill last week,
voted against it to-day.
In speaking for his resolution, AS
semblyman Murray denied what ne
called the silly rumors that corporation
influence had been brought to bear upon
AssembIymen. He believed that the
members of the House were about to
vote according to their consclences. AS
semblyman Perkins, of Broome County,
who had changed his mind within the
last two weeks, having voted against
the resolution before, declared that not
to ratify the amendment would be to re-
euse TO the federal government one, of
its essential rights of sovereignty. He
said that the state shoul1 place trust In
Congress.
Mr.. Merritt, the majority leader,
answered Mr. Perkins in crisp speech
"If all the things assumed by the
gentleman from Broome were true, he
said. perhaps we could agree with his
conclusions. AS to his assumption that
we can trust Congress, let me say that
the distinguished men who founded this
government did not trust Congress.
And there is no reason why we should
trust Congress. You remember the
story of the cat and the canary. Would
the canary be wise to trust the cat?
They saw that this tax is permissible
only-that the Congress would impose it
only in emergencies. Gentlemen, they
will make an emergency. The emer-
gency will Immediately arise"
Mr.. Merritt declared that the members
of the Legislature were there to protect
the state. and he asked: Are we to
hermit Congress to impose this tax,
which will work to the great detriment
of the state?''
F. L. Young, of Westchester. criti-
cised other parts of Mr.. Perkins's
sneech He estimated that the revenue
from this source which the state would
turn over to the federal government
would be S5O.OO0,000 He declared that
the amendment was not in such form
that 1--WE can ratify 1t, as the Governor
has pointed out"
Assemblymen Dana and Ward, of
New York, and Harold J. Human, of
Albany. were among others who spoke
AGAINST the resolution, while Assembly
mon Rates. A. J. Levy, Smith and Kopp,
of New York, and F'risbie, of Schoharie,
smoke for il.