The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-05
POINT FOR ALBANY
SALARY RAISE WON
= Foot and Barnes Fail to stop
Plan to Pay Legislators
$4,000.
EXPECT VOTE REVERSAL


RANGED to third reading to-day the pro-
po'ed amendment increasing the SAL
sries Of state Senator's and Assembly
non from $500 to $4,000 a year. and
giving each legislator his travelling ex-
lenses to and from his home each week
khile the Legislature is in session. Now
the legislators get mileage only once a
year. no matter how long the Legis-
lature is In session.
The amendment was discussed for a
long time in the committee Of the whole
. before IL was decided to advance II to
.hird reading. President Root and WILL
am Barnes voted against the increase.
agreeing with President Schurman OF
Cornell University that this Is not the
time to grant salary increases In view
Il financial conditions. Mr.. Barnes did
not vote on the roll call until a call for
sbsentees was made. nor did Mr.. Root
When George ". Wickersham, Republic
IAN leader. who voted for the increase.
noticed that President Root was opposed
10 II, he moved for reconsideration of
" Nptt ny With llt lltTtdNt was du
RANGED to third reading also that that
notion lie on the table. II was then
$500 o'clock. and the convention last
week adopted a resolution calling for
adjournment each day at ) O'Clock.
sheehan Forces Adjournment.
William r. Sheehan made the point OF
order that Mr., Wickersham's motion
nhttl1 tAt 10 .atnPtain.I md hA In
sisted that President Root declare the
convention adjourned. The president de-
rlared the point of order well taken and
ordered the adjournment. 1t is the ex-
nectation that the convention will re-
verse itself on this question and vote
down the salary increase later.
Those who favored the amendment
Included Delegates Lindsay. Parsons.
Dahm, Legge;t. Martin. SAKE, Green.
Van Derlyn, richards. Tierney. Curran
and ex-Speaker Smith. The last named
Uaid that $500 may have been sufficient
ID the old days. when the members re-
manned In Albany each week and the
SESSIONS lasted only 100 days, but that
during the last six years the legislative
LESSONS each year varied from 200 to
$50 days.
Among those who opposed the amend
Weut WtIt btitkdttS "a Aid4
Kirby, F. c. Allen. Berri. Belts. Cullinan.
Deyo, Dunlap. Dunmore. Ford. Hale.
johnson, l.. NJ. Martin. Meigs. Ostrander,
Pelletreau, f.. y. Smith. Steinbrink
Wadsworth and C. II. Young.
William Barnes committee on leg
islative powers refused to report ia
yorably Seth Lows amendment prohibit
ing the granting OF perpetual franchises
and providing that public utility fran
chises shall be revalued at stated Pc
RODS. despite the fact hat Mr.. Barnes
favors the amendment. The question IL
to come up again.
The convention handled so roughly
the taxation article reported by CHAIR
man Sake OF the taxation m
that he asked that further consideration
be postponed.
The first sentence OF the first section
OF the article originally read. THE
power Of taxation shall never be sur
rendered, suspended or contracted
away This was amended at the sug-
Gestion of Mr.. Wickersham by adding
the words. except as TO the securities
Of the State or a civil division thereof
Mr.. Wickersham's amendment was Of
fered because William +. Sheehan con-
tended that the hands Of the Legislature
should not be tied in view OF the pres
eni war situation.
How War May Anect tat
'-rhe man does not live who can tell
the difficulties hat may confront this
State within the next twenty years
said Mr.. Sheehan. None OF us can
see what conditions may arise with
which our country and necessarily our
State may be confronted, when the very
existence of the state will depend upon
our ability to raiSe money by way OF
taxation when that time comes. For
this reason we should not tie the hands
Of the Legislature as this article pro-
poses"
Mr.. wickersham then announced III
while he was willing that the first sec
ton should be approved for the presen,
he reserved the right TO indorse the
motion of Leroy II. Austin OF Albany
who had declared that not only the first
section but nearly all of the article
should be stricken out and that the
taxation committee be instructed &c
dra up a new article.
The first sentence of the second sec.
tion provides that taxes shall be i'm
posed by general laws and for publ,
purposes only"
"A greater evil exists in the grant
ing Of special advantages by genera
laws" said Mr.. Wickcrshsm, than II
the granting OF special advantages by a
particular law that makes clear wha
II Is that Is granted. ] have introduced
IN amendment to meet the enactmen
Of special laws for particular purpose
~ such "A way that those who seek ad
vantaees from the Legislature shall d,
. In public. shall make clear their pur
pose and shall get from the Legislator,
only what Is asked after full public hear
ing On notice to every one who H. in
terested, and not under the guise o
some general law which nobody VI =
stands but the Trainer. am incline,
10 think that If any exemption iron
taxation is to he granted It should b
granted by a private bill introduces
upon notice, advertised TO the world
explained in open hearing. and con
corning which the public and the Legis
lnturc had full knowledge
Many delegates also criticised the pro
vision which o permit the Stat
Tax Commission to assess and collec
taxes on personal property and Civ,
the commission a large force Of EN-
ployees TO ferret out personal propert,
and enforce the tax, taking away iron
local assessors all right to assess per
sonal property.
To Keep Hospital Commission
Meier Steinbrink's proposed amend
rent continuing the present state Hos
pltal Commission as a constitutions
body In control of the adminsitrativ
and financial operations of The stat
hospitals for the insane was reporte
TavOlably from the Committee on Char
ttag Gf uTlf.l, I.t,.. ~ NlF.lg.,e,l, c.