New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-07
N. Y. ISLAND Bill
PASSES ASSEMBLY
Bipartisan Combination
Back at Work to Aid
Mysterious Measure.
rBy Telegraph TO The rribune.I

Albany, April 6.--With the old bi-
partisan combine at work for :hc first
time this year. the mysterious Dill OF
Assemblyman Ameth HofT. OF Brook
lvn. permitting the Land Board to give
two-mile strip of land under water
in New York Harbor off the Brooklyn
shore. near the Narrows, 20 some care
fully hidden individuals was passed
tonight.
The bill. as announced exclusively IN
The Tribune on Monday, is the hrst
step toward the building on this shoai
Of an island at cost Of S2O,OO0'OOO to
SOB 10000. This much Mr.. Hoff admits.
Further than that, except to say that
some one is going to build on TINS ISL
and a big shipping terminal, with l,ooO-
foot docks and gigantic warehouses; he
will not go nor will ne say who gave
linn the bill.
Although Mr.. Hoff is Republican,
his most active supporter was Assem-
blvman "Al" Smith, the Democratic
floor leader, who went around scuIry-
ing up votes for the bill
During the entire debate those op-
poscd to the bill asked Mr.. Hoif who
was behind the bill. But he refused to
explain. ana Majority Leader Hinman
and Minority Leader smith rose to ms
defence.
One hundred votes were needed the
law recurring a two-thirds vote on all
bills giving away property belonging
n the state. When the rollcall showed
only 80 votes word was sent by one OF
the desk force to Minority Leader
Smith 70 get another vote for this
bill" A hunt for the necessary vote
wa Immediately started, and when the
result was announced it was found that
there were two votes to spare,
Assemblyman Burr. of Brooklyn, de-
clared that the Legislature should not
he expected to pass the measure unless
some explanation were given as to
What II was for and as to who was be-
hind It.
"Do YOU believe that the Bush Tenn
inal people are behind this measure :?
asked Assemblyman S. d. Stephens oI
Staten Island.
Yes replied Mr.. Burr, 81 believe
that thev have an interest IN IL.
In answer to the report that the baI'
tinore & Ohio Railroad had some IN
tercst in the bill, Assemblymtn Smlth
said that the distance between staten
island and Brooklyn was not the snort
est at Sixty-ffth Street, between thG
foot of which street and BedIoe s islsnd
the reef 10 be filled IN IS located ne
said that Fort Hamilton was the loglcsi
,Iace for n route to Staten Island, Is
that was the shortest way MI burI
replied that in spite OF that iact tne
subway route had been changed 10
Sixty-ffth. Street Ar
The minority leader said; wv nat olt,
orence does it make to whom the land
cocs9 The land board will certainly
nrotcct the state. As IT is now this IS
,.,IroIcss 10 ANYBODY and it might be
tmrned into property worth millions OF
dolIars from which the city could col
lect taxes" :; a.. cor-
,.e AZ the request Of Assemblyman
HoF nv Senator George Cromwell. Mr..
Cromwell had the bill killed in the Sem
atc Finance Committee to-day because
no one came forward to give an eA-
nlanation of the purposes OF the Dill;
Rnt the hackers Of the bill intend to
,ry 70 force the Hoff bill which passed
tbc Assembly tonight through the
Senate