New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-14
Rockaway Measure To Be
Withdrawn by Senator
Mills To-day
WAGNER SUSPECTS
LAND SPECTATORS
Measure Was Designed to
Let City Dispose of I'M
der-Water Rights
lFrOm star Correspondent Of The TriDuns.I

lFrom a star Correspondent OF The TribuneJ
Albany, Feb. 13.-An apparent at.
tempt to make possible the easy &C
QUESTION from New York City of what
eventually will be enormously valua
bic waterfront rights in Brooklyn and
Queens, under the guise of legislation
held to be necessary to the erection of
defence Notifications at Rockaway,
was blocked tonight at a conference
on the bill introduced in the name of
Senator Ogden Mills as a companion
measure to the Rockawav fertilization
legislation passed by the Senate last
night and the Assembly to-day.
Senator Mills decided at the confer
ence attended by representatives of
the city, the War Department and
the New York legislators, to withdraw
the companion bill tomorrow morning
II was agreed as a result Of the dis
cussion that the companion bill was
not necessary to permit the city to
, cede to the government the land re-
quired by the government which the
city owns That is, land under water
at the westerly end of Rockawsy Neck,
between the high water mark and the
bulkhead line.
Bill Hits Snag in Senate
The snag that tripped up the legisls-
ton appeared at the morning session Of
the Senate when the second Mills bill,
supported by an emergency message
from Governor Whitman, but laid over
from last night because of insinuations
made by Senator Robert f. Wagner and
others, was called up for discussion.
Senator Wagner intimated that not only
politics, but sinister land speculation,
was tied up with the bill unwittingly
sponsored by Senator Mills. Senator
Alvah W. Burlingame joined in the pro-
test.
The bill in brief amended the greater
New York charter to permit the city
70 dispose of its right, title and inter
est in and to lands under water TO the
upland owners in Brooklyn and Queens,
through the Sinking Fund Commission.
Senator Wagner declared that it was
an old proposition trying TO slip
| through in a patriotic guise in a time
of stress He branded it as an attempt
I to override the recent ruling of Su-
, preme Court Justice Benedict that the
! public is entitled 10 the use Of the
Coney Island and other public beaches.
Wagner Defines Purpose.
What we claim" said Senator Wag-
ner. ais that the city should be author
| lied to dispose of lands under water
I only adjoining the uplands on which
| the fortifcations are 10 be built, and
| that they should not attempt to get
authority in the hurly-burly of a war
scare or under the guise of prepared
ness 10 dispose of the Long Island
beaches which the Court of Appeals
/ decided under the New York City
charter should be held forever by the
! city for the use of the public"
In the face of this situation Sena-
| tor Mills asked for delay Senator
Henry VI. Sage asserted on the floor Of
| the Senate that he had introduced the
bill in Senator Mills's name when the
city authorities and the War Depart
ment's representative, Colonel Abbott.
stated that the companion bill was
necessary to the fertilization transac-
tons and when the Governor decided
70 send an emergency message urging
its passage. Then to-night's confer
ence was called.
Ownership Of Land.
It appeared in that discussion that
| the upland adjoining the underwater
/ land needed by the government for
| fertilization purposes is owned by the
! Rockaway-Pacific Realty Corporation,
] at the head of which is said to be
julius Kruttschnitt, chairman of the