New-York tribune., 1919-03-31
Welfare Bills Seem
Doomed asAssembly
Session Nears Close
House Has 2,7OO Measures
Pending for Action With.
i'll Month; Police and III
come Tax Plans Opposed

ALBANY, March 30.-After three
months of sidesteppng the Legislature
will have to deal with the important
measures pending before it within the
next three weeks. Moro than 2,70O bills
have been introduced to date, and cx-
cept the resolution ratifying the Fed
eral Bone Dry Amendment, no final
action has been taken on single i'm
portant piece of legislation.
There is a disposition on the part
party to make things lively for their
leaders before the session ends. These
Republican insurgents have accused
Thaddeus c. Sweet, Speaker of the
Assembly, and J. Henry Walters,
president pro TEN. of the Senate, of
having entered into bipartisan deal
with the Governor.
Then, too, the Legislative leaders are
certain of having a few other fights on
Eugene M. Travis, State Controller,
who insists there is no need of enact
ing the Davenport committee 2 per cent
personal income tax.
Wants Indirect Taxation
OOHCTOlleT Travis ucCldTeS IndL all
the $24,QO0,O0O needed to supply the
deficit caused by the loss in excise rev.
enue and by the growing cost of gov
ernment can be readily supplied by in
direct taxation. Chief among his pro-
posals are an increase in the inheri-
tance tax and an advance in the Ii
cense fees Of automobile owners.
The leaders are also certain Of a
row with Governor Smith, whose leg
islative programme has been practi-
cally shattered They are also in for
Conference, which, in conjunction with
the State Federation Of Labor, has
been trying hard to get through the
so-called welfare legislation.
Speaker Sweet has already an
nounced to the women that only one Of
their bills would be permitted to pass
the Samms bill, extending the pro-
tective features Of the labor laws to
women elevator operators. This means,
unless Speaker Sweet changes his mind,
that the health insurance, the mini
mum wage and The cight-hour day for
women, together with the women Office
and transportation workers bill, are
! dead for this session.
Final Effort This Week
The representatives of the Young
Women's Christian Association, the
Women Suffrage party, the Consumers
izations behind the legislation. and
James M. Holland, president Of the
State Federation of Labor, are going
to make a final effort to get through
the legislation this week.
Then there is a likelihood Of the
old wet and dry fight recurring this
week when Senator George +. Thomp-
son, Of Niagara, moves to discharge
the Senate Judiciary Committee from
League dry enforcement bill. This will
at once result in Senator Walters de-
manding action on his 3 per cent beer
bill. There Is little chance, however, of
either measure being passed at this
session.
The Democrats are going to try to
move the bill legislating out Of Office
the New York City public service COM
mission and creating in its stead two
regulatory commissioner and four dep
uties and one commissioner in charge
OF transit construction.
Will Try to Block It
This was alleged to have been the
quid pro quo of the putative bipartisan
deal, and insurgent Republicans in the
Senate will try to block it's passage.
That they will have hard fight on
their hands may be judged from the
tact that the Democrats need only four
Republican votes to put through the
legislation. There is little or no chance
of any revolt in the Assembly, as the
machine there is we'll in hand.
Another public utility measure of
even greater Importance is the Martin
bill permitting the public service COM
missions to increase rates of fare on
streetcar lines, surface, elevated and
subway, Notwithstanding any existing
agreements, contracts or franchises.
The sponsors Of the legislation hold
that recent decision of the Court of
Appeals in the South Glens Falls gas
rate case removes any doubt as to the
constitutionality of the proposed act.
This was tho only argument against
the bill when it was introduced last
year.
Other important statewide legisla-
tion to be acted on include the teach
ers' salary increase bills, the fircmen's
three platoon measure, the so-called
liberal measures comforting on locali-
ties power to legalize Sunday baseball
and Sunday movies and the Gibbs bill
restoring boxing and the Walton Fear
on party convention bill.
A group Of measures known RS the
Hylah poIlce n'i's are RlSo llkcly TO
meet with opposition. One of these
bills would create a court Of three in
spectcrs and captains to try all charges
against members Of the uniformed
force not involving dismissal
Some or the New York City men
who recall the days when the "system"
WAS firmly intrenchcd and the honest
patroman. together with the incor-
ruptiblo officers over him. were at the
mercy OF few mon higher up. declare
that this mensurc would result in
restoration Of tho old partnership of
vice and corrupt police officials and
all lha n lnlI I.d