New-York tribune., 1919-02-13
Attempt to Abolish Publ.
Service Board in Fir,
District Is Also Dronn.a
Foley Urges Transit Head
New York Senator Would
Have State Pay Salaries
of the Commissioners

StoT Correspondent.

ALBANY, Feb. 12.-The legislatir,
programme of the Democrats afFectn.
municipal ownership and abolition :.
the First District Public Service Cav
mission has been abandoned. Both :,
these measures were advocated BY Gov.
ernor Smith in his annual MESSAGE ;.
the Legislature.
Municipal ownership constituted .
plank in the Democratic state nl.,
form.
Tho cause of the abandonment .,
municipal ownership, as explained bv
one Democratic leader here, is that a..
one is agitating for it now except Bol.
sheviki and fakers.n He expla;n.d
there were some real advocates of NM
1icipal ownership, but that thev ws,s
keeping in the background, "waitrs
for an opportune time when municins
ownership is practicable and the citis.
of the states are financially able to a..
gage in operating their own pubi,
utilities"
A third bill in the Democratic leris.
lative programme was practically
killed to-day by the Republicans. Thi,,
measure provided for the merger NJ
the recently created Drug Contro
Commission with the State Health M.
partment. There was a hearing a,
the measure before the Senate Com.
mittee on Public Health Druggists
and physicians from all parts Of the
state opposed it.
Majority members Of the committee
said there was no hope for the bill.
The Drug Committee was created
last year after an investigation nto
the habit-formlng drug evil by legs
lative committee, headed by former
Senator George II. Whitney. of Ne.
chanicsville. Governor Whitman in.
tended to name Whitney head of The
commission, for which reason Whitnev
did not run for reelection as Senator.
Whitman's defeat made it impossible
to name Whitney, as he coald not take
the position while Senator.
Governor Whitman. to save Che con-
mission from the Democrats. named
DR.. Frank Richardson, of Cambridre
for the place just before retiring.
Whitney afterward was made deputy
commissioner.
The Democrats stopped agitatng
for the abolition of the New York Pub
lie Service Commission when told they
would have better chance to put
through d bill creating a rapid tran
sit commissioner. Senator James A.
Foley minority leader accordingly to-
day offered 4 bill creating this place
which is intended for Colonel William
Barclay Parsons, who had charge Of
the building Of the first subway.
Governor Smith has written end
cabled to Colonel Parsons, who is IA
France, where he had charge Of raj.
road construction, offering MIN the
place. Up to date he has not heard
from him. Colonel Parsons is expect
ed to arrive in this country early next
month.
The Foley bill also provides that al
salaries and expenses of the Fins.
District Public Service CommissieH
now paid by New York City, shall be
a charge against the state. The
rapid transit commissioner. who vii
have charge of completing the sub
ways. and all the expenses Of the q.
flee Will be paid by the city, he
shall be appointed by the Goyern'II
for five-year term at a salary Of
$4,000 annually
At the hearing before the Senst'
Committee on Public Service on th'
municipal ownership bill of the Nsv
York State Conference Of Mayors No
one rose to its defence.
William F. Burr, corporation coul,
sci of New York City said the Dill
strangled municipal ownership ana
placed the municipalities at the mercy
of the public utility corporations
at is peculiar" said Senator George
of Thompson, chairman Of the Commit,
tee, that of the four men who DRAFTED
the bill not one was mayor nor a.
elected city official and that two o.
them are public utility corporau'n
lawyers"
George A. Wheelcek, Representing
the United States Real Estate Assoc
alton, also opposed the measure, say
ing: 80:
3'This is a bigger folly than PrOhilS.
ton. 1t is Bolshevik Legislature
There seems 10 he no sense to the Dill