New-York tribune., 1922-02-12
Port Authority
Bill to Pass
Early IL Week
Quick Approval in Both
Houses Assured and Ii
Is Expected To Be Be-
fore Miller Thursday
Busy Wind-Up Forecast
Rules Committee Due TO
Take Over All Legislation
Not Acted Upon March ;
lrom a Sto0 Corr,spordrnt {.

ALBANY. Feb. 1.-The Port Author
ity bill viii come UP for action in both
houses next week. 1t is expected that
It viii be in the hands of the Gov
ernor by Thursday night. as its early
passage in both houses is assured
1t will receive practically a solid
Republican vote. and Democratic lcgis-
from Mayor Hylan and William Ran
dolrh Hearst arc going to follow the
advice of ex-Govc rnor Alfred F. Smith
7nd the Democratic party platform and
vote fer the bill
The Legislature promises 70 spend
the last month of It's existence in one
of the busiest wind-ups known here
1t is admitted that the vast majority
of the ,521 bills which have been in -
troduced to date, and which have no.
been acted on by any of the commit
ties, can receive but scant consideration
at best
Rules Board Ia Take Power March
On Monday night the resolution set
ting March II as the date of final ad-
journment will be introduced in both
houses. This automatically will wipe
out OF existence on March 9 all stand
ing committees in the Assembly, when
the Rules Committee will take over all
tho legislation which the committees
nave not acted on up to that date. This
will mean that the Rules Committee.
consisting actually of five men, but
tunctionlng through the chairman, the
Speaker of the House. viii have su-
preme control over 500 measures and
is supposed to give reasonable consid-
Grafton to all these bills in the com
paratively few days it will have st its
disposal.
Yearly efforts to end this situation
are made by friends of good govern
mert. but without success Sometimes
the Rules Committee has been used to
XII merltorious legislation whose pass
age was opposed by powerful lobbyists.
ana at other times the Governor, if he
controlled tho Speaker, would havo
legislation killed which he openly ad
vocatod. and then. with the consent of
the Speaker, would place all the blame
on the Rules Committee. In legislative
circles 1t Is known the morgue.
Tax Bills Field Day Tuesday
On Tuesday all tax bills will hold
field day before the two committees
ON taxation. One Of the most i'm
portant measures which will be con
sldered by these committees is the
Davenport-1udson bill providing for
= per cent tax on all unincorporated
businesses. At present .his tax is
levied only on Incorporated enterprises
ne purport of the law IS not ONLY 10
eliminate the discrimination, but to
add millions to the state revenues.
On Wednes sday there will be a hear
ing before the Public Service commit
tees on Senator Robinson's water nowe~
h'lls, which carry out the Governors
recommendations The same day. be-
Tore the Assembly Judiciary Commit
tee. the seven constitutional amend
ments giving home rule for cities viii
he argued. and it is expected that at
least one of them Will be reported
favorably ~
The Lockwood committee will mako
lls report this week. and the Budget
committees statement on appronria-
tons viii be ready Monday night The
total budget will be S12S. 900 900. some
$1,000, 900 less than last years, and
nearly S22.0Oo.oo0 less than the last
budget Of the Smith administration.