Childs' Highway Act

New York, 1895

A PROPOSED NEW LAW TO MEET EXISTING DEMANDS.

Supervisors to Have Power to Make Abandoned Toll Roads in Towns Public Highways — The Senator's Burial Tax Bill to be Considered Wednesday.

(Special Correspondence of the Farmer.)

ALBANY, Feb. 14.

Senator Childs has introduced an amendment to the county law which provides that boards of Supervisors shall have power to provide for the use of abandoned turnpike, plank or macadamized roads within any town as public highways; and for the improvement of any public highway laid out in pursuance of law; and for the location, erection, repair or purchase of any bridge, except over navigable streams; and for apportioning the expense of any public road or bridge upon such towns as may be just; and for the borrowing of money by any town or towns or by the county for the purposes aforesaid; or for general purposes in anticipation of taxation for such purpose authorized by law; but jurisdiction in the cases aforesaid shall not be exercised without the assent of two-thirds of all the members elected to such board, to be determined by yeas and nays, which shall be entered on its minutes, and no special ordinance, relating to any one town or ward only, shall become operative unless it shall receive the affirmative vote of the supervisor representing such town or ward.

A bill has been introduced by Mr. Higbie to authorize the villiage of Greenport to purchase the property of the local water company. The village is going into the business of supplying water itself.

Assemblyman Vacheron's bill to prohibit the sale of liquors or cigars by an excise commissioner makes a violation of it punishable by a fine of $250 and six months' imprisonment.

On Wednesday next there will be a hearing before the Senate Committee on Health on the bill introduced by Mr. Childs to impose a tax of one dollar for the interment of the body of a person not a resident of the county.

The legislature elected Charles R. Skinner Superintendent of Public Instruction in place of James F. Crooker. This will be good news for the people of Long Island.

Mr. Vacheron's bill relative to opening private papers, and disclosing the contents of telegrams, passed the Assembly.

On Thursday last Mr. Vacheron introduced in the Assembly a bill providing for the defense of actions brought against Long Island City; also, making estrangement and alienation of husband and wife for 15 years grounds for application for divorce, provided there be no minor children.

Chairman Ainsworth, of the Assembly ways and means committee, has completed the annual appropriation bill. The appropriations aggregate $9,671,860, an increase of $54,000 over last year.

Senator Coggeshall introduced a bill allowing county agricultural societies to participate in moneys received from race tracks.

Mr. Horton's bill prohibiting boxing exhibitions came up for final action in the house, and in spite of vigorous opposition was passed by a vote of 69 to 32.

Mr. Brush introduced a bill providing that veterans shall be preferred for promotion in the public service.

Mr. Gray introduced a bill in the Assembly permitting racing associations to hold race meetings during the summer months for a period not to exceed 40 days. It also provides that the officers of the associations may offer prizes for events, that there shall he no gambling on the track, but that, should the latter provision be violated, neither the officers nor the association shall be held liable; that the racing associations must pay a state tax of 5 per cent on their earnings, to be distributed for prizes among the various fairs to be held in the state.

Senator Donaldson introduced a bill for local option, which also prevents druggists from selling liquor except on a written order of a physician.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, Feb. 15, 1895, p. 1.