Senator Childs' Bills

New York, 1895

ONE PROPOSES A STATE ROAD FROM SAG HARBOR TO BUFFALO.

Another Amends the County Road and Highway Laws, A Third Amends the Highway Widening Law, and a Fourth Establishes a Burial Tax — The Committees — Gossip of the Capital.

(Correspondence of THE FARMER.)

ALBANY, Jan. 9.

The bill introduced by Senator Childs for the construction of a public highway, or State road, from Sag Harbor to New York and thence to Albany and Buffalo, has been referred to the committee on finance. Such a road would be a splendid thoroughfare, but it would cost a vast sum of money, and the State may be unwilling to undertake it at this time, but some time or other Senator Childs' idea will be carried out. The work is to be done under the direction of the State Engineer and Commissioner of Public Works, and State convicts are to perform the manual labor. This would lessen the cost nearly one-third. The State Engineer is required to make surveys and submit a complete estimate of the cost to the next legislature. The Commissioner of Public Works is to give public hearings in each county as to the best route to be followed, and the first hearing is to be given in Suffolk county some time in May next, provided the bill has become a law then. The work is to be commenced at Sag Harbor and prosecuted westward. Thus Long Island will be taken care of first. This is very shrewd of the Senator.

The committee on roads and bridges have charge of Senator Childs' bill to amend the highway law. This bill changes the county road law somewhat. Highways leading through two towns or more may be designated by the board of Supervisors county roads, outside the cities, and a map of such county roads shall be filed in the County Clerk's office. The expense of maintaining these roads shall be apportioned upon the several towns and cities. The roads shall be under exclusive jurisdiction of the board of Supervisors and the County Engineer, "and exempt from the jurisdiction of the highway officers or officers performing the duty of highway commissioners of the several towns and villages in which such county roads are located." The maintenance of roads other than county roads shall be a town charge, and the money system of taxation shall prevail, except in Queens county, where the system now provided by special law shall be continued.

Another of Senator Childs' bills exempts Queens county from the operation of the law passed last year entitled "an act to provide for widening highways." This law made the widening of highways a county charge. For instance, if the Highway Commissioners of Oyster Bay decided to widen a highway the expense would have to be borne by all the towns in common. It was an unjust law. So few persons knew of the existence of the law that no attempt has been made to apply it in Queens county, although during last year highways were widened in several of the towns, notably in Jamaica. It is probable that the law will be repealed generally.

A good many of the roads in Queens county are worn out principally by the processions of hearses and coaches that travel over them to the cemeteries from and to the several cities. Senator Childs proposes that funerals shall be taxed and the money applied to the maintenance of the county roads. He has introduced a bill providing that the County Treasurer issue burial permits at one dollar each. No body can be interred until such permit has been obtained, and the penalty for violating the law is $100. Newtown already having a burial tax law is to be exempted from the provisions of this county burial act. Newtown's income from burials has been as much as $35,000 annually and never less than $30,000.

The excise reform association of New York city has prepared for presentation to the Legislature an excise bill, providing for one excise commissioner, who shall have power to issue liquor licenses to all who apply, and have money to pay for them; the applicant must secure the approval of the two adjoining property holders. It also provides that the Sunday liquor question shall be voted on at the next election.

The executive committee of the New York state commercial association completed its state canal improvement act for presentation to the Legislature. The act provides for submitting to the people at the November election the question of bonding the state for $9,000,000 at four per cent for seventeen years. The work provided for is the deepening and general improvement of all canals in the state.

The Comptroller's office is now collecting corporation taxes. It is estimated that more than $1,200,000 of capital stock taxes will be collected this year. This is an increase of several hundred thousands.

Notaries public from all over the state are sending in their resignations rather than come under the Constitutional provision regarding passes on railroads.

The testimony of the Lexow committee which has been ordered printed, fills 11,000 typewritten pages, and will occupy about 6,000 pages in print.

Speaker Fish announced Mr. Platt's list of committees Wednesday evening.

Mr. Vacheron is on the committees on Codes and on Internal Affairs.

Mr. Fairbrother of Queens is on the committees on Taxation and Retrenchment, Labor and Industries, Fisheries and Game.

Mr. Madden of Queens is on the Committees on Banks, Electricity, Gas and Water Supply, and Villages.

Mr. Madden has a pull. Although a Democrat, he has fared better than either Mr. Vacheron or Mr. Fairbrother.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, N.Y., Jan. 11, 1895, p. 1.