A Trolley Job

New York, 1895

An Improvement Wanted at Public Expense.

THE COUNTY TO BE TAXED.

Assemblyman Fairbrother Stands in With the Trolley People.

SENATOR CHILDS AGAINST THEM.

The Tunnel Job Was Heard in Committee.

OWENS IN CONFIDENT MOOD.

He Offers to Wager a Suit of Clothes Against a Nickel that He will Pass the Bill — Are Fairbrother and Madden in Favor of It? — A Plan to Aid the Oyster Planters Proposed by Senator Childs — New Regulations for Leasing Bay Lands — Seed by Artificial Methods at Public Expense.

(correspondence of THE FARMER.)

ALBANY, Jan. 24.

The Strong's bridge and causeway job in Flushing has got here already. The tax-payers will be surprised to learn that Assemblyman Fairbrother is against them. The trolley roads of Brooklyn want Strong's bridge and causeway improved for the accommodation of their tracks at an expense to the people that will be not less than $25,000, according to the railroad plans, and engineers say that the work cannot be done for less than $75,000. The trolley people do not care what it costs. Their purpose is to get the public officers committed. It is proposed to make this improvement a tax on the whole of Queens county.

Senator Childs last week introduced a bill to prevent the consummation of this wrong. The Brooklyn trolley people are now after the Senator. They sent him a draft of a bill, with an argument in its favor, which provides that the Strong's bridge and causeway matter shall be exempt. Senator Childs positively refused to introduce the trolley company's bill, or to amend his own bill in their interest, and says he will fight the trolley people to the end.

But the trolley people are not without a friend in this emergency. Assemblyman Fairbrother has taken charge of their bill and has introduced it. Supervisors of Queens County and others who talked with Mr. Fairbrother against the trolley companies' bill failed to move him over to the side of the tax-payers. The bill introduced by Senator Childs to prevent taxing the people for the benefit of the trolley people was indorsed by the Supervisors of Queens County before it came to Albany. Mr. Fairbrother seems to think that the Supervisors can be ignored with impunity.

If Mr. Childs' bill against this outrage fails to pass, the trolley people will have won a victory, as then they can proceed with the improvement under the old law. In that case the Supervisors will have to fight the railroad corporations in the courts.

The Newtown creek tunnel job had a hearing on Wednesday. It was a lively session. Counselor Van Vechten floored Senator Owens in just half a round. There were present from Queens county, in opposition to the tunnel bill, Supervisors Denton and Pople, Counselor Van Vechten, County Engineer McLaughlin, Dr. O. L. Jones, and others. Assemblymen Fairbrother and Madden were present. They said nothing on the subject of the bill, but there is a suspicion that they favor it. It is even said that Boss Platt is for it.

Mr. Van Vechten made the argument against the bill on behalf of Queens county, and the points he made, if they do not defeat the passage of the bill, may, when presented to Governor Morton, result in a veto of it. Mr. Van Vechten showed that the debt of the city of Brooklyn and Kings county had reached the constitutional limit, and no more bonds could be issued for any purpose. He showed, too, that Long Island City had exceeded the constitutional limit as to debt. Queens county alone has not reached anything like the limit.

"The Supervisors of Queens county," said Mr. Owens, "indorsed the tunnel bill last year." He thought this would knock Mr. Van Vechten sky high, but the lawyer came gamely up and put his gaff into Mr. Owens in this way:

"Yes, gentlemen, the Supervisors did indorse the tunnel bill last year. There were seven men in that board, all of them Democrats. They went before the people for re-election on the tunnel issue last spring, and of the seven but one was returned to the board. That, gentlemen of the committee, shows you how the people of Queens county feel about this matter."

There was not much said in favor of the tunnel. Senator Childs announced himself as strongly opposed to it. Senator Bradley of Brooklyn, after hearing Mr. Van Vechten's argument, said he should oppose the bill. Assemblyman Vacheron kept away from the hearing.

Senator Childs has given out his ideas in regard to legislation affecting shell fish industries. He says that he will make a great effort to get the state to establish one or more places for the production of oyster seed, that it may be delivered to oyster planters free or for a nominal charge for transportation, thus enabling any man no matter how poor, to lease one or more acres of bottom and plant the same with oysters. The Senator is sure that this is a most practical way to benefit the great masses of baymen. The state goes to great expense hatching fish of various kinds for our fresh water streams and lakes. Why should it not do the same to advance the interests of our shell fish industries which are of vastly more importance? The Senator will recommend that the town officials have jurisdiction over the town waters with the power to lease from one to six acres of bay bottom to one person, and to use their own discretion as to what portion shall be kept free for public use, always provided that natural oyster beds shall not be leased. Appeal may be made from any decision of the town board to the board of Supervisors whose decision shall be final. The boundaries of oyster beds by stakes or other devises shall also be regulated by town officials to meet necessary requirements, but staking must be done in a manner that will not seriously interfere with fishing or navigation.

Senator Childs says that he has given shell fish interests careful study for a year and feels sure that a great deal of legislation might be enacted which would prove of great benefit to both bayman and oyster planter and he proposes to put up a big fight in their behalf.

Speaker Fish handed down the report of the commission appointed during the last session to investigate as to the establishment of a state home for aged, dependent veterans and their relatives. The report states that the commission has decided to locate the home at Oxford, Chenango county; that it can be maintained at an annual expense of $104 for each inmate; and the United States furnishes $100 for each veteran. It closes with the recommendation that the legislature appropriate $100,000 for the establishment of the institution.

Secretary of State Palmer sent to the house notice of the resignation of the Hon. Willard A. Cobb as regent of the university.

These bills were progressed to a third reading: Mr. Lawson's, to prevent the display of foreign flags on public buildings; Mr. Burn's, relative to sales for taxes and assessments in cities of the second class.

These were among the bills introduced: By Mr. Adler, providing that in places of more than 40,000 inhabitants, side doors may be open on Sunday for the sale of liquor between the hours of 11 A. M. and 3 P. M., and from 5 P. M. until midnight; by Mr. Husted, making it unlawful to kill a deer while swimming, or to use a boat in pursuing or heading a deer off while swimming; by Mr. Fitzgerald, providing that the secretary of state shall annually enter into a contract with the railroad company to carry the members of the legislature between Albany and their homes once a week at a cost not to exceed the usual rate of fare, which is to be paid out of the state treasury; by Mr. Honsinger, amending the county law relative to the powers of boards of Supervisors touching expenditures of superintendents of poor.

By Mr. Rice, repealing the law requiring all stone for state and municipal buildings to be cut on the grounds; by Mr. Higgins, providing that foreign corporations, except life and fire insurance companies, shall pay the same organization tax as domestic corporations (1-8 of 1 per cent).

Senator Robertson presented a petition from the League for the protection of American institutions. It asks that in the interest of free education and public weal, the legislature enact a law providing that all cities of the state having 10,000 population or over shall take a census of school children, from five to sixteen years of age, during the year of 1895, and every two years thereafter. Such action will materially aid in providing accommodations for school children, many of whom are now unable to secure places in the public schools.

Introduced by Mr. Pound: Prohibiting money on loans (anti-shark bill); by Mr. Stapleton, amending town law giving auditors $3 per day in places of 12,000 population or over; by Mr. O'Connor, to prevent fraudulent transfer of property by persons contemplating insolvency.

Assemblyman Stuart introduced a bill enlarging and defining the powers of Supervisors and boards of town auditors.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, Jan. 25, 1895, p. 1.