The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-31
ODELL VOTE.MACHINE CORNER
BILL TO CLUB THE CITY INTO 1T
IN TWENTY DAYS.
As the Governor Has Abolished the Victims.
Machine Commission Only TIVE
Frieadiy) Brands Of Machines Can
he Got by the city for Its $500. 900.

(Fricadly) Brands Of Machines Can
BE Got BY the city for Its $500. 900.
A bill now before the Legislature--on the
order Of third reading In the Assembly
makes it mandatory on the city Of New
York to buy an equipment OF voting ma
chimes within twenty days after the passage
of the act. This bill means that the city
must invest 1907 400 in machines which.
/. according to the local officials who have
the power TO buy them without legislative
authority, are not OF demonstr rated accuracy
OF reliability.
That the Legislature should endeavor
to force the machines on the city Of New
York Is only a part OF the story Of this
Legislation. Should the bill pass the city
must purchase at once, and II can legally
buy from but two corporations: The
United States Standard Voting Machine
Company or the Bardwell votometer Com
pany. According to the owners Of other
makes Of voting machines, there Is q COM
munity Of interest between these two
companies, who have. under existing con-
ditions. a legal monopoly in this State.
That this monopoly exists is chargeable
directly to Gov. Odell. He has permitted
the Voting Machine Commission law to
become imperative. The two companies
are alone in their field by virtue Of the fact
that no body exists to admit other DOM
panies into competition II a completed
machine which was conceded by every
mechanical expert in the world to be the
perfection Of a ballot machine should be
offered TO the city Of New York for 81 q
machine the city could not consider its
claims. but must buy one Of the two styles
manufactured by the benefciaries OF Gov.
Odell's procedure.
Seventeen makers Of voting machines
have offered to demonstrate their apparatus
to the Board OF Elections here and have
sought to have them passed by the State
Voting Machine Commission 30 that they
may sex to sell their products in the various
cities and counties Of the State. The law
meant that there should be court TO pass
on the qualities Of the different machines,
but when that court had approved Of the
articles which Gov. 0dell's friends make
the Executive apparently saw no further
usefulness in the board.
Two Of the three Commissioner resigned
last year, the second one in September,
leaving but one member, who could not
well assume the powers OF the commission
The term Of the sole remaining member
expired on Dec. 81. Gov. Odell uid not
fill the vacancies caused by the designations
and since the terms OF all three expired
he has made no appointments. Conse-
quently the inventor of q machine, he II
good or bad, has no opportunity TO be heard.
The city must buy from one Of two COM
panies.
4. The first legislation touching voting
machines was put through in IS ), when a
a..
the Meyers A' machine IN local sST" elections ss
That was followed In the next few years by
bills permitting the Use OF the Davis machine
and the Bona machine. An act Of 1897
established the Voting Machine Commits
tinued in ONCE the Voting Machine Commis-
sion appointed under the bill Of 1897. All
previous acts permitting the use Of machines
of various kinds in cities and towns were
repealed, and IL was provided that this COM
on its certificate OF approval machine
might be used In any part Of the State.
The commission consisted Of =. T. Dodge
OF New York, Prof. X. II. Thurston Of Cor
nell and Harry de B. Parsons Of New York.
signed. After Sept /, 1902, six months ago,
there was but one Commissioner. Since
Jan. there has been no commission. The
Bona machine was examined by the old
but the commission never
on Indt Whf TIE late Oh some
other machines which were examined by
the Commissioners.
The compensation OF the Commissioners
came from the exhibitor who had 10 paw
a fee OF $3.50 10 have his machine inspected
Each Of the Commissioners got $50 Of that
money.
The Meyers voting machine. which was
the first 10 get legislation through at Al
bany, was ABSORBED afterward by one o!
the two companies which were merged
later into tho United States Voting Ma
chine Company. The late Senator Par
SONS Of Rochester was credited with pass
ing the bills advantageous 10 the voting |
machine.
The United States Standard Voting
Machine Company now has It's principal |
Rochester friends figure In It's directory. |
lie factory " In jamestown and Artl w |
&. Wade Of jamestown 10 = direstor. Mr.. /
Made h. a large factor In the poliiics ~ |
lhsuiauqua county, which gave Go,
Odell such a helpful part Of thai slsoo plur-
Made onoe ran for Attorney general On
lhs Republican Mate ticket The capital
stock ~ the standard Company 10 81 0S y0o
The Bsrds.ll Noloin.,sr Company Ia .
Nest virginia corporation. With q capita
Lat year tho Beard ~ Fle.slons o-ri-
hsJ to il,s board ~ Estimate thai N voting
machines s.s. IA 10 used Nee fofk would
Iuq,r zee tts siandAfds prev ls
so eArli, making . total ~ essl .t0b TO
his sAI-n.r Intisi H. added tho fr-lshi
aisd oarass fran Jansriosn 90 Nee i0fi.
- iiisisd 81 o. . hlas'i,iI~ aud ,hs stand
,fd's ohsIss ~ ego . kssI foI housing tho
i,a, iiiinr siid l,siiiu.S iir,n IA Illanr
uslsf ils loo tLs kuaId ~ tL.,tisns
,as il,s IsSssI "a liuy su,iis i.lacllii..s ~ ~
> asiis "a Ils lil lifols,a-,s a. f,S.s them
% ps..ldsid Jal,l h ,aofiils ~ iLs
sssId saia lao faShi
.in s,s bass a. hs'h say l..itinusI
i,ssi,ii,s na 90 adssin-i ihs lisisss-is of
'Hy I d. isii.,s il,si iiss ais II kss
Iosk sisild sa 10 siuia-,d ~ ils iess
..'.,s '.as .l....a'' a,sdy $50 iz
tssI ~ tsa Iis assksss ~ il.s a.ssaslns
!, I.,il 80 aaH islB ufisks iiis lac hgs ais
saari siall iisakiis tnilspt ssasi,is slsa shh
isl aftiislriiS slsg 40 a,as llfs ! lsi-si
; I.ai sald n Isf SO 40 ksssA ~ la
- ls,r $50 a.. lssfs-a alssailis
Asi,g niaaaaissl .fsst ell 40 Ssssd gttels
lsf l.sts last la,t 80 fslllliii 40 lsa Liii,
y ltstf tad iis slsliiiltiff tlsfm Gag taag
> = 500 tili.ss ssistiiisd ~ iis SEE iaahS
sslllis tssiisiiisal,sn ai,a ,i,i ,aiilsN - 10
alsfs q - ~ ..assssl.si,s tis sfiff
al ! saslsi sass.- ii'.'s sss isis Lsi
,,a.s 49,. l.4s ssl .s.s ,l.ss -sfss
rfif ssatiisia lnti~ n ssas a. sfssf
a. ais.aslig n As- tsst y tl,si 90 90,
"A 80 asssf l@itlss a.ef 10 n 90 hs4d
. a. 90 iH,sisaisl s.'s.f.s,, az tst,glsi