Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-15
CHECK TO ROOSEVELT
Purpose of Bill introduced in
New York Legislature.
OTHER CThTEc INVITED
OTHER STATES INVITED
Suggestion for a Conference on I'M
portant Uniform Laws.
CONSERVATIVE MEN ALARMED
Merritt Wants to Preserve the Sow
ereignty Of States-Corrupt
Practices Measure.

ALBANY, February ia plan to band
the states together in league to check
the GENERALIZATION tendencies of the Roose-
welt administration is contained in a bill
introduced in the assembly yesterday by
Mr.. Merritt of st. Lawrence county.
The bill provides that three delegates
from each state be invited to conference
next October probably at Saratoga, in Or
der to frame uniform laws for regulating
life and fire insurance, divorce, labor, pub
lie utilities and Interstate commerce. The
bill appropriates $685. to meet the eX-
penses of the convention. The visiting del
egates are to be the guests OF the state.
conservative men," said Mr.. Merritt,
view with some alarm the suggestion or
the conclusion that it is necessary for the
states of the Union to surrender directly
or by indirection any portion Of their SOW
ereignty to the federal government which
is not now already surrendered 1t is not
of preserving in its integrity the soyer-
eighty of the several states in those mat
tiers which are properly theirs to control.
knowledge of Rights Needed.
Current discussion of the regulation Of
the public-service corporations, corporate
organizations, and hours of labor in par
ticular, seems to be developing in the d.
rection of federal instead of state control.
THE people of the whole country are be-
coming more and more closely knit to-
gether into common interests, and it is i'm
portant that the citizens of New York hav-
ing interests in other states affected by the
laws and customs of other states should
have, as far possible knowledge of their
rights, legal remedies an6 obligations
1T is recognized that the best results in
the regulation and control, for instance, of
n n nr,1ry hn
reached when the laws of the different
states in harmony with the federal
statutes.
New York is justly termed the Empire
state, and very great number of the
states which have been organized in the
last forty years have modelled their con-
situations and their laws upon those of
New York. The forward STEP. therefore,
in seeking to promote uniformity can very
well be taken by New York.
No doubt New Jersey, or Wisconsin, or
Massachusetts,. can make excellent argu-
ments to show that their system of laws
terest are satisfactory and correct
model"
New Campaign Expense Bill.
Amendments to the corrupt practices act,
designed to make that law more effective,
were offered in the assembly yesterday by
Mr.. Wainwright. The principal amendment
strikes out the $500 exemption in regard
to statements of campaign expenses and
requires all items of expense to be ac-
counted for in full. The Association to
Prevent Corrupt Practices found during
the last campaign that the 500 exemption
was used in many cases as cloak to cover
what is believed to have been distribution
of funds for illegal purposes.
The length Of time for filing statements
has been increased to thirty days. and
thirty days after the filing is allowed for
bringing a petition. This is done to obviate
the confusion which existed last autumn.
The new law is made plainly to apply to
candidates. as well as committees and
others, and the old section of the penal code
requiring candidates to file statements is
stricken out.
The number of clerks messengers, &C.,
in an election district is limited to four,
and the number of carriages is limited in
cities and in Incorporated villages to two,
and in other districts to four. The pro-
vision which has existed in this state for
many years, limiting the use of carriages
to sick and infirm voters, is stricken out
The provisions of the accounting system
is extended to caucus and nomination
expenses.