New-York tribune., 1909-01-14
STATE LEGISLATURE
GETS DOWN TO WORK
SENATE AND 4SSEMBLT
COMMITTEES NAMED.
Lieutenant Governor Whites Ideas
PreUaa, Resulting IN Ercellent
Senate Last.
rRv telegraph to Ths rrisun..I J

Lieutenant Governor White and Senator John
Raines over COMMITTEES places were adjusted
this morning just in time 10 permit the list OF
assignments to be handed down when the Sen
ate convened at noon Largely they resulted in
victory for the Lieutenant Governor. since his
ideas as the chairmanships in dispute pre-
vailed. The tangible result was. save in one or
two conspicuous Instances an excellent list,
with a tudicOus assignment Of chairmen-nOta-
bly, clean slate although some legislators
wonder II a better balanced list would not have
been produced if Senator Raines's ideas had
been followed.
Probably the assignment which has aroused
most comment and adverse criticism was that
of Senator Emerson. of Warren County. 10 be
head OF the Committee on Penal Institutions
II will be recalled that he is the Senator whom
Controller GIynn charged with owing the state
many thousands Of dOIlars-a debt growing out
Of transactions when he was sales agent for
Clinton prison. Mr. Emerson at that time de-
MED any debt vigorously, and the matter
| dropped out Of sight. He does not seem TO re-
gard his being placed at the head OF this COM
nittee as the slightest compensation for not be-
ing chairman of the Railroads Committee He
turned down ruthlessly on that place. ana
his lamentations are loud.
lothian P Aids, of ChenangO County, one OF
| the old members of the Senate. was made chair
man Of the Finance Committee, according to
| schedule George A Davis. OF Buffalo. after
much consideration, retained as chairman
OF the judiciary and at the same time was made
! senior member Of the Cities Committee or
| this committee. one Of the most important this
| year. Senator Harvey Hinman. Of Bnghamton,
| was made chairman-an admirable selection IN
! every way. as he is recognized here as one OF
| the keenest lawyers shrewdest legislators and
| most independent men in either house
! CHOICE OF COBB CALLED GOOD.
! Lieutenant Governor Whites refusal to accept
| Mr.. Emerson as chairman of the Railroads
| Committee made IL necessary to put Senator
| George H. Cobb. Of watertown, in that place
/ another good choice. as Senator Cobb is consd-
cred generally 10 be an honest and earnest legis-
| Iator OF excellent repute. His promotion left
| vacant the chairmanship Of the COMMITTEES on
| Forest. Fish and Game. To which Charles NJ
| Hamilton a new Senator OF several years ser
| vice in the Assembly. was appointed This VIII
| be an important post this year. in view OF the
broad forest preservation recommendations
made by Governor Hughes and Commissioner
| Whippe.
Henry w. Hill. Of Buffalo. retained his place
! as head Of the Committee on codes. George L.
| Meade OF Rochester. an ex-Assemblyman. was
| made head OF the Committee Taxation and
/ Retrenchment. Eugene VI. Travis, of Brooklyn,
| got the chairmanshp OF the Committee on
| Banks William J. Grattan. OF Albany. that OF
I the Insurance Committee. Of which he was
| senior member. J. Mayhem Wainwright. OF
| Westchester was placed at the head OF the
| Committee on Miscellaneous Corporations. which
/ in other years has been known as the 'norgue"
| because of the number Of bills y hlch perished
| there. Under Mr. Waiuwrights Craftsmanship It
| IS certain those conditions will not prevail
| Senator Heacocl Of Herkimer County. assumes
I the important place Of chairman OF the Com
| nittee on Internal Affairs Dr. George =. Wit
| ter becomes chairman OF the Committee on
Public Health Senator George b Agnew, ot
| New York got only the small chafrmanship cS
the committee on Printed and Engrossed Bills.
which he held last term. Senator Raines said
| that Senator William T. O-Nef who is in pre-
| carious health. was at his request put on corn
1nfttees where the work would not Overtax his
strength. Senator Raines said also that Senator
Bracket obtained exactly the places he asked
for when it had been decided that he could not
be reappolnted 10 his old place as chairman ot
the Judiciary Committee. These are on Finance
and Codes.
DANGER SPOTS NOT APPARENT
Considered as a whole while the important
committees do not exhibit any notable degrees
OF strength. they did in previous years when
some Of the veteran Senators got the desirabls
places they do not present some OF the "dangeF
spots TO which that arrangement frequently
led II is not apparent now. from the makeup
OF any given committee. what fate would await
q proposition affecting adversely certain inter-
ests where before the recent cleaning out or
some OF the older Senators that condition was
possible on some questions
There were few changes Of Importance in tbs
Assembly. Perhaps the most important one
was the shift Of James s. Parker. OF Washington
COUNTY from the chafrmanship Of the Commit
tee on Labor to that Of Railroads. succeeding
! Mayhew Wainwright. Fred J. Gray. OF st.
Lawrence was named as chairman Of the
Excise Committee Mr.. Gray last year intro
duced the annual local option bill this ap-
pointnlent is OF considerable interest here.
After the Senate committee places had been
made public. Senator Raines was asked II ths
list was satisfactory.
"Oh, yes satisfactory-to the Lieutenant Cow
erno-. who appoints the Senators 70 places" ho
said. slowly.
is it satisfactory TO you?" he asked
Anything which IS satisfactory TO the Lieu
tenant Governor is satisfactory TO me-" he said.
with a broad smile
THE SENATE COMMITTEES
The Senate committee appointments follow:
FINANCE-AIlds chairman. Hill. Cordts. OfHSeif.
Brackett cobb. Asnew, Grattan, Ramspergsr.
JTpffjiARY-Davis (chairman) Aids Cobb Hin
man. Grattan. Wainwright Meade, Schlosser. Nc
Carren. Wagner Schulz
comb Schlosser. Buriingane. Davenport. McCar-
TAXATf0N AND RETRENCHMENT-NIea
(chairman). Grattan. Platt. Holden, Rose. kssel.
Allen. Cullen. T. ID. sullivan.
AFFAIRS OF CITIES-Hinman tchairman). Da-
Wis Meade. Davenport. Travis NewcOmb. Holden.
Rose. McCarren Ramsperger. Frawley.
RAII.ROADS-CObb chairman Emerson Ag-
new CIiedhH. Wainwright Hamilton. Mackenzie.