New-York tribune., 1909-03-11
FOR ADJOURNMENT SOON
PLANNED BY THE ASSEM-
BLY, LEADERS.
Passage of Resolution W0uId G'0e
Rules Committee COntrONBlo1c
to Primary La7Cs.
LRy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

Albany. March 1O.-Coincident with the announce
ment that the direct primary bill designed to meet
| Governor Hughes's ideas would not be ready Tor
| another week a least came the discovery to-day
that Assembly leaders were passing the word 10
| hustle all business, adjournment about Aprh
Is might be taken, with the appropriation and sup
plv bills out of the way and such other legislation
| as must be finished each session. Passage by the
Assembly of an adjournment resolution for that
| date would permit the Rules Committee to take
I charge of all Assembly business within month";
! under the precedent which Speaker WadsWorth SET
last year. whether or not the Senate accepted taI
| adjournment date
The Speaker called a meeting of all the chair
| men of committees a night two ago. and urged
/ them to get all the bills which their commit
! tees expect TO act on this year He spoke OF the
| necessity of speedy adjournment, and, though ne
mentioned date, one or two of the chairmen I'M
mediately suggested April Is. Supporters OF the
Governors direct primary bills say they nave near
rumors that the Speaker was anxious to get the
| Rules Committee, of which he Is the dominant
force into control of legislation soon-some OF the
| mentioned April ! the approximate time
| If anything of that sort is attempted II seems
probable that a good deal Of discomfort on the part
| Of several Assembymen with the way affairs are
running the lower house will crystalline ana per
| haps brew nasty of trouble Whether II
comes from fancied personal grievances or "lIe'ei
from some weightier cause cannot be learned out
| wifi
/ Workers and a few upstate men have been gruih
| hing that the Speaker and small clique, IN
| which were Ray B. Smith. the Assembly cleIh
| Al Smith, Democrat from New Iork-no reia-
tive of the clerk's-and two chairnen ot I'M
portant committees. absolutely were dominating l'e
Assembly .Al" Smith, sometimes called the BOW
erv statesman" easily is the strong man IN the Dem
ocrst tic ranks In the Assembly, as he mas peeh lof
! three wears regardless Of the so-called minority
! leader The protesting Assemblymen say that
through his strength there the Speaker and his Re
| pubIican aids have machine at their dlsposaI
which serves their turn effectively II not as aoso
! luely as the old Nixon machine.
lust at the end of last session. after the Rules
! Committee had been in charge for a much longer
time than the stipulated ten days before ADJOURN
| uent there came a genuine outbreak OF wrath at
the tactics OF the Assembly powers that were.
Assemblymen John Lord O'Brian' OF BunaIo' d
/ Mayhew Wainwright Of Westchester; James A
/ Francis of New York and others protested long
and vigorously at the sitting in the Rules commit
tee OF the public service legislation They were out
voted on the floor, affairs wore nasty aspect
! for a time.
The direct primary legislation. II introduced in
! the next week or two hardly can get beyond the
| control OF committees in month That also Is
true Of the public service legislation which Is
about 10 be introduced and Of the New York char
! ter Thus II the Rules Committee were TO take
over all unfinished legislation about April l. 1t
would take into its keeping the three big PROPOSE
! tions of the present legislative session, to one
of which the Speaker is violently opposed. begis-
| lators who know the Speakers personal ideas OF
| fair play and his record for square dealing since
he has been Speake- do credit insinua tons
that he wants have these measures within CON
! troll Of his machine" But these protesting As
se1,blvnen who perhaps are sore heads declare
| that they will in circumstances stand for any
premature control OF business by the Rules Com
| r1{;f