New-York tribune., 1912-01-11
OLD GUARD CONTROLS
ASSEMBLY ORGANIZATION
Speaker Makes Public His LIST
OF Committees.
FRIENDS IN CHIEF PLACES
Dana Frozen Out of Chairman
ship-Parker Heads Ways
and Means.
FRIENDS IN CHIEF PLACES
BY rel.granh 70 rnc -rLbnnc--

tpF Telegraph Tic .rit'l'.'..
Albany. Jan. 10 - Speaker Merritt an
nounced his list Of committee assignments
tonight when tho Legislature rcconNeh''
after its weeks recess. It showed us
tinc'ly "Old Guard" organization OF tho
committees. Men. either close personal ana
political friends Of the Speaker or OF MS
own point OF view politically, without nav
ing been so closely associated with him.
arc at the strategic points. Under any
thing but the most extraordinary circum-
stances, it would be impossible for any
body of ant-AIerritt Assemblymen TO take
control of any legislation from him ana
his supporters, simply bccauSn OF the
distribution Of Merritt men in the com
mittecs This could hardly fail 10 ID" true,
even II the Speaker did not intend 10 build
up "A personal machine IN tho House, be
cause of the great number Of new members
this year The committee Chairmanships
naturally fell to the older members. ac-
cordinr to seniority OF service, and most
Of them happen 80 ne aligned politically
with Mr. Merritt
Thus the Rules Committee, tho all-im-
rortant body in tho closing days of th"
legislative session, is made up Of Young,
Of Westchesto~, the man chosen nv the
Speaker for floor leader: Yale. Of Putnam,
Mcrrtrs friend and business associate;
Parker, ot Washington, who holds Mor-
ritts own point Of view ON political affairs,
though now sore because ne did not get
committee place which h" desired. and
Murray, Of New York. a Republican who
stayed out Of the caucus rather than vote
with other New York mon against Merritt,
and 4. Z. Smith, of New York, and eN-
Speaker Frisbie. Democrats. The Speaker,
Of course is chairman. on the Ways and
Means Committee, In important places, ar"
Young, Yale and Parker. white Whitney.
of Saratoga. its chairman, IS Of Morritts
political faith.
The Assembly Judiciary Committee is a
body out Of which little legislation de-
signed 10 correct tho present so-Calicd d.
rect primary law is likely TO come. Hin
man. Of Albany, who owes political al
legiance TO State Chairman William Barnes,
ir. is tho Chairman, while tho ranking
memoer is Phillips. of Monroe County. an
other anti-direct nominations man. Others
are scattered through its membership. al
though sullivan, Of ChautauqUa, and Muir
ray and Kopp, Of New York, who have
voted for direct nominations measure. also
are members.
A member from greater New York heads
the cities Committee this ycar-Conc OF
Kings who supported Merritt iu the Speak
crShip night Dana. Of New York. who was
a candidate aEains, Merritt, gets no chair
mausnip. lie mas served only one year IN
the Assembly before this lie is assigned
to a place on Codes. Taxation and Re
trenchment and the Soldiers Home-s fair
list though not one he Is likely 10 braE
about. MURRAY. the senior New York mem
bcr. lands good places
Early in the SpoakersIip nCht James :
Parker, Of Washington County figured a.
a candidate, but withdrew IN favor OF Mer-
rtt IL was assumed ne would receive good
committee places and he himself expected
lhis friends said had the promise Oh APP
pointment 10 the chairmanship Of a sub
committee OF the WAYS and Means Com
mittee, to bc known as the Appropriations
Committe-. No such place was IN tho list
while Parker was put al tho head of the
Railroads Committee. a plac" uc has said
he didn't want
Theodore Douglas Robinson. OF HcTkimcr,
Theodore RoOsevclrs nephew and t first
year member, is assigned 10 Internal At
fairs and Comm"rc" and Navigation. Mor-
rill, Of Schenectady. the Socialist member,
has d place on Canal. Labor and Industries
and Charitable and Religious Sociotc-