New-York tribune., 1912-01-18
Mr.. MERRITT's APPOINTMENTS
No Discrimination Against New York
Assemblymen, Says VIM. s. Bennett.

To the Editor Of Tho Tribune.
Sir. ON what do Speaker Merritts crit
ics base their claim that in his committee
assignments he Disseminated against New
York County Republican Assemblvmen? An
incomplete and hasty examination Of former
committee assignments and tho recollec-
tiors Of my own service In the Assembly
give me no ground on which 10 Join iu such
criticism
Let lis noto the facts New York County
has fifteen Republican Asscmhlymen. Nine
Of these are serving their first terms. and.
Of course. neither expected nor received
very prominent places. The others and
their assignments in the order of their ser
vice are:
Murray Fourth term-Rules, judiciary
Taxation ard Retrenchment
Kopp (third term m)--Privileges and Flee
flons tchairnan). judiciary and Claims.
Brooks Csccond term)-Military Affairs
chairman and cities.
Shlinck tsecond tcrm) Claims (chair-
mani. General Laws and Privileges and
Elections
Goodman Csccond tcrm) Public Health,
Claims and Insurance.
Dana (second term not consecutive -
Codes and Taxation and Rctrenchment
Kopp and ShlInck voted against Merritt
but they get Chairmanships nevertheless.
Brooks Is well treated, with a chalrmanship
and cities, and Murray IS not complaining
with Rules and two other good committees.
Incidentally Murray. with his well known
cbampionship OF direct nominations. is put
OH Judiciary TO which such bills are re-
ferred. and on Rules. which has the final
say. In what year did either Speaker Nixon
or wadsvorth give New York County three
chairmanships and 4 place on Rules, as
Speaker Merritt has?
Let MS now compare the appointments Of
Nessrs Dana and Goodman with well
known Assemblymen Of the past In their
respective second terms Gherardi Davis.
cities. Canals and Fish and Game; George
r. Agnew. cities. Commerce and Naviga-
,ion and Public Lands and Forestry; Ezra
p. Prentice. cities and Public Health /;
Speaker Merritt. Insurance, General Laws
and Trades and Manufactures Edward R.
Finch, Villages Taxation and Retrench-
ment and Military Affairs; Frederic r.
Toonbs. Codes, Public Health and Military
Affairs: Artemus Ward, Jr.. Judiciary, Re-
vision and Public Health, Robert s. Conk-
lin, cities. Excise and Revision. and Will
lam Young, Judiciary, Electricity. Gas and
Water Supply and Privileges and Elections.
could easily extend the list. Four AS
semblymen have Jared better I'm their first
or second terms than Messrs. Dana and
Goodman These were George c. Austin
and Nelson II. Henry, each with n chair
manship in his first term; Edward H. Fal-
lows, with one In his second, and Beverley
r. Robinson, Jr with Rules and Cities In
his second
II seems clear TO me that Speaker Mer-
ritt has not Disseminated against the New
York County Republican Assemblymen. He
has given them more chairmanshps on
shorter service than his predecessors, put
one of them on Rules and gives Messrs.
Dana and Goodman about the same kind
OF assignments that second-year men usu-
ally get
II we want good committee assignments
for Republican Assemblymen we must give
them extended continuous service, as the
upstate counties do Until we do let us not
imperil party harmony by continually
lining up the city against the country.
Let us blame ourselves for our policy Of
short service for good men. and not Speak
er Merritt, who has to recognize the claims
of long service az we'll as OF ability.
WILLIAM S. BENNET.
New York, Jan. II, 1912.