The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-07-24
A BILL IN THE BOX
Story of a Legislative Prank In
|. the New York Assembly.
DILEMMA OF A TlMID MEMBER.

Though HE Name Was Signed to the
Measure He Was Not Its Author and
When Ordered to Withdraw II What
Little Courage He Had Failed Him.
There was fake bill introduced In
the assembly OF New York state dur
ing the session of 1902 that really be-
came famous piece OF legislation be
fore it arrived at It's formal fnis, al
though II has never until the present
time been chronicled In print.
The act was placed I'm the assembly |
bill box by two jokers Of the assembly.
II was drawn up In the regular form.
beginning with the necessary verbiage,
'The people OF the state OF New York
In senate and assembly represented
etc The provisions OF the first two or
three sections were also very plausible.
and. In fact. the entire measure was
!. put together In such way that only
technician In legislative matters could
have discerned the Joke.
The assembly bill box Is receptacle
placed for the measures OF the legisln-
tors who may wish 10 have them In
troduced at the next regular daily SEES
sion subsequent TO their deposit The
box IN only used between times" Tor
when the assembly IL I'M session the
bin may be handed up TO the clerk for
reading. Bills are introduced In dupli-
cata and must bear. OF course, the In
PRODUCERS name.
The jokers dropped the fake bill into
the box on Thursday night. They
attached a members name whose dis
trict was In the crowded east side sec
ton OF New York. He was what was
known as a machine man and had lit
tle Initiative or individuality. He
never waited over for Friday morning
sessions, as they lasted but few min
utes. and Il was easier to take the
train TO New York Thursday night re-
turning after recess the following
Monday night
The fake bill with the east side
members name was duly taken out
OF the box Friday morning and its
tftIe read. II was referred to It's prop
ar committee and ordered printed. Its
>. purpose was made very plain Al
every crossroad throughout the state
OF New York there must be placed al
once by the state engineer and sur
veyor a sIgnpost with a sign OF ex
actiy described dimensions, and letter
lng measured TO dot. directing trav
elers to the nearest place for enter
taiument OF man and beast. The
angles OF the crossroads were specified
IN their exact degrees with respect q
the proper placing OF the sign.
No sooner was the title OF the bill
read than the afternoon newspape
representatives at Albany pricked III
their ears. They were on tho aler
always for New York city legislation
but here was a bill making II manda
tory to erect signposts throughout tn
state. and essentially OF rural benefit
Yet n member from congested New
York district had introduced II. Some
thing strange. They searched aroma
for the alleged lntroducer. He was 4
New York They took no chances
however. and teiegrnphed column :
their papers telling OF the attempt :
siRnpost the state by an east side lea
tslstor.
The morning papers took IL up. re
porters hunted up the assembiyman a
=. his home. He reared out his denia
But nobody believed him. He got
hurry telephone cali from his distric
leader, to whom he sworc he hadcIr
troduced no such bill. He was ordere
to ask for the privilege OF the floor
Monday nights session and compel tn
withdrawal OF the bill. He had stag
fright over the idea. He was almos
- too bashfui 10 raise his voice when vo
~ ing Al roll call. Meanwhile the new
OF the bin spread. and from ali qua
ters OF the city the iuckiess assembl.
men received telephone messages asl
ing 10 be '1et I'm on the signpost graft
The following Monday night the a
legged introducer arrived IN Albany a
Il most Ia state OF collapse. All durin
the ensuing week he was ordered
demand the withdrawal OF the bill. b.
y would not rise In HIS sent and ask
Finally member In the secret told q
facts TO Speaker Nixon. The speak,
called the assemblyman TO his de-
and questioned him. He was satisns
that the legislator was altogether q
timid to introduce such radical b
-. and exonerated him
But the bill had been printed. whs
lt was supposed that II had been XIII,
Ia committee the irst thing known WI
a request for a hearing on Il by son
good roads workers. who saw In II
bhssing and who sent the alleged !
PRODUCER a congratulatory letter for b
public spirited act. The bin OF cour
died In committee. but its memo
chung TO the east side legislator {
many years. New York Sun.