New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-15
Threaten to Split Republi-
can Party if Perkins
Heads Commission
City Tax Objected To
Amendment Is Promised to
Prevent New York Paying
for Upstate Markets
fSpe-iN Cnrrespondcnrel

ALBANY, Aug. 14.-Although the
legislative leaders will make an effort
to force through to final passage to-
morrow or Thursday the compromise
food bill agreed upon by Governor
Whitman and the Brown War Commit
tee, there is every reason tonight to
believe that they will have hard work
to get enough rural Assemblymen TO
Albany to carry out this programme.
Speaker Sweet has sent kilograms to
the delinquents telling them that their
presence here is imperative. but they
are obeying the summons reluctantly.
The country Assemblymen are be-
tween two disagreeable alternatives
to incur the anger OF their constituents
by voting for the food bill or TO stand
out against the pressure of Governor
Whitman and the legislative leaders,
who undoubtedly will endavor to bind
them to caucus to support the COM
promise measure. Many of them al
ready are showing a disposition to
dodge the issue.
Protest Against Perkins
1t became known tonight that the
opposition of the farmers to the pro-
posed food bill is secondary TO their
objection to George W. Perkins as head
Of the Food Control Commission. Sam
uel Fraser, who represents the State
Federation of Farm Bureaus, with or
CARNATIONS in forty-siX counties besides
several other agricultural organiza-
tions, declared that if the food bill is
forced through and George W. Perkins
is made head Of the Food Control Com
mission it will result in one of the
worst splits the Republican party up
state has ever known. 1t also was
freely prophesied tonight that the
farmers would see to it that Governor
Whitman is the last Republican Gov
ernor elected from NV York City.
"The farmers" said Mr. Fraser,
would have little objection to the food
control bill if they knew that it would
be administered by men who under
stood farming and farmers. They
would like to see man like James W.
Wadsworth, sr., as head of the COM
mission, but they will never stand for
George W. Perkins. NJ. Perkins has
demonstrated that he knows nothing
about farming. He has shown tina. ,e
cannot get the farmers point of view,
and his autocratic manner does not ap-
peal to the tiller of the soil"
Fear Inefficient Work
1t also was pointed out that under
the plan which the farmers believed
Governor Whitman intends to carry out
Mr.. Perkins not only is to be chairman
of the Food Control Commission, but
Federal Food Administrator, head of
the State Farms and Markets Council
and Market Commissioner of New York
City. They contend that this is vesting
too much power in one man. They de-
clare that each one of these positions
is a man-sized job, and they fear that
with one man holding them all much
of the work will be shifted to inef-
ficient underlings.
On the other hand, people who have
sought drastic food control legislation
are expressing dissatisfaction with the
compromise bill. They have been COM
pairing it with the original bill sought
by Governor Whitman and which was
introduced against the Governors will
by Democratic Leader Callahan in the
Assembly. They declare that many of
the teeth were removed from the lat
ter measure when the Governor and
the war committee drew up the COM
promise bill.
Another snag was struck to-day when
Senator Lockwood offered the war COM
mittee an amendment providing that
cities pay for their own terminal mar
kets instead of dividing the cost with
the state. The Senator said he had
telegram from Mayor Mitchell and Con-
troller Prendergast indorsing this pro-
vision. He contends that under the
present provision in the bill New York
City will not only pay for its own
narket. but IS per cent of the states
share for all the other city markets IN
the state.
City Members Not Satisfied
This matter was taken up at con-
ference of Republican Senators, and
Senator Brown announced later that
il was agreed TO amend the bill by
making il a duty of the State Council
of Farms and Markets to prepare for
the next session of the Legislature a
plan for the equitable apportionment
of the cost of city markets. Senator
Lockwood declared that this would
not satisfy the city members and that
they intended to fight against the
cities and state dividing the cost.
There were twenty-one Republican
Senators present at the conference, and
Senator Brown said they agreed to sup
port the compromise bill and that sew
eral motions to amend il were beaten