New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
Senate and Assembly Com
ply With Governors Re-
quest to Cut Down
244 Bills Introduced
372 Measures Were Received
in Corresponding Period
Last Year


nor Whitman may not have smooth
sailing for all of his recommendations
during the present session Of the Leg
islature, he apparently has had thus
far the united support Of all parties
on at least one point. In his annual
message he suggested that only lit
tie legislation was necessary during
war times. Whether by design or acct
dent, this suggestion has been OBJ
served by the lawmakers. Up to
adjournment Friday only 244 bills
had been introduced. 12S in the Senate
and JIG in the Assembly, In the cor
responding period last year the Senate
! received l3l bills and the Assembly
PAL.
The measure which is expected TO
preciptatc The first real break between
the Executive and the legislators-a
bill to abolish direct primaries and
revert to :hc old system of nominat-
ing state officers by convcntion-ha
not yet been introduced
Suffrage Means Change
Other changes in primary aud cleo
ton law legislation are being pre-
pared for carly introduction. One
question which occasions some per
p!exity is whether the population of
the election districts is to be doubled,
or the number Of voting precincts
doubled, as the result of the passage
Of the woman's suffrage amendment.
Th6MeXisting law requires one election
distMt for each four hundred voters,
and there are 5,772 districts in the
state. With an anticipated increase
of virtually 100 per cent in the num-
ber of electors. either the legal ratio
Of districts to voting population will
have TO he changed or tho state will
be obliged to maintain between | 900
and 1900 polling places.
In connection with election law leg
islation there is a probability that the
town law will require amendment so
that local nominations shall be fled
by October !, instead Of October 25,
as the present law stipulatcs. This
change is necessary. it is pointed out
by the officials in charge OF tho clcc-
ton machinery. in order that New
York men in military or naval service
abroad may be enabled to vote for
local officials.
Legislation designed to provide for
the registration Of women voters
probably will be pressed for pas
sage during The week. These cleo
tions will be fixed probably for the lat
ter part of February. Bills cmbody-
on the subject already have been in
troduced by Minority Leader Wagner.
of the Senate. Only part of the pro
hbition programme has been presented.
The first bill to be enacted this year
is slated for passage carly this week.
1t is war measure, requested by Fed
eral authorities. to permit The cree
ton Of munitions plant in Saratoga
County, 1t was held up in the Assem-
bly, last week By Socialist Leader Ship
lacoff
The increase in the Socialist repro
sentstion in the Assembly has caused
the majority and minority leaders of
that body considerable anxiety. Twice /
last week obstructionist tactics by the |
Socialists blocked the progress of bills
which both Republicans and Democrats
approved.
To Meet Monday Nights
Despite the Garfield fuel order spcc- /
fling Mondays as holidays, the Legis-
laturc will continue to meet on Monday ,
nights. Tonight, it is expected, n
food of resolutions will be presented +
in the Assembly, as many of the mcm-
bcrs already have consulted their party .
leaders in this connections Both Dem
ocrats and Socialists have drafted res
olutions pctitionng the United States
Senate to ratfy the Federal suffrage
amendment.
The time in which Governor Whit
man may send TO the Senate for con-
firmaton his nominations of the mem
bcrs Of tho Farms and Markets Council.
created by the Wcks bill. expires to-
morrow. The Senate Finance Commit
tee is expected to act tomorrow on Scy-
cral Of the Governors nominations
which already have been sent in. Chief
interest centres in the attitude of the
committee toward the appointment Of
+. J. II. krackc, of Brooklyn, as d Pub
lie Service Commissioner for the first
district. to which opposition, on politi-
cal grounds. has been eXnrcsscd