New-York tribune., 1919-12-28
Republican Party Chiefs Ex-
pect to Form Legislative
Reconstruction Program
at Banquet Tomorrow
Want Bureaus Cut Down
Governors CommissionStole
Recommendations From
Last Legislature, Charge

Most Of the active Republican lead
morrow night at the home of Martin
SAKE, former State Tax Commissioner
to attend n dinner in honor of Charles
E. Hughes, ex-Justice of the United
States Supreme Court, and former
Governor of the state, to discuss the
Republican reconstruction program.
which will be offered to the next
Legislature for it's consideration.
Among the guests will be the lead
ers of both Houses Of the State Lcgis-
lature, j. Henry Walters, president
pro TEN of the Senate, and Thaddeus
c. Sweet, Speaker of the Assembly;
George A. Glynn, chairman of the
Republican State Committee; George
w. Wickersham, former United
States Attorney General; ex-senator
Theodore Douglas Robinson, former
chairman of the Progressive Stare
Committee; ex-Judge William Nj. X.
Olcott, member of Governor Smiths
Reconstruction Commission, Ind
prominent in the aairs of the National
and Henry W. Taft.
Proposed by Republicans
At this dinner it was said yesterday
the proposed legislation which the Re-
publican leaders have in mind will be
gone over in detail.
ut is singular" said one Of the
guests invited to the dinner yesterday,
that most of the recommendations
made by Governor Smiths Reconstruct
ton Commission looking toward sim
plifcation of administration and an
econonizing of expenditures for carry
ing on the work of the state was pro-
posed by the Republican leaders in the
last Legislature to Governor Smith.
Governor Smiths reply on that occa-
sion was: If you pass any such legis-
laticn | shall veto it, 1t is equally
striking that the recommendations of
this commission, which is financed by
private funds, and not with state
money, We're incorporated in the pro-
posed state Constitution which was
1915"
And equally singular is the fact that
at the dinner to Justice Hughes will
be some of the members of the Con-
stltutlona Convention of 1915. includ-
ing MIR. Wrckersham and MIR. Olcott,
VINO took prominent parts in directing
the explorations o that body.
Political leaders who discussed to-
morrow nights gathering declared that
to 1T would be brought the views of
Republicans of all parts of the state
on the important matters which will be
discussed. Upstate Republicans have
been talking over the proposed legis-
latlon which will be on the carpet with
their associates north of the Harlem
River, and the men from this city who
Will attend can express the views of
local Repub Leans.
Justice Hughes is chairman of the
special committee of the City Club on
reconstruction legislation. and has
been IN communication recently with
similar special committees which were
created by the Chamber of Commerce
the Merchants Association, the Cti-
2ens Union and like organizations.
To Cut Down Departments
The gathering was characterized by
an upstate Republican leader as one of
the most representative assemblages
held IN this state in some time.
The Tribune's informant, who also
took prominent part in the Constitu.
tlonal Convention of 1915, said:
Ihe chief recommendations Of Gov
ernor Smiths Reconstruction Commits
sion provide for consolidation of the
existing departments and bureaus OF
state government, numbering, | believe
1877, into sixteen; the election of bu,
two state officials, the Governor anc
! the Comptroller, and the extension OF
their terms from two to four years.
1.-The Republican controlled Constitu.
tional Convention of 1915 merged the
1877 state departments into thirteen
shortened the ballot, and likewise ex.
tended the term Of Governor to fou,
years. But it does not matter mucf
where the credit belongs. The chie1
problem is to get these forward LOOKING
proposals enacted into law, so that the
people of the state and those who come
! after us may benefit"