The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-20

genized into single headed commission.
putting the appointment of this ore Com
missioner IN the hands OF the Governor.
and also creating at his suggestion a
new Office. that of State Rapid Transit
J Commissioner who will have charge OF
constructing subways in New York.
The Legislature did refuse to comply
with the Governors suggestion that the
upstate service board of Ave be made
into one man commission. but IL had
no hesitation In confirming the Gov
ernors appointment Of his counsel and
former campaign manager, Joseph A.
Kellogg, to the commission. which puts
II under the control OF Democrats
The Senate had wrangle for some
time over the confirmation of Gov.
Smiths first woman appointee to q big
state place, Miss Frances Perkins, se-
lected for member of the state Indus
trial Commission at $4,000 a year, but
ultimately she was confirmed. Later
the Legislature approved the Governors
recommendation for establishing a de-
partment Of women In industry. provid-
ing for such a bureau under the Indus-
trial Commission. After that the Gov
ernor named another woman for MEM
Der OF the State Civil Service Commits
sion. at $4,000 a year. Mrs. Charles D.
Smith OF Buffalo, and her nomination
was confirmed without dispute.
Gov. Smith named a special commits
sioner under the Moreland act to investi-
gate affairs Of the State Industrial Com
mission. and upon receipt Of a prelimi-
nary report of this inquiry showing that
injured workers were being defrauded
because the direct settlement clauses of
the law were not working satisfactorily.
the Governor asked the Legislature to
correct this evil. 1t being estimated that
many men and women were being
cheated out of from $1,000 to $4,000
each. The Legislature finally did pass
n bill providing for a review by the COM
mission Of all direst settlement awards.
and making an appropriation Of $4,000
to cover the extra cost
Money Granted for Inquiries.
The Governor tried TO get the Leglsla-
turo to provide for a complete reorgani-
cation of the Council of Farms and Mar
kets and pass a blank appropriation for
the reorganlzed department. This the
Republicans refused to do They also
refused TO make similar provision in re-
gard to the Industrial Commission.
In special message the Governor
asked an appropriation of an additional
*5o.oOO for any investigation that he
might order under the Moreland act, and
although the Republicans felt that the
Governor wanted the money to probe
into other departments of the State gov
ernment controlled by Republicans they
gave him the money. The first depart
ment the Governor is expected to turn
his attention to is tire Conservation De-
partment where George d. Pratt, the
Commissioner whose term is good for an
other year. has refused to resign.
The Governor ordered an investigation
Of the affairs of the State Fair Commits
sion, upon request OF the District Atto--
ney of Onondagp county alleging that
much wrorgdoing had been brought to
The attention OF the Grand Jury and that
still further examination should be
made. The Grand Jury reported no in
dictments, but the Governors Commits
sioEer has not yet reported
Two other big departments which went
under control of the Democrats when the
Senate confirmed the Governors appoint
ments were the Prison Department and
the State Superintendent of Public
Works office, Charles +. Rattigan of Au-
burn being confirmed for the first place
and Lewis Nixon of New York for the
latter.
When it came to appropriating funds
for the Governors Reconstruction Com
mission (his particular. pep the Legis-
latu:e baked. The Republican leaders
determined that this commission naued
by Gov Smith. with Abram I. Elkus as
chairman. savored a little too highly Of
bid for political preference, and they
defeated all efforts made by the Demo-
Gratis to secure an appropriation OF $780,
600 for this commission.
Although Gov. Smith announced that
private funds would be subscribed to
continue the work of the Elkus Commits
sion. the only report of its Investigations
submitted to the Legislature was one
recommending practical abolition OF the
states military training system for boys
10, IL and is years of age, and this the
Republican leaders turned down in
stantly.
Nothing has been heard from the re-
construction commission in regard to
housing, fixing milk prices and reducing
generally the cost of foods to con-
sumers and many other duties which
the Governor imposed upon its members
when he named them at the first OF the
year.
Welfare Struggle Bitter.
An unprecedented situation arose in
the Senate over the passage of municipal
ownership, hydroelectro development by
the state and several of the so-calle.i
social welfare bills advocated by Gov.
Smith in his first message to the Legis-
lature Four of the Republican Senators
Davenport OF Oneida Thompson OF
Niagara, Fowler OF Chautauqua and
Graves OF Erie-revolted against the
plan Of the leaders to kill these meas
ures, and their four votes, with the
twenty-five Democrats. composed a ma
jority of the Senate, under whose rules
all of these measures. including health
insurance, minimum wage boards for
women and the eight hour day for wom-
en-. were railroaded through the upper
house and sent to the Assembly.
Continuing the history making, the
combination OF Republican insurgents
and Democrats conducted an eighteen
hour filibuster in the Senate last Monday