New-York tribune., 1919-12-30
Legislative Conference De-
cides Against Governors
Reconstruction Ideas:
Jury, Traction Issues Up
Central Committee Meets
Platform for Unofficial Con.
vention and Roots Key
note Speech Considered

Two important conferences, with d.
rect and important bearing on the work
Of the Republican organization in the
State of New York for 1920 and of
the Republican controlled Legislature
for the session which will begin next
week took place yesterday at the Re-
publican State Committee Headquarters
in West Thirty-ninth Street. and in
the Republican Club. The conferences
we're practically under one roof. and
were going on at the same time, as the
State Committee is housed in an an
mex of the club.
The conference at the state COM
mittee rooms had to do with the plat
form of the coming unofficial Repub-
lican state convention, and the key
note speech of Ex-Secretary Eiihu
Root, who is to preside at the con-
vention. At this conference were Mr..
Root, Nicholas Murray Butler, presi-
dent of Columbia University: Senator
James w. Wadsworth jr., James r.
Sheffield, John Lord O'Brian, of Buff
falo; Henry L. Stimson, former Sec
retary of War; George A. Glynn, chair
iudtA Cl tHc NepuDllCan SC0te COm-
mittee, and Colonel Lafayette B. Glea-
son.
The legislative conference was at
tended by j. Henry Walters, president
pro tenn of the Senate, Speaker Thad-
deus c. Sweet, of tho Assembly,
Colonel Herbert Parsons, ex-senator
Ogden l.. Mills, Colonel Theodore
Rooselevt, Senator Alvah Burlingame,
Assemblymen Louis Adler, H. Edmond
hn11
George R. Fearon, of Syracuse.
No Conclusion Reached
The conference broke up ct about
6 o'clock When Speaker Sweet was
asked about the discussion, he said:
There was general discussion Of
the more important topics related to
our legislative work, but no con-
ciusion. A good share of the discus
sion was given to the investigation
now under way by the extraordinary
grand jury in this county. Traction
matters also were discussed. We
reached no conclusions about any
thing"
One of the conferees later said:
"The conference was q unit in the
opIai OF ;hG. ~either Governor Smith
nor any other Democrat was entitled lo
support from The Legislature TO any
grcatcy; eXtcnt than where his recon-
mendatiohs coincide with those OF the
best sentiment Of The Republican
party. Nearly all of the things recon-
mended by Governor Smiths recon-
structiO' commission were first sug-
gested ty Republicans.
There is little chance that the So
called Smith-tlkus reconstruction pro
gram viii be adopted, The Republicans
are getting pretty we'll fed up on the
Governor, as they know ali about Tam
many Hall The Republicans viii do
considerable rcorganizing in the state
government during the next few years.
but they VIII not 90 everything at once
There will be a big advantage in hav-
ing an annual executive BUDGET pre-
pared by experts, but little money viii
be saved by consolidating dcpartn'ents
if all the olG employees are rcta ned.
What we left up in the air to-day we
are going TO take up again Tonight at
the dinner given for Judge Hughes by
Ex-senator SAKE. There is feeling
among many of the Republican leaders
trat we had better go slow about Civ
ing the Governor autocratic powers
Delay Dry Enforcement Plans
Senator Walters said that there
would not be time between january )
and January l6 to prepare a prohibit
ton enforcement bill tie inclined to
the belief that enforcement Legislation
would not be discussed until the
Legislators reached Albany.
The dinner given by Mr. Sake at
his home, 337 West Seventy seventh
Street, was attended by ex-Justice
Charles +. Hughes. George W Wicker
sham, former Attorney General OF the
United States; Henry W. Taft, eX-
Senator Ogden l.. Mills, ex-senator