The sun., 1919-04-14
THOMPSON WANTS
ALBANY FUMIGATED
Asserts He Found Joker in
Fowler Bill for 10 Cent
Fare on Subways.
TOP Is ONLY SCRATCHED
Tells Audience Here That
State Capital Is Overrun
With especial. Interests"

A Joker" In the Fowler municipal
ownership bill at Albany which Senator
George F. Thompson told reporters he
had discovered in time to remove woul1
have saddled the subways OF the city OF
New York with a straight ten cent fare,
according to the charge made by Sem
ator Thompson here yesterday. He cited
this as an instance OF the system OF
lobbying at Albany which he believes
the present judiciary Committee. under
the powers given It by the Senate, should
probe to the bottom.
THE present investigation Is just a
pin scratch" said Senator Thompson OF
the proceedings in which he has already
charged that he received the offer OF
the nomination for Governor and a
$780, 900 campaign fund in return for
HIS support of the Carson-Martin seven
cent fare bill. naming former Governor
Whitman as the man who spoke TO him
OF the political aspects and Richard
Burke as the one who suggested the
availability of the campaign fund
through men heavily interested in utility
securities.
IT don't know any further specific in
stances Of improperly myself he con-
tinued. but any one who knows any
tenn to which refer. The Joker In the
Fowler bill was put in without the
knowledge Of the introducer or of those
who favor the measure. I discovered 1t
on a careful reading of the bill The
joker was taken out and the bill will
probably pass the Senate. But the sys-
tenn exists and the present Judiciary
Committee should go to the bottom Of
it,"
He made these statements after he
had addressed n meeting OF almost 600
men and women in the auditorium of
the Morris High School at Boston road
and East 166th street. He had reviewed
for them his legislative career, told them
he had no ambitions to be Governor
because his temperament would not per-
nit him to live under the restrictions Of
the gubernatorial office. and urged oil
them that they would have no effective
reform at Albany until they themselves
took direct interest In what was 60
ing on.
After telling his audience how the
Rules Committee in the Assembly and
similar committee in the Senate took
hold OF and throttled legislation toward
the end of the session. he declared:
The whole system needs fumigation.
The news which you have Just been
reading of the investigation at Albany
Is Just beginning. It Is not my duty to
be the prosecutor, but It is my duty to
tell all I know. and needless to say
will be available at any time for the
properly constituted authorities"
"What can we do about it," a woman
In the audience asked at this point
I'm tell you what you can do" the
Senator replied. "If you will insist on
wipins out the cobwebs that clog the
wheels OF legislative machinery as 7
have indicated them TO you you will find
your Government acting efficiently. II
the Government finds that II can reach
and punish the big and powerful wrong
doer IT will mean that you and I, the
little people. Will be protected"
Describing conditions under which the
legislators worked at Albany he said:
Albany Is filled with the representa-
'ives Of the special interests MANY of
them are there on a perfectly legitimate
errand 30 far as the law is concerned,
but many OF them are unable to sec be-
yond their noses in the matter of policy
ana beyond the next months balance
sheets or the corporations they repre-
sent. When n bill is up which niays
their interests against the Interests ~
the public the legislators hear tho cor
poration side OF the question. They do
not hear from people like YOU who are
SO vitality affected. Many honest legIs-
lators yield to the almost subconscious
influence OF these of repeated special
pleas.
Tn that they fail IN their mission no
legislators, For l believe that the lepi.-
lator should not sit at Albany as Judge
between the interests Of the people ana
the special interests. but that he should
himself be the advocate o. the nAon,a,s
interests against those OF the great spe-
clalists."