New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-23
sweet Accuses
DR.. Copeland in
Milk Bill Fight
SPEAKER Says Health Com
missioner Is Trying to
Shift the Burden of
Blame to Some One Else
[nsincerity Is Charged
CITY Official Asserts Leg
;slator Can Clear His
bad Record by Action

. rhad deus C. Sweet, Speaker of the
Assembly IN Albany, telegraphed last
,;sht. in reply to the many inquiries
,+om Royal S. Copeland. Health Com
missioner, concerning the fate of the
MILK bill pending before the Assembly.
"You state" says Mr.. Sweet. "that
40 invitation has come from the COM
n;ttee of the Assembly to lay before
= the arguments of the interested par
lies in milk legislation. am sur
erised at this, as upon investigation !
snd that the hearing to which you re-
for. held in the Senate Chamber. was
before joint committee Of the Senate
md the Assembly. with no less than
nine members of the Assembly COM
nittees present.
ut does not follow necessarily that
rhen hearing is held in one House
,r the other it is hearing held
exclusively by that House. Therefore,
sour charge that it is neglect on the
BART of your committees that no OPP
sortunity has been afforded the cits-
tens of New York City to present their
difficulties to the Assembly is simply
from a mind that does not seem to act
clearly.
DR.. Copeland Called Insincere
in fact, your whole letter reads, and
regret to have to tell you. as though
you were trying to build case for the
newspapers. as the people who have
been really interested in milk legisla-
ton have been in conference with me
and with others time and time again
during this session. I have had no
less than two bills drawn up which,
when analysed, did not seem to meet
the situation.
From your communication l cannot
help but believe that you have been in
Albany several times during the winter
session, and not once have you at
TEMPTED to secure even q conversation
TO saw nothing of a conference, with me
on this subject.
"My interest is real, and not camou.
Aape. I am convinced in my own mine
of your insincerity when you try tt
shift the burden of blame to some one
else"
Mr.. Sweet closes by hoping that IL
the future DR.. Copeland will at leas'
be familiar with facts before trying tt
SHIFT the blame of responsibility t.
some one else"
Has Not Seen Speakers Milk Pan"
DR.. COPELAND made immediate repl!
yesterday. He said:
"You say your interest is real AM
not camou1age. I have been SCANNING
the legislative sea all through tn
: winter, and confess / have not seel
ANYTHING afoat that looked like tn
Sneakers milk pan, either camouf1age
or glittering in it's undisguised tin.
"If YOU have indicated to any on
any desire on your part to give relic
20 the undernourished children o
New York City, / must state mos
bluntly that / have failed to come i
contact with him."
DR.. Copeland goes on to say that h
has been in Albany only once sine
the introduction Of the milk bills an
asks:
casion invite you to his office to NEE
Miss Loeb and me for milk con1el
ence, and did you not plead heat
ache or make some other excuse
hvoid the meeting?
Charges Evasion of Duty
81 have been intimately in touch wit
every movement in the interest of til
consumer, and l can say positivel
that you have given their representa-
tiyes none of your time or attention.
~ must assume, therefore, that tho:
TO whom you granted your audience
were the milk distributors or possib
the officers of the Dairymen's Leagu
Ny complaint is that you evident
have forgotten that the consumer
also interested.
"No, my dear Mr.. Speaker, you ha'
evaded your clear duty to the citlze1
Of this city and no amount OF camo
hage now---to use your own word
will deceive anybody. The only WI
sou have to clear your bad record
bad legislation is to unthrottle t
Assembly and permit it to act"