The New York herald., 1922-02-20
Farm Crowd, in Pressing
Knight Measure, Is OPP
posing Lockwood.
CHANCES OF COMBINATION
Legislative Session Now En-
ters Phase Where Vote Swap
ping Is Probable.
Upeciol Dispatch to THE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Albany, Feb. 10.

Dpecidt Dispatch to The NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Albany, Feb 10.
Curious developments in the Legis-
lature in the last few days have
shaped a situation designed perfectly
10 make a great season for the annual
pastime of log rolling and bill swap
ping. always the feature Of the closing
days of the session.
If there were master politician in
the Legislature-like Raines or Nc
Carren of the last generation--it
would be presumed he had developed
the situation with marvellous finesse.
But if there is such a one behind the
scenes he has kept 1t a secret. Rather
1t appears that the singular situation
which, opens the way for all mansaer
of trading and funny lawmaking has
grown out of the purely selfish activi-
ties of the several groups which are
trying TO grasp something, but none
Of which is strong enough to control.
The farm bloc. consisting of the rural
members or the Legislature is the
strongest, with fully twenty votes in the
Senate. This group is dead set on jam
ming through the knight bill amending
the banking law to authorize trust COM
panies and savings banks to invest in
Federal farm loan bonds.
, Close to insurgency.
The home rule bloc is made up Of
legislators from New York, Buffalo and
q few other cities who are backing Sen
ator Ward ". Tolbert, Republican, of
New York, In his fight to get out some
kind OF a law giving cities greater right
TO run their affairs. This comes close
to being an insurgcnt movement in the
Republican ranks.
Then there is the little band of Sc
rious workers who are set against CIV
Ing the Lockwood Committee an extern
sion Of life and who are in position to
kill the New York; investigation unless
they can get some of the things they
want. These are the up-Staters who re-
gard the local culverts and road building
3obs as more important to the State than
driving the building grafters out of New
York.
There are several other more or less
loosely organized groups, each fighting
Tor its own, such as the soldier bonus
crowd. the welfare and uplift workers
and others.
Were each OF the three main groups
compact and ably led there might be
some kind of deadlock or a situation
might develop which would kill off all
the important measures not desired by
certain lobbies.
Miller Able to Control.
Observers who are watching the lit
tie fellows play the game know that
when the right moment comes there
will be a blast from the second floor
where Nathan L. Miller has an Office
labeled Governor Then the groups
probably will dissolve and the admin
1stration program will go flying through
both houses while the little politicians
hurry to their corners.
1t may be possible for the upstate
bloc and the city bloc to swap votes
enough to save their pet measures; or
the anti-Lockwood crowd might come
10 an agreement with the farm bloc and
each get what it wants.
/, BY far the most insistcnt group Is
the farm bloc. which is putting I'D a
hard fight for the knight bill with great
promise of success. There Is to be a
public hearing on the measure before
the Senate Banks Committee. when
there will be heard big delegations from
bankers. farmers and others. Opponents
of the measure contend that it will di-
vert millions from real estate to farm
development without ample security for
the banks, and will add greatly to the
housing emergency in the centers of
population.
Senator Lockwood is opposing the
knight measure and thereby has stirred
up the opposition of the farm bloc to
the Lockwood committee resolution.
Lockwood says enactment of the bill
would knock the bottom out of the real
estate mortgage market in New York
Farm blocs in thirty-seven States have
won out in their fight for similar meas
ures. The knight law simply adds
Federal farm loan bonds as securities
in which trust companies and savings
banks may invest their funds.
Inducement for COMBINING.
There is every reason why the farm
bloc and home rule bloc might be able to |
get together and do business. The city |
representatives. especially from New |
York, say they are not getting a square |
deal In that everything they demand |
Tor their municipalities Is being side |
tracked on promise that IL will be /
taken up In the extra session which the |
Governor has said he will call to deal
with precisely these subjects when the |
Charter Revision Commission report |
comes In. But there is no assurance
when that session will be called
it is quite probable. the home rule
bioc men say. that the commission may
Sot be ready TO report before late au-
yunn or until the next session of the
Legislature. so that postponement now
may delay action on every bill for year
With the upstate men getting all they
want
Opponents OF the Lockwood commit
tee. especially in the Assembly. have an
excellent weapon for baclkjacking
through some of their pet bills Give
Us what we want and we will vote for
your resolution" the upstate opponents
10 the committee arc saying, and they
may get what they want.
The falf dozen administration bills
as outlined by the Governor in his first
Imessage TO the Legislature and now
pending are all to be advanced this
ok. The Republicans in both houses
ge conferred on the important meae-
\ and IL will not be noraaaar, A.,