New-York tribune., 1922-03-20


not invited or rcpresentcd) is signif-
cant in this connection" The "jokers,"
Mr.. Intcrmyer pointed out, make the
rate making bill almost useless.
Among the bills which we're defeated
without even the scmhsnce of reason
and for which no reason can be as
signed the counsel wrote the Gov
crnor. was that compelling insurance
companies and savings banks gradually
to increase their mortgage loans out
OF their future investablc funds until
they eQualled 30 per cent of their total
assets. and the bill which gave the
people the right to appeal from an
order dismSsing an Indictment.
Calls Dismissals Scandal
What is the use Of trying TO blink
the fact" Mr.. Untermyer continued,
that az matters stand the dismissal
Of indictments from which there is no
righ. Of appeal by the people has
reached the dimensions of scandal
that seriously reflects upon the admin
istrstion of justice? o.
In connection with the State Trade
Commission proposal the counsel
wrote: "Above and beyond all other
considerations. the defeat of the trade
commission bill in the Rules Commit
tee and the manner in which it was ac-
compishcd without permitting a vote
of the Assembly. where. ! am assured,
the measure had the necessary votes
TO pass 1t, is so grave an abuse and so
important a subject. and leaves the
people of the state so helpless against
the continued and ever-increasing cx-
ploltation of these criminal combina-
tons. that 1t should in my Judgment,
be corrected without Gc1aV
referring to your statement that
there may be honest differences Of
opinion concerning the merits Of this
bill, can. of course. conceive of honest
differences of opinion on almost any
subject especially where one party to
the controversy does not know what
he Is talking about, which accounts for
most controversies
Mr.. New Whinney. the vicc-chairman
of the Lockwood committee, who was
supposed to represent the committee
and who introduced the bill. and who
did everything he could to defeat it,
stated openly and repeatedly that he
had never read the bill He, of course
knows why he opposed it, as doubtless
does the Speaker. but nobody else does
Bill Breaks Up Combinations
IF the bill accomplshes its purpose
the further investigation by the Lock
wood committee into illegal combina-
tons Will be a waste of money. The
combinations will be automatically
forced out of existence by their inabil-
ity to conform to the requirements
nece ssary to secure license. 1t is
hardly likely that any responsible busi-
ness man would remain a member Of
an unlicensed association, which is. of
itself made misdemeanor by the
terms of the bill
II have taken the liberty Of burden
ing you with this wearisome detail and
reteraton in the hope that by placing
these facts clearly before you | shall
be able 10 convince YOU that the situa-
ton is efficiently grave to require YOU
to call the Legislature in extraordinary
session for the purposes: CD OF Civ
ing proper consideration to the State
Trade Commission bill; (2) of giving
proper consideration to and permitting
of vote in the Assembly on the bill
restricting the investments of insur-
ance mpanics; and go of correcting
the bill for the supervision Of rates Of
the insurance companies 50 as to rem
der it effective and workablc.'
On the matter of proceeding against
alleged lobbies Mr.. Untermyer com
monted as follows;
81 know nothing of the origin of the
story. 1t is all news to nc The Lock
wood committee has no power to make
such an invest CATION. wish it had.
| would not. however. expect to find
men scattering 800 or 81 900 bills as
in the olden days by leaving them IN
chimncys or under carpets or on
mantelpioccs Those things are done
differently nowadays when thov are
done at all. Most Of our legislators
arc honest in money sense in these
days, and many Of tncm arc honest
and faithful in every sense, "a there
always have been and always Will be.
"N ith changing times methods
change, but men do not. The present
Legislature contains men of as high
purpose and splendid integrity as at
any time in our history Y-mcn Of the
tyne Of Senators Davenport. Straus.
/ Lockwood 1albcrt, Carson. Dunnigan
/ COtIllo and many others who might be
/ named. 1t contains also as ii has in
the past men Of very different stamp
with the latter type influences other
than money and far more subtle and
dangerous play a moro important part
But must protest against any attempt
/ to identify me with reckless charges
OF which ! have no proof and have no
reason to believe that any is available
/ II it exists. 1t is mainly against those
/ Influences that VIC have had TO battle
81 am. however. satisfied that the
hills were not killed in the Assembly
on their merits. but by The powerful
underground influence of the interests
that lobbied for their destruction
know also that men IN the Legislature