The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-02
UNTERMYER REFERS
HOUSING TO VOTERS
Calls for War at Polls on All
Legislators Who Opposed
Five Bills.
RENT MILLENNIUM NEAR
Lockwood Counsel at Dinner
Says $1OO,0O0,OO0 Dream
Soon Will Be Real.
RENT MILLENNIUM NEAR

Defeat at the next election Of the
Senators and Assembly1nen, irrespec-
tive of their political faith, who voted
against the Lockwood bills at the last
session of the Legislature was asked
last night by Samuel Untermyer, spe-
cial counsel of the Lockwood commit
tee, in an address at the annual dinner
of the Westchester County Real Es-
tate Board in the Hotel Commodore.
This was one of three remedies Mr..
Untermyer suggested for a situation
he outlined as being one in which Sem
ators and Assemblymen found them
selves forced to vote on measures that
materially affected the public at large
and in which thev had a pecuniary in
terest because of their being retained
in legal and advisory capacities by the
corporations affected by the measures.
The two other proposals, he said,
were:
of members of the Legislature which
would give us class of men whose
necessities will not subject them to
temptation. The present salary is alb
surdly inadequate. Men without pri-
vate means cannot afford to defray
the expenses of campaign every year
or two nor can they live on the sal
airy oven II their campaign costs them
nothing.
Favors disqualification.
Every Legislator should be required
to file with the clerk OF the body of
which he is a member statement OF
every bill in which he has a personal
or professional interest, directly or In
directly. and should be disqualified from
voting on any such measure either as a
member of committee or on the floor
and against urging other members to
vote for or against any such legislation.
1t should be made the duty of the clerk.
before calling the roll for a vote upon
any measure to read aloud the names
of the men who have filed such state
ments and are disqualified from voting"
Mr.. Untermyer predicated these sug-
gestions on a resume of the Lockwood
committees work In Buffalo which re-
suited in the indictment Of 100 or more
corporations and individuals. He
charged that after these indictments
had been found "a consistent campaign
of obstruction" to prevent their being
tried was begun, and that as a result
the Donnelly antitrust act, which had
been on the statute books for twenty
three years, was said to be unconstitu-
tionaI.
The speaker outlined Ave OF the com
mittees bills that failed OF passage.
These were to allow the state to appeal
from orders dismlssing indictments 70
require prison sentences for violations
of the antitrust law: 70 establish a
state trade commission 20 suppress IL
legal combinations to limit the invest
ments or fire and casualty insurance
companies to prevent speculation. and
to require the courts and prosecuting
officers TO explain in detail the grounds
for dismissal OF indictments recon-
mended-
Senators Had RetnIncrs',
IAN Of these bills were defeated with
votes of Senators and AssembIymen
from Buffalo" Mr.. Uhtermyer charged.
Senators from that city who had the
temerity TO vote against these bills ac-
tually held professional retainers from
the Interests that were deeply concerned
in the defeat of the bills for which they
worked and voted. A number OF the
bills were defeated In committee or on
the floor by men whose professional in
terests we're arrayed against them.
The all powerful Speaker Of the As
sembly. who has just announced his can
didacy for reelection. Is q director and
stockholder in an insurance company
that would have peen gravely affected
by the bills that we're defeated by his
active aid. He has been hostile to the
committee and tts work from the begin
ming, and would have terminated the
committees life IL he Rad dared Some
Of the Buffalo Senator's are counsel for
men under indictment in the Buffalo
cases. Others are counsel for the FIRE
insurance companies. all OF whom would
be affected by the defeated bills
1T II apparently no longer an unusual
spectacle TO find our legislators holding
personal and professional retainers for
individuals and corporations that arc
concerned In legislation on which they
are permitted 10 have the amazing In
delicacy to vote. Notwithstanding their
private interests. But the spectacle Is
none the less reprehenslbie and inde-
fensible. because II has been so long
tolerated
"Practice Not 20 ne Condoncd.-
Whether these gentlemen would have
held rctainers for firo insurance COM
panies and for individuals under indic.-
ment but for the fact that they were
members of the Legislature is at least
problemstical. Surely no civilized com
munity can afford to condone such prac-
tice
"It Ia not necessary to assume actual
corruption In order to denounce a system
that permits OF men being permitted 70
place themselves In so conflicting a situ-
alton az between the public interest that
they are sent 70 Albany TO represent
and their private and professional duties.