New-York tribune., 1922-03-20
ExtraSessiOnOn
DeadBills Asked
By Untermyer
Declares Machold and Lobby
Killed Housing Measures
i'm Urging Governor to
Reconvene the Legislature
Trade Commission Vital
Grave Abuses Laid to Rules
Committee; Speaker Says
Accusation Is Falsehood

the Lockwood housing committee,
sent letter by special messenger to
Governor Miller yesterday requesting
that an extraordinary session Of the
Legislature be called for a reconsid-
Grafton of the slaughtered measures
which the committee had proposed as
remedies for the housing situation.
Without mincing terms the counsel
emphasized that in the killing of the
more important bills "a great wrong
mas been perpetrated upon the people
Of the state and nation" and that "the
willful refusal Of hearing and of the
right TO vote upon the important meas
urcs involving relief Of which the
people arc in pressing need is re-
proach to popular government
Three Main Purposes in Mind
Mr.. Untermyer's letter says he
makes the suggestion for che extra
session mainly for the purpose of OBJ
tanning proper consideration OF the
state trade commission bill. to obtain
proper consideration for and permit
vote in the Assembly on the bill re
districting the investments of insur-
ance companies, and to correct the bill
FOR the supervision of rates of the IN
suranco companies so as to make 1t eff
fective and workable.
He added that it would be worth
while TO have recons dered the Ques
ton Of establishing state monopoly
Tor workmen's compensation insurance
on the general lines of the bill intro
duced by the State Federation Of La
Dor. known as the Downing measure.
4 further suggestion was made that
some legislation should be enacted
regulating public transactions in secur-
ties along the lines of the katin bill,
which Mr. Untermyer points out is
also being urged by District Attorney
Banton because Of tho recent disas-
irous bankruptcies of stock brokerage
houses
Mr. Untermyer renews his attack on
Assemblyman Thomas A. McWhinney,
e-chairman of the Lockwood commit
ice. and H. Edmund Machod, Speaker
Of the House, upon whose shoulders he
places the chief responsibility for the
defeat Of the more important housing
bills.
Machod Denies Charges
Speaker Mschold, replying to Mr.. I'm
termyer, said that the latter's statement
was "full of misrepresentation and
falsehoods" Mr.. Untermyer knew. said
Mr. Machold. that the Legislature was
20 adjourn March II, yet the legislative
program Of the Lockwood committee, in
volved and somewhat technical as it
was, was not launched until March /.
He denied that any bill had been killed
or changed al the bohest OF lobbyists
and said that no changes had been made
=.
scnt OF Senator Lockwood.
Asked about the reports from Albany
'hat ne was to begin an investigation Of
he part underground lobbies PLAYED in
killing nine of the committees eighteen
measures, MT. tntermyer said he knew
nothing about the origin of the stories
and, in fact, the Lockwood committee
has no power 20 make such an investIga-
ton 81 must protest. he added,
against any attempt TO identity me
with reckless charges Of which | have
10 proof and have no reason to believe
that any is available. If it exists
Withdraw Stoddard Charge
Mr. Untermyer withdrew a statement
ne had made charging Francis +. Stod-
1ard, State Superintendent Of Insur-
ance, with having broken faith with
him by becoming a party to the res
=
tac "jokers' that The counsel had elm
mated by agreement with the super
irtcndont
"The Juggling Of the bill Of which
complained,' explained MIR Inter
myer, was engineered between
speaker Machold and Jesse s. Phillips
former Superintendent Of Insurs nee
: and his associates representing the
insurance lobby I'm my absence they
fooled Senator Lockwood who hac
heen busy on the floor Of tho Senate
with the other bills. aud was not con
v'rsant with the facts. into asserting
70 ii. Mr.. Stoddard had nothing &c
do with the changes IN the bill HC
kept his agreement with me to sup
port the bill a il stood and went S,
far as to secure the promise of th'
;Epe abor that rs would support it il
Nnat form, which the latter prompt,
broke
Mr.. Uutermyer. in his letter to th'
Governor. reviewed i'm great detail th'
provisions Of the cmasculated and de
feated bills and the circumstances un
der which they were offered for tht
~consideration of the legislators anC
kllled Referring TO objections of The
Governor in communications between
them that the bills were INTRODUCED
late in the session. impl,-ing "tha
there was not sufficient time allowed
for proper consideration and actor
upon them Mr.. Untermyor pointed
out there was no reason to expect thai
the Legislature was going to adjourn
\ month before its usual date, an(
that considering the Importance anC
urgency of the bills the sessions might
we'll have been continued for a few
days. He insisted that the bills had
been in the hands of the lawmakers at
least ten days.
Machold Always Enemy. He Says
In point OF fact" continued the
counsel, mot one man in ten in the
assembly had read those bills. which
the Speaker insisted on putting to
death without permitting them to be
brought 10 a vote. They passed the
Senate and we're killed by the lobby of
the insurance interests and the profit
ecrirg combinations, with the active
assistance of the Speaker, who is an in
curablo reactionary and has been from
the beginning an avowed enemy of the
committee and of its entire legislative
program, even before he knew what
it would be.
Mr.. Untermyer said he was convinced
that no amount of underground in
fuence can defeat these bills if pub
lie attention is concentrated on them
and that they "can and will be ap-
proved when they are understood"