The New York herald., 1922-03-12
Majority Leader Promises
Bills Will Be Acted Upon
in Open Senate.
ASSEMBLY THEIR TOMB
Albany Believes Jail and
Money Bills Will Be Killed
in Lower House.

Special Dispatch to THE New YonK HgaALp.
New York Herald Bureau.
Albany. March IL.
Senator Lusk took full responsible
ity to-day for the error which yester-
day set back the Lockwood commit
tees bills, threatening their defeat by
throwing the measures into the gen.
eral orders rule in the last days Of the
legislative session. Senator Lusk. the
majority leader, completely exonerated
Senator Lockwood whose sudden dis
appearance while the Senate Cities
Committee was in session astonished
the Senate.
The fight over the Lockwood bills is
getting hotter. The Hobbies opposing
the insurance provisions are not relax
ing their efforts, and Senator Lock-
wood rushed back to Albany tonight
announcing he was ready to fight to
Samuel Untermyer.
The situation is still much confused.
Every one appears more anxious to
establish an alibi than about the fate
of the bills. Senator Gibbs, chairman
of the Senate Cities Committee. blames
Senator Lockwood for the mixup; Sem
ator Lockwood blames the other Re-
publican leaders. and these leaders
say they are for the bills and that the
trouble all lies in the Assembly.
Opponents of the radical measures re-
quiring insurance companies and saw
ings banks to invest more money In real
estate mortgages say they are confident
the proposals cannot pass the Senate.
The fate of those measures Is admit
tedly doubtful in the Assembly and
there is little prospect that the recon-
mendation for a trade commission to
regulate building and calling for prison
sentences for violations of the antitrust
laws can pass either house.
Lusk Promises Showdown.
Senator Lusk announced to-day that
IL necessary he would bring In a special
rules report to insure action being
taken on the housing bills. That would
put evesy member of the Senate square,
ly on record on every measure. What
most OF the members seem anxious to
avoid Is a record vote. Many who are
opposed to the Untermyer program in
secret would find II embarrassing to
vote against 1t In the open and are
seeking every possible way of killing
off the measures behind closed doors.
The Cities Committee of the Senate
xxyttl nd 10 nv fa1
to bring in favorable report on all the
bills now in Its possession.
Senator Lusk said: "A meeting Of the
Senate Cities Committee to take>up the
housing bills has been called for 2
o'clock Monday afternoon. It was my
understanding Friday that the Cities
Committee would not act upon these
bills before Monday, and I so Informed
Senator Lockwood. i told him that
wished to go carefully over these pro-
posed measures during the week end
and he left for New York Friday with
the understanding that he would return
here Saturday afternoon and we would
work together on the housing bills
Ever since these bills were intro
duced Senator Lockwood has been dill
gently working for their advancement.
He hos not only repeatedly requested
that they be reported out OF committee,
but has filed a notice OF motion on the
floor of the Senate to discharge the
committee In case the bills are not re-
ported out.
Bills I'm n Bad Position.
II have assured Senator Lockwood
that no technical use OF the rules of the
Senate will be permitted to interfere
with these bills having prompt and full
consideration. They will undoubtedly
como up before the Senate Tuesday"
Every trick known to the experienced
legislator Is being used by the opponents
of the bills in their effort to kill them.
They have succeeded, at least. In jockey
Ing the Untermyer program into a bad
position.
or the eight Senators who signed the
petition calling for the meeting OF the
Cities Committee two said to-day they
signed with the understanding that the
committee would merely consider the
httf run t.k