The New York herald., 1922-03-10
Hearing Marked by Attacks
on Corruption by Fire In
surance Companies.
HOLD STATES 81, 1000
Fierce Fight Over Workmen's
Compensation Prelude to
War in Assembly.
Special Dispatch to THE New YORK HERALR
New York Herald Bureau,
Albany. March o.

New York Herald Bureau,
Albany, March D.
Samuel Untermyer told the Legis-
lature to-day that tie Lockwood COM
mittee may as we'll suspend and save
the States money il it's program for
relieving the building stress and end
ing profiteering and rent gouging is
10 be killed. He appeared at hearing
before the Senate committee on the
rent bills and almost Immediately
thereafter the Senate Insurance Com
mittee brought in a favorable report
on the Lockwood bill allowing the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
to invest 100000, 900 of its assets in
building enterprises.
Victories piled up for the Lockwood
committee when TIE Senate tonight
passed two more of its bills. There
was no opposition to these measures,
one of which extends the emergency
rent laws until February Is, 1924. The
other provides for return of Jury fees
in rent actions tried before the same
jury on the same facts.
Mr. Untermyer did not challenge or
defy the Senate; he simply stated that
the usefulness of the investigating
body was at an end if its recommen-
dations were to get no further than
legislative committees. Then out came
the metropolitan bill. This measure,
its authors declare, will 60 further
than any other single remedy pro-
posed in supplying low priced apart
.ments in New York.
Mr.. Untermyer also came to show
down with representatives OF fire in
surance companies when he told oppo-
nents of the bill prohibiting mutual COM
panies from reorganIzing as stock cor
porations that the purpose OF the meas
ure was to prevent plain stealing"
Senate leaders had arranged to bring
up five of the Lockwood rent laws in
the session this evening, including those
for extending the emergency laws, for
passage. But ii was found late in the
day that slight amendments were neces-
sary to perfect the bills, which were
sent back and must now lay on the
desk for three days before passage.
Senator Lockwood said tonight that
, ne was greatly encouraged. and felt
confident a substantial part of the pro-
gram would go through the Senate with
out further hitch.
Hot Fight I'm Assembly.
The fight will come in the Assembly,
where action is yet to be taken. The
danger there lies in the fact that all
the bills will be dumped into the Rules
Committee, and must be acted upon in
the rush and confusion of the closing
hours of the session next week. There
Is serious doubt whether all the meas
ures will get through the lower house.
The insurance and building lobbies have
centered their fight on the Assembly.
having given up hope of killing the bills
in tho Senate.
Although the Metropolitan bill was
not before the committee holding the
hearing. Mr.. Untermyer said that II
was such an essential part of the pro-
gram that he wished to discuss II. He
said:
"If the opposition. with Its destructive
policy. is so powerful that it cannot
he withstood. and this bill must go down
to defeat I feel that We would merely
he wasting the States money by con-
tiuuing. In order to defeat the pur-
poses OF this bill some amendments have
been offered which would bar all but
The very largest of the insurance COM
panies from aiding substantially i'm re-
leving the housing situation. feel
that there is no reason why the smaller
companies should not contribute their
share. 1t is unfair to let the big COM
panies get all the advantage of such
investments and all the glory and ad-
vertising at the expense of the smaller
ones"
stoddard's Opposition "a surprisee.
Commenting on opposition by State
Superintendent of Insurance Francis r.
Stoddard to his bill. Mr.. Untermyer
said he did not accuse Mr.. Stoddard OF
trying TO kill the BILL but was sur
prised at such official opposition. lie
said;
II am sure that the enactment OF this
bill would give almost immediate relief
! know that the people Of New York feel
that way and that IL the bill is beaten
they will feel that II is by the Legislature
they have been deprived OF this relief
want to call to the attention of tho com
mittee that this Dill has been before the
Legislature for six weeks and that Il
Is three weeks since the public hearing
on 1t was held"
Mr. Stoddard later Issued this state
ment:
-Four OF the eight Lockwood bills af-
fecting insurance were drafted by the
Insurance department To two OF che
oihsrs 4 am suggesting amendments
which J believe will improve the bills
Ono OF the two last | believe il would
be unwise to pass, but i have no serious
objection to make II the committee
wishes It. The last bill--whlch requires
companies TO invest certain proportion
Of their assets In real cstate--I am
Continued on Page Eight.