8 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 
The exposure of the “yellow-dog” fund by the life insurance investiga- 
tion shows clearly the enormous power constantly exercised by the cor- 
porations over legislation. The same investigation also shows the various 
methods other than direct bribery that are used to influence the votes of 
legislators. The great New York life insurance companies maintained 
a sort of clubhouse in Albany for a number of years, and here were to 
be found attorneys who knew how to make themselves useful to any 
member of the legislature needing assistance in the preparation of meas- 
ures he desired to introduce. Temptations such as these are the most 
dangerous to the public interest because they are so insidious. 
It isin supplying prompt information to the legislator that the services 
of a trained legislative reference librarian are valuable. The aid which 
such an officer can render has been recognized by the states of New York 
and Wisconsin. Both of these states have provided legislative reference 
librarians whose sole duties are to render assistance to the legislative 
body by furnishing accurate data on such subjects as come up for legis- 
lative consideration. Beginnings in this work have also been made in 
Indiana, California,* Maryland and Nebraska.? 
In New York the Sociology Division, as the legislative reference depart- 
ment of the State Library is called, was established as an adjunct of the 
law libraryin 1890. At the head of the division is the Sociology Librarian, 
a man highly trained in political science and a doctor of philosophy 
from one of the leading universities of the United States. After a 
number of years’ service at a scant remuneration, this officer’s salary 
has at last been somewhat advanced. He has three assistants. Both 
librarian and assistants are appointed for life by examinations under 
the civil service commission. Among the regular duties of this depart- 
ment are the preparation and publication of bulletins. The following 
have appeared : 
PUBLICATIONS OF SocloLoGy Division, NEw YorK STATE LIBRARY 
Comparative Summary and Index of State Legislation. Published annually since 18go. 
Review of Legislation. Published annually since rgor. 
Digest of Governors’ Messages. Published annually since 1902. 
t Remscau, American Legislatures and Legislative Methods, p. 207. 
2A merican Political Science Review, Vol. I, No. 1, p. to2 (November, 1906). 
