American Agriculturist, June 2,1923 
469 
A Review of New Y ork’s 146th Legislature 
What Was Accomplished at Albany of Interest to Farmers 
T he one hundred and forty-sixth ses¬ 
sion of the Legislature of the State of 
New York which closed recently, ac¬ 
complished nothing of great impor¬ 
tance to farmers. The rural school bill 
doubtless claimed the keenest interest among 
farmers and farm organizations and the 
$500,000 appropriation for a coliseum to 
make the national dairy show a possibility 
had concerted support from all the agricul¬ 
tural bodies of the State. There were other 
bills in which the farmers’ representatives at 
Albany were interested, but there were none 
with which they were vitally concerned ex¬ 
cept the O’Connor bill, which events proved 
to be but a flash in the pan. 
The distinctive feature of the session, from 
the farmers’ point of view, was the unanimity 
of action displayed at all times by the farm 
leaders. Early in the session 
their ability to work together for 
the common good was tested with 
the request for a $500,000 ap¬ 
propriation for the coliseum and 
stock judging pavilion at the 
State Fair grounds in Syracuse. 
The National Dairy Show had 
been secured for New York State 
for the first time on the promise 
that suitable facilities for hous¬ 
ing the exhibits and stock would 
be furnished. A coliseum was es¬ 
sential. The fruit men had long 
wanted a new horticultural build¬ 
ing at the fair and were reason¬ 
ably sure of getting it this year 
until the need for the coliseum 
arose, but they generously with¬ 
drew their claims and gave their 
cordial support to the coliseum 
project, as did every farm organi¬ 
zation of the State. The bill was introduced 
on February 14 and signed by the Governor 
on February 26. The addition of the coliseum 
to the fair grounds makes possible the bring¬ 
ing to New York of the greatest dairy event 
of the year, one which promotes the dairy 
industry and teaches more efficient dairying. 
Rural School Bill Defeated 
The failure of the rural school bill was a 
great disappointment to many, but is in no 
way considered final. This measure is so 
well known that it scarcely seems necessary 
to mention its provisions. On April 25 it 
passed the Senate. On April 26 a hearing 
was held, which while not the largest ever 
seen in Albany was certainly one of the most 
representative. When Enos Lee, president 
of the farm bureau federation, marshalled 
his forces in defense of the bill, he was able 
to call on a representative of nearly every 
farm organization in the State. The Grange, 
the Dairymen’s League, the Farm Bureau 
Federation, the Home Bureau Federation, 
the Horticultural Society, the Grange League 
Federation Exchange, the Cooperative Coun¬ 
cil, and many local organizations of farmers 
had a man or a woman—or a whole delega¬ 
tion—present to support the measure. Only 
four men advanced objections to the bill, 
speaking as individuals. 
Supporters of the bill were quite confident 
of its passage after the hearing, but it failed 
to be reported in the assembly after con¬ 
ference. The up-State legislators expressed 
their belief that the bill was all right, but 
that the rural school patrons were not yet 
ready for the changes provided. 
Five Million for TB Eradication 
^ The budget as it was finally made up car¬ 
ries most of the appropriations which farm¬ 
ers wanted, though not always the exact sum 
asked for. In the closing days of the legisla¬ 
ture appropriations for $20,000 and $10,000 
By BURT MILLER 
Representative, Legislative Committee 
New York State Farm Bureau Federation 
respectively for the New York State exhibit 
at the dairy show in Syracuse, and the fruit 
show in New York City, both to be held in 
the fall, were passed. $30,000 was asked in 
each case. 
It required little effort upon the part of 
farmers to secure the support of the legisla¬ 
ture and Governor Smith for an appropria¬ 
tion to continue accredited herd work be¬ 
cause it affects so many people and its im¬ 
portance is so universally recognized. 
The Governor changed the policy of the 
State in regard to the payment of indemnities 
for cattle slaughtered under the accredited 
herd plan by appropriating $2,500,000 to pay 
claims up to July 1, 1923—all of which was 
owed by the State to dairymen and breeders 
—and an additional $2,500,000 for the next 
fiscal year. In the past when a farmer had 
his cattle slaughtered under the accredited 
herd plan he was obliged to wait until to¬ 
ward the end of the fiscal year when State 
indemnity money was appropriated. Under 
the new plan indemnity money will be paid 
immediately to the breeders, a system much 
more pleasing to them. Governor Smith 
and the legislature are to be congratulated 
on this change to a pay-as-you-go plan. 
Might Have Caused Farmers Uneasiness 
The one measure which might have caused 
the organized farmer some uneasiness was 
the O’Connor Bill, introduced by Assembly- 
man O’Connor of New York and Senator 
Sheridan. It was a bill amending section 
340 of the general business law by making 
prohibition against monopolies apply to co¬ 
operative associations of farmers, gardeners, 
dairymen, and fruit growers and not apply 
to the labor of human beings and the right 
of workingmen to combine in unions not 
organized for profit. This bill passed the 
Senate, and went into the general laws com¬ 
mittee in the Assembly. A motion was made 
to discharge this committee and put the 
measure in the judiciary committee, of which 
Assemblyman O’Connor was a member, but 
it failed of passage. The. bill was not re¬ 
ported out of the general laws committee. 
The farm bureau federation interested it¬ 
self particularly and was largely responsible 
for the passage of a measure bringing about 
a reduction of the truck license fee from $16 
to $12 on half-ton trucks. This of course 
alfects directly farm trucks—for most of 
them come in this classification—and means 
an annual saving of an appreciable amount 
of money to the farmers of the State. 
A number of bills were introduced which 
were concerned with the maintenance of 
State highways, bridges, and the like. At 
the present time the bridges on State high¬ 
ways are built and kept up by the townships, 
and bridges originally intended for neighbor¬ 
hood traffic only now are called upon to bear 
the heavy trucks used in State and interstate 
traffic. A bill was introduced providing for 
the State maintenance of these bridges on 
State highways. The Senate claimed it had 
insufficient information to act, so a joint 
committee was appointed to secure facts as 
to the number and kinds of bridges located 
upon the highways and report back to the 
next legislature when it is believed that fa¬ 
vorable action will be taken. 
All the farmers of the State interested in 
the development of agriculture have felt a 
friendly concern to see the building program 
of the college which was laid out some ten 
years ago, go into effect. In 1913 
the legislature authorized the 
drafting of plans for buildings at 
the college of agriculture, but the 
war brought construction to an 
end. In 1920 a bill was passed 
authorizing $3,000,000 for a build¬ 
ing program and $500,000 was ap¬ 
propriated for immediate con¬ 
struction. This amount was used 
for a dairy building, now almost 
ready for occupancy. 
The legislature this year has 
definitely recognized and con¬ 
tinued that program with an au¬ 
thorization of $500,000 to begin 
construction on a plant industry 
building. The question of the le¬ 
gality of authorizing construction 
of State institutions in excess 
of appropriations actually made, 
which was raised by former Gov¬ 
ernor Miller, was covered by an opinion of 
the present attorney general holding that 
under certain circumstances such authoriza¬ 
tions were legal and that the conditions sur¬ 
rounding the authorization of 1920 for the 
college of agriculture came within the re¬ 
quirements of legality. 
In addition the college of agriculture re¬ 
ceived $41,000 for new positions—about half 
of them for the department of dairy in¬ 
dustry to take care of the new lines of work 
made possible by the new building; the others 
scattered through various departments and 
representing needs long felt at the college. 
An appropriation of $25,000 for increasing 
salaries at the institution was also passed. 
An appropriation of approximately $63,000 
for contributions to the farm and home 
bureau work, previously made by the de¬ 
partment of farms and markets, was trans¬ 
ferred by the legislature to the college of 
agriculture. This transfer is in line with 
the change made last year in the law, plac¬ 
ing full State responsibility for this work 
with the college. 
Geneva Bill Passes Both Houses 
The Witter bill passed both houses after 
considerable controversy both inside the 
legislature and outside it. It adds a new sec¬ 
tion to the education law and repeals sec¬ 
tions 280 and 283 of the farms and markets 
law providing for the administration at 
Cornell University of the State Agricultural 
Experiment Station at Geneva. 
The scientific staffs and trustees at both 
Geneva and Cornell gave full endorsement to 
the measure and it was supported by the 
farm bureau federation and other farm or¬ 
ganizations. It is believed that the passage 
of the bill will make for efficiency and less 
duplication of effort in the two institutions 
and free some of the facilities of each for ad¬ 
ditional research work. The bill was lost on, 
{Continued on page 479) 
Ku Klux Unmasked 
W E know you will be interested in Mr. Miller’s excellent article 
on this page reviewing the accomplishments, and lack of 
them, of the New York State Legislature on agricultural legislation. 
A few of the other bills not strictly agricultural, but of general in¬ 
terest to farm people, which the legislature passed are the Mullan- 
Gage Repeal Act, the act unmasking the Ku Klux Klan, the Sheppard- 
Towner Enabling Act, and three other bills, giving women more 
property and family rights. 
The Mullan-Gage Repeal Act, which removes the State support of 
the national Volstead Prohibition Act, has not been signed at this 
writing by Governor Smith. The Ku Klux Klan Act makes it illegal 
in New York State for that organization to carry on its activities 
under a mask. The Sheppard-Towner Enabling Act provides for tak¬ 
ing advantage of the national Sheppard-Towner Enabling Act for 
the protection of maternity and infant welfare.—The Editors. 
) 
