probable successor of Senator Brown as floor leader should the time latter at any One of of the free lances on the Republican side and who has a faculty of making considerable stir in the senate is Senator George F. Thompson of Niagara county. Senator Thompson's home is in Middleport, a hamlet in the famous peach growing district in western New York on Lake Ontario. As chairman of the legislative committee which investigated the public service commissions beginning in 1915, Senator Thompson attracted attention throughout the State by the vigor with which he conducted that inquiry. During the last four or five weeks he has been quoted as being very much in favor of an investigation of the funds collected and expended in the New York city campaign. During the last two sessions of the legislature he introduced several bills radically amending the public service commissions law. Some of the bills passed, but one which would have abolished both of the commissions and substituted one body of seven members, was defeated. It is said that Senator Thompson will again importance in the senate. Senator William H. Hill of the Binghamton district, although a new member of the senate, has attracted attention since he was elected because of some of the big measures he has been able to get through the legislature. Two of these most discussed were the widow's pension law and the local option law for cities. Senator Hill is now talked of as the next congressman from his district. Senator George F. Argetsinger is regarded as one of the most influential members on the Republican side. He has been a member since 1911 from one of the Rochester districts. As chairman of the important committee on cities, he is a hard working and efficient senator. Senator George H. Whitney, successor to Senator Brackett in the senate, is an old and experienced legislator. He was chairman of the important committee of ways and means of the assembly- corresponding to the finance committee in the senate and for many years has been chairman of the committee investigating SEN. GEORGE H. WHITNEY press a similar measure at this session. Senator Thompson is not happy if he is "scrapping" over some measure of not the question of habit forming drugs during the recess, and will report the committee's findings to the legislature. There is no more active senator among the later members than Senator George A. Slater of Westchester county. It is said that Senator Slater has won the palm for the number of bills introduced and passed since he was first elected in 1914. He has been talked of as a coming candidate for governor. Senator George B. Wellington of the Troy district is very much in earnest over the desirability of amending the rules of the senate senate whereby bills cannot be killed in committee. He is gratified that his efforts thus far have been of some benefit although the rule he advocates has not yet been adopted. The senators mentioned are only a few of the industrious members who are active for their districts and for the State. Two members, Theodore Doug las Robinson and Charles W. Wicks are listed as farmers and constantly on the alert for legislation desired by that class of the population. What may be styled as Adirondack senators, James A. Emerson and N. Monroe Marshall are bankers while James E. Towner who has had much to do with actual farming is down as real estate dealer. Speaker Thaddeus E. Sweet is now serving his fifth year as presiding officer of the assembly. He was first elected assemblyman in 1909 and is therefore one of its oldest members. Mr. Sweet has repeatedly demonstrated his popularity with that branch of the legislature and has had little or no opposition since the first year he was elected by the Republican members. Simon L. Adler, Republican floor leader also is one of the older members having first been elected in 1910. Mr. Adler comes from a Rochester district. The oldest members of the assembly in point of service are now nearly all from New York city, among whom are Mark Goldberg, elected in 1906; Martin G. McCue elected in 1906, Peter P. McElligott elected in 1908, and John J. McKeon elected in 1908. Among the old timers who were either defeated or retired at the last election were Assemblymen Fred M. Ahern of the tenth, Kings, George R. Brennan of the eleventh, Kings, Abner Greenberg of tenth, New York, Joseph E. Kelly of twelfth, Robert L. Tudor of the fourteenth district and Jacob Goldstein of the thirty-first. In the Erie county shuffle two members were retired, John A. Lynch of the old fifth district and Earl G. Danser of the seventh district. George H. Rowe is the only new member from Erie county. He is a Republican and a lawyer. The present assembly is the first to which the new reapportionment has been applied. It has resulted in a decrease in assemblymen from some counties and a gain in others. New York county SEN. LEONARD WH. GIBBS of Bronx is considerably less than the county of Erie in which Buffalo is located, but is entitled to the same representation in the |