education of this type. It would, of course, be necessary to provide transportation for the children from some of these districts which are farthest from the central school. It may be claimed that there are one or two months in the year that make transportation impossible. If this were true, it is not a bar to the maintenance of the proper type of schools in such regions. Vacations are provided under the present system of schools. If there is a period of the year when it is impossible to attend school because of the condition of the roads, then the proper course to pursue is to have vacations at that period of the year and maintain schools when they are accessible and when children may attend them. If better schools could be provided for the children of a community by maintaining schools during the entire summer and closing such schools for vacations during the months in the winter when the roads are impossible, that course should be followed. There is no reason why as good results could not be obtained by keeping schools open in the summer in the mountainous regions and having vacations in the winter as by pursuing the course now followed of maintaining schools during the months in the winter of severest cold weather when children are not able to attend regularly because of the snow drifts and climate and of closing them in the summer when they could be attended by the children."

Pictures of children being transported in different kinds of vehicles in widely separated sections of the State in the summer and winter seasons give a touch of life to the report. They are a prophecy of what is to come in the way of providing up-to-date facilities for children who live in the sparsely settled districts of the State.

Discussing the township system, Dr. Finegan reminds the public that not a single school district in any town in the State was abolished under the terms of the township bill, and that the only way by which the present boundaries may be changed or any school discontinued in any district is by action of the town board chosen by the people of the town. He says that there will be in this State, of necessity, always several thousand of the one-room school buildings. The new law, he points out, gives more power to the local authorities in relation to the consolidation question.

Governor Whitman is of the opinion that prohibition will be general throughout the country within a few years, and that it will not be difficult to get at least threefourths of the states to ratify the amendment to the constitution recently passed by Congress.

Senator Robert F. Wagner will introduce a bill early in this session providing for the registration and enrollment of women voters. The Democratic executive committee of the State organization has been increased from twenty-one to thirty-six members. The fourteen new members will be women.

Mayor George S. Buck of Buffalo has reappointed William S. Rann corporation counsel of that city. Mr. Rann was elected by the voters as a Democrat before the present commission government went into operation. He has been connected with the office for twenty years, having been appointed as assistant by William H. Cuddeback, now judge of the Court of Appeals and then corporation counsel. His familiarity with the office and ability as a lawyer have been such that he has been retained by Republicans and Democrats throughout all that time. His reappointment by Mayor Buck means another term of four years.

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Nicholas Muller, for many years a Democratic leader of Staten Island, died recently at his home in New Brighton, ninety years old. Mr. Muller served two terms in Congress from the Seventh New York district, which included Staten Island, from 1883 to 1887. He held several other political offices. In 1904 Mayor McClellan appointed him tax commissioner, but when Charles F. Murphy broke with Mayor McClellan, the latter removed Muller on the ground that he was one of the heaviest delinquent tax debtors in Richmond. Mr. Muller was a friend of Richard Croker in the days when Croker was boss of Tammany.

Frederick C. Tanner, former chairman of the Republican State committee, recently addressed the Woman's Republican Club of New York city. Among other things he said: "Women's interests, broadly speaking, are the same as men's, and women will do better work inside the parties with which they are naturally affiliated than in strictly women's associations, because half the voting power now rests with the women. Outside of the educational work projected by the woman's suffrage party, the Republican party affords women the opportunity to do constructive work inside the party and upon recognized lines."

Women suffragists in the State plan to open training schools for voters in each large city and county seat early in the year. Special attention will be paid to the Americanization of foreign born women.

Senator Thomas H. Cullen who has served more years in the State senate than any man now a member will probably be the nominee of his party to succeed Congressman John J. Fitzgerald who has resigned from the house of representatives.

State Senator Morris S. Halliday of Utica, who represented the counties of Tompkins, Tioga, Chemung and Schuyler in the legislature, is now at San Antonio, Texas, the officers' training camp, being trained as a member of the signal corps reserve, aviation division. His term would not have expired until the end of this year. It is improbable that his successor will be elected until next November.

Senator William H. Hill of the Binghamton district will probably be a candidate in the Republican primaries next fall for member of Congress to succeed Congressman George W. Fairchild. In a speech recently made in Binghamton, County Judge Hill of Norwich, Chenango county, nominated Senator Hill as Congressman Fairchild's successor. It has been understood in Albany for the last two years that Senator Hill was ambitious to be nominated as Lieutenant-Governor to succeed LieutenantGovernor Schoeneck of Syracuse. Harvey D. Hinman of Binghamton, former State senator, controls the Broome county Republican organization. Should Senator Hill be a candidate for Congress he will be opposed, it is stated, by that organization. Judge Hill denied that there was any plan to start a boom for Senator Hill. He said: "Any statement as to launching a boom must have come from the imagination of certain political factions in Broome county antagonistic to Senator Hill, but it can only be suggested that if Senator Hill's boom for Congress should at some time be launched it would develop into quite some little boomlet.' He has made a record in the New York State Senate which would entitle him to promotion if he sought it. He was the sponsor of the mother's pension bill than which no measure has done more to help the lives of unfortunates, and at the same time to serve the interests of the taxpayers, for a mother can better and more economically rear her offspring than any institution." The Congress district is made up of the counties of Broome, Delaware, Chenango, Tioga and Otsego. It is said that Mr. Fairchild will be ready to retire and will support Senator Hill as his successor.

The New York city league for municipal ownership and operation, of which Mayor Hylan is vice-president, is more active than it has ever been during its existence. Its members believe that municipal ownership of public utilities in the greater city is entirely feasible.

William R. Willcox, chairman of the Republican National Committee, probably will resign that post about February 15. Mr. Willcox says he will call the committee together in February and wants to retire owing to the pressing duties of his law work. He was chosen chairman of the committee at the suggestion of Charles E. Hughes when the latter was made the candidate for President in 1916.

W. W. Wemple, former State Senator from Schenectady, declares that he wants the Republican nomination for representative in Congress from that district this year. This district is now represented by George R. Lunn, former mayor of Schenectady, and at one time a Socialist. Congressman Lunn's friends say that they want him to be the Democratic candidate for Governor this year. The Congress district is normally Republican.

William A. O' Neill, one of the best known and most popular hotel clerks in the State, has been with the Ten Eyck hotel, Albany, for many years, and before that time with the old Delevan house. Mr. O'Neill can tell many interesting stories about prominent men in the State government for the last quarter of a century or more. He was well acquainted with such men as Thomas C. Platt, Senator Thomas F. Grady, Senator John Raines and Colonel George W. Dunn of Binghamton. Colonel Dunn was chairman of the old railroad commission and also chairman of the Republican State committee.

"Colonel Dunn was a large man with a breezy and brusque manner," said Mr. O'Neill the other day in speaking of some of the old public men, but with a deep sense of humor. The first of the general receptions given by the governor at the mansion brought together many of the leaders of the Republican party to pay their respects and to felicitate the new administration. Colonel Reuben L. Fox, who was secretary of the Republican State committee and kept a legislative information bureau in the Ten Eyck hotel, one day was standing in the corridor among a coterie of politicians and members of the governor's staff when Colonel Dunn elbowed his way to register, having just arrived from Binghamton to attend the reception. Colonel Fox stepped aside and insisted that Dunn meet some of the friends of the governor. After introducing several of the military men present, including Colonel Appleton, Captain Smith of Oneonta and Colonel Michael Dady of Brooklyn, Colonel Fox presented Major Schurz of New York saying "Major Schurz, (pronounced Shurtz) Colonel Dunn." Dunn by this time had turned to register, when he addressed Fox replying: 'Made your shirts? Never. I buy my shirts ready made in Binghamton.'"

Henry Bruere, former city chamberlain in New York, in a recent address on the subject of the ideal city said that the taking over of the railroads by the government will have a vast influence on the development of city government. He advocates government and municipal ownership of public utilities.

The negro national educational congress which recently assembled in Kansas City, Mo., resolved to begin a campaign for the election of negro congressmen from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Chicago. It is argued that 12,000,000 colored American citizens are without representation in the legislative department of the government, and that in the cities mentioned they are numerous enough to elect members to congress.

For the first time in seventeen years there was no Amen Corner dinner held in New York city in December. It has been the custom during all these years to annually have a dinner attended by public men during which there were stunts such as are given by the Gridiron Club in Washington and the legislative correspondents in Albany. Congressman Thomas F. Smith, president of the Amen Corner, stated that on account of the war it had been resolved not to have such a function this season.

The Buffalo Times, the daily paper owned by Norman E. Mack, Democratic national committeeman, has come out definitely for municipal ownership of street railways. Truth, a weekly illustrated magazine at Buffalo which has for years been for ownership of these utilities, is printing a petition form and calling upon citizens to sign it in favor of municipal ownership. State Senators Ross Graves and Samuel J. Ramsperger have declared themselves in favor of the city taking over the street railroads and operating them.

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R. Fulton Cutting, chairman of the board of trustees of the bureau of municipal research, does not believe that Tammany will be able to return to the old days of New York city government, as exemplified by Mayor Van Wyck and previous administrations. His reason for this belief is that public opinion has been so educated in the last twenty years that it will be impossible for politicians of the old school ever again to have their way in New York city. He predicts that very few of the 86,000 municipal employees of the greater city will be displaced under the Hylan administration. He says the good work is due to no single mayor or group of city officials, but that it has been a steady growth for the last twenty years. Mr. Cutting said: "Many hands and minds have contributed to this great result. The system, like a coral reef, has been built up by hundreds of conscientious workers — accountants, lawyers, engineers, and laymen and cannot be overturned in four years of any partisan government unless the citizens relax all vigilance."

George Clinton, of Buffalo, who is known throughout the State as the guardian of the Erie canal because of his great public spirit in watching its interests has been a subscriber to STATE SERVICE from the first number in August. He is constantly sounding the praises of the magazine to his friends advising them, especially the men who are interested in public affairs, to take it. To a New York business man he met recently in Albany he said:

"You cannot afford to be without STATE SERVICE. It gives you information you can get nowhere else." There is no better judge of what the magazine ought to be than Mr. Clinton.

We are hearing more and more from our readers in praise of the magazine. Such testimonials are given in the expressions: “I read it from beginning to end because it is so interesting; I want to keep State Service on file. Please send me all the back copies," and "Your magazine is doing a great work for the State. It should be used to advertise New York State throughout the country." These are merely sample expressions sent in by readers of the magazine. They are as hearty as they are voluntary and indicate better than anything we can say about the particular field it occupies and the service it is giving.

What better staff of instructors could the women have than the men and women engaged in public work? The contributors to STATE SERVICE month after month are experts on government. They know what is being done and what ought to be done to improve the management of the State's business. These articles which also include all the important news of State affairs are as entertaining as they are instructive.

STATE SERVICE is commended to all women voters. It should be subscribed for rot only by women's organizations generally, but by all who are giving attention to public affairs in this State.

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STATE SERVICE presents all the important news of the great State departments. It gives first-hand information upon all of the interesting and vital activities at the capitol, as well as those related to it throughout the State.

It is estimated that more than one and half million voters will be added to the registration by the enfranchisement of women of this State. The new voters naturally are anxious to know something about the government at Albany. They want to educate themselves to vote intelligently and are eager to know something of the senators, assemblymen and State officials; what they are doing, how they are doing it and what remains to be done to make New York State government a better one.

The $2,074,779.71 inheritance tax received last month from the estate of the late Colonel Oliver H. Payne proved to be one of the largest collected from the most productive source of revenue under State Comptroller Travis' office. It is the fourth instance within recent times that over a two million dollar fee has been obtained from the property of deceased persons, the highest amount being $3,110,918.36 paid by the Astor heirs shortly after the Brady tax of $2,505,676.49 and the Morgan tax of $2,457,466.60. The transfer tax, as it is officially known, is the result of effort to meet the rapidly increasing cost of state government. For years, the difficulty of reaching personal property had been realized and when this method was first proposed, $9,160,000 out of a $9,461,000 budget was contributed by general property. This indirect scource, with that derived from corporations and stock transfers, soon lowered the state tax rate from 2.96 to nothing.

At the suggestion of State Engineer and Surveyor Frank M. Williams, the canal board on December 19 adopted a resolution calling the attention of the governor and legislature to the fact that an appropriation of $400,000 was needed to complete the Cayuga-Seneca canal. This branch of the State's canal system was not included in the barge canal act of 1903, but was made possible by a special referendum in 1909 when $7,000,000 was set aside to construct this channel which connects Lakes Cayuga and Seneca with the barge canal.

Secret service methods in game protection have netted the conservation commission more than one hundred cases of violation of the deer law during the season recently closed, according to an announcement made by the commission. In a drag net spread throughout the Adirondacks, hotel and boarding house keepers, guides and residents, and hunters from every corner of the State, were detected killing does, running deer with dogs, selling venison, shooting more than the bag limit, and committing practically every other possible violation of the deer law. One case even involves setting a forest fire to create a slash where deer would gather thickly the following season. The result is the greatest haul in deer cases, according to Llewellyn Legge, chief of the division of fish and game, that the department has ever made. Officials of the commission are now touring every section of the State, instituting prosecutions against, or making settlements with, the surprised violators, who have believed that their escapades of a few weeks ago are already ancient history. Twenty-six settlements have been made so far for a total of $1,059. The entire cost of detecting these cases was $146.

Senator Elon R. Brown, majority leader in the Senate, urges that something be done to encourage experienced farmers to remain on the farm if the food problem is to be solved. He says that two things can be done at once with great effect, namely:

First.- Parole young farmers already in camp, and parole men drafted hereafter from the farms, subject to call on condition that they make good on the farm. This rule should not extend to drones or slackers on the farm.

Second. Institute the Canadian plan of War Production Committees in every city and village. These committees make a complete survey of their towns and get volunteers who know farm labor to take it up again for the whole time if possible, or, if not, then for their vacations. Their work is recognized as a public service and in the aggregate brings good results.

Justice Rodenbeck of the supreme court has issued an order restraining the public service commission of the second district from permitting increase of street car passenger fares in Rochester until the courts have passed upon the question. The particular question is whether the public service commission may order the increase of fares from five to six cents in spite of franchise provisions to the contrary.

The State conference of mayors represented by all the cities in New York State has been asked by Comptroller Craig of New York city to collect data on municipal ownership of public utilities for use in that city. This will include full information from all the cities in the country where municipalities have owned and operated street railways, electric lighting and other utilities.

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Mrs. Mary Schwartz Rose and Miss Martha Van Rensselaer of Ithaca have been appointed by the federal food commission to have charge of the department of home economics in New York State. Mrs. Rose will have charge in New York city and Miss Van Rensselaer in the remainder of the State. Their duties will be to educate housewives in the use of substitutes for wheat, meat, sugar and other foods.

Thomas M. Osborne, former warden of Sing Sing prison and now in charge of the United States naval prison at Portsmouth, N. H., has restored 200 prisoners to the naval service within the last two months.