The workmen's compensation law is not satisfactory to the labor organizations of the State in some respects. Assemblyman Larney of Kings county has introduced amendments to the law in the legislature. One would require compensation to injured workmen to begin at date of injury. The present law requires that compensation be not allowed for the first two weeks. The amendment also would require that compensation, including both money and allowance, shall be reckoned from the date of injury, the word injury being substituted for disability. The other amendment would provide that compensation be paid where workmen receive ten dollars or less a week in wages, and that the amount shall be equal to his wages during the number of weeks that such compensation shall be payable.

The joint legislative committee, of which Senator George H. Whitney is chairman, has been given a new lease of life until March 1st to investigate the sale of habit-forming drugs. The committee held many hearings in New York city during the past year.

Assemblyman Goldberg wants to amend the penal law so that athletic games may be played on Sunday between the hours of 3:30 and 6:30 o'clock in the afternoon. The bill will prohibit unnecessary noises disturbing the peace of the day.

The United States government wants to utilize the by-product of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company at Mechanicville, for the manufacture of a chemical needed for war work. The plant will cost about $100,000. Senator George H. Whitney introduced a bill to permit the use of abandoned canal lands at Mechanicville for the new plant.

In order to make the bill nonpartisan, Assemblyman Simon L. Adler, Republican in the assembly, and Senator Wagner, Democrat in the senate, introduced a measure to provide for enrollment of women voters. Women will be required to present themselves at all election districts of the State, May 17 and 18, when they may enroll in any party they desire and thus qualify themselves to take part in the primaries in September. All women over twenty-one years of age, who are citizens, may enroll.

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To entitle voters, who may be unavoidably absent from their voting districts on election day, Assemblyman Martin of Oneida county would amend the constitution so that they could vote elsewhere within the State and have their votes counted in their home district.

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At the suggestion of the New York State Forestry Association Senator James A. Emerson introduced a bill to classify lands and forests dedicated to continuous forest service and exempt reforested lands from taxation. The idea is to encourage reforestation.

Another bill by Mr. Emerson suggested by the forestry association would amend the constitution to allow the taking of trees for domestic fuel from the State forest preserve, and permit the construction of necessary roads and trails in the preserve.

One of the Socialist assemblymen, Mr. Orr, would shorten the hours of drug clerks by amending the public health law. His bill would prevent the employment of drug clerks more than nine out of ten consecutive hours a day, and make them entitled to receive twenty-four consecutive hours off in each week.

Assemblyman William C. Amos of the 11th New York district refused to work for the bill to re-submit the woman suffrage question to the voters of the State. Mr. Amos Isaid that his district had voted for woman suffrage last fall and therefore he did not consider it his duty to favor re-submission of the question.

To compel theater managers to give their full published program at any one performance, Assemblyman Hamill has introduced a bill making it a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $100 for each violation, if any one act is repeated without giving all other acts or numbers on the program during the performance.

Senator Charles F. Murphy would amend the civil service law so that a position in State institutions once placed in the competitive class shall not thereafter be exempted.

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Demand was made of the assembly for the removal from that body of Lucas E. Decker, Democrat, from the fourth district of Queens county. The demand was signed by seven citizens of Queens county who allege that Mr. Decker dodged the draft law. Assemblyman Decker denies the charge. The judiciary committee of the assembly will investigate.

Assemblyman Caulfield would appoint a committee to inquire into the election laws of New York State and other states, with a view to revising the entire election machinery in this State. He thinks the system ought to be radically changed and simplified.

Senator William H. Hill and Assemblyman Walter S. McNab say they will press the amendment to the federal constitution for national prohibition. There seems to be no doubt it will easily pass in the assembly, but that it may strike a snag in the senate. The resolution is before the senate committee on taxation and retrenchment. The committee is said to be about evenly divided on prohibition.

The first bill passed in the 1918 session of the legislature became a law January 23 by the signature of Governor Whitman. It is the Whitney bill enabling the federal government to take possession of land near Mechanicville for the manufacture of chemicals needed in the making of munitions.

Leasing the surplus waters of the barge canal for power purpose will be the subject of legislation at the present session. It is estimated that there will be 60,000 horsepower in the new barge canal when it has been completed. Under the present canal law, the State is without power to sell, lease or dispose of surplus waters of the canal.

It makes a big difference sometimes to which committee an important measure is referred in the legislature. When Senator Robert F. Wagner early in January introduced his bill, to enable cities of the State to establish municipal ownership of public utilities, he wanted it sent to the public service committee of which Senator George F. Thompson is chairman. Senator Elon R. Brown, said to be opposed to the bill, asked that it be sent to the cities committee of which Senator George F. Argetsinger is chairman. After Senator Brown had given his reasons for wanting the bill referred to the cities committee, the following interesting debate followed:

SENATOR WAGNER: Mr. President, let's draw the mask off this whole thing. Now, everyone here knows that this legislation involves not giving some minor power to the municipality to do some definite thing; this is to determine a whole new governmental policy in this State, namely: the ownership and operation of our public utilities. If anything is a question of control, supervision of public utilities, this question is, and until this particular bill comes before us backed by an overwhelming sentiment of the city of New York no one was much concerned about where this bill should be referred. All legislation of that character has been referred heretofore to the Committee of which the distinguished senator from the fortyseventh is chairman. Legislation has been sent up here; we have municipal ownership in the city of New York now; we have municipal operation and legislation of that character has been sent up year after year in recent years since the organization of this committee and has without question been referred by the President and without protest by the senator from the thirty-fifth to the committee on public service and there considered and reported back to this body. No, there is a litt e fear now that there is some sentiment creeping all through the State for municipal ownership and operation and whether you distinguished conservatives of the past like it or not it is bound to come; you may stop it this year; progress sometimes is slow and people are slow sometimes to get what they want, but they will get it and you may jockey this legislation around, send it to a safe man, somebody that is going to keep it as long as necessary before this body may consider it, but you are only playing with fire. I know why this particular bill is not to be considered by the senator from the forty-seventh, whereas in all other legislation there has been no question about it. It is because he has learned a good deal about this question; he has learned about the scandals in connection with the public service corporation, particularly the railroads of

the city of New York; he has had an opportunity to find out what the people there want and what they are thinking about, and he is therefore in the mind of the ultra-conservatives a very unwise man to handle this subject.

Now, I ask that in this case no exception be made and secondly let's rather take the benefit of his experience and his knowledge on the question of the ownership and operation of our public service corporations which he has acquired as a result of this investigation and also as chairman of this committee where these questions alone have been discussed.

SENATOR BROWN: If the senator wants to rip the mask off, why didn't he just raise his hand to his face; it wasn't necessary to look for a mask anywhere else.

Who has considered the bills for the municipal ownership of the city of New York, of your subways? Who considers the West Side? Who has considered every question where the money of the city of New York had to be put up for the acquisition of a public utility? You cannot find a single instance, and if any demand had been made to do so you would have raised such a rumpus in this senate as would have permitted the city of New York to determine whether or not it should invest one or one hundred or five hundred millions of dollars. And yet you argue I suppose you will be certain in papers and are willing and anxious to take it away from somebody and give it to my friend from the forty-seventh whose obituary you would pronounce so eloquently. But I want to say that involves a reflection upon the senator who is chairman of the cities committee. If you make action, you have reaction, and in my absence you got this bill referred improperly and I want it referred properly.

SENATOR GRAVES: May I say a word of conciliation. I am a member of the committee of cities and am more or less familiar with its procedure. I want to say to him in the execution of legislation, the methods of the committee are most humane. There is no unnecessary bloodshed; there is no mutilation of the corpse. I assure him that this bill will have at least one friend on the committee when the execution occurs. I shall be there to say a word of prayer and conciliation for the dear departed.

SENATOR WAGNER: Hasn't the senator any hope of success at all, as my co-worker on this committee?

SENATOR GRAVES: When I first entered this body my heart was filled with hope. I forego all hope for any legislation of this character at the present time, however. SENATOR WAGNER: Let's not be discouraged; let's fight together.

It is not often that a monthly magazine "scoops" the daily papers, but, with all due modesty STATE SERVICE can boast of having done this in its January number.

Senator Elon R. Brown's article, entitled, "State Primary Weakens Leadership," in which he pleaded for return to the State convention was regarded as important news by the daily papers all over the State. The moment the magazine appeared in the legislature, the legislative correspondents telegraphed the article to all sections of the State, which showed that the direct primary question is a very live one in New York, and it will take up considerable of the time of the present session.

What was done with this article is an indication of the value of a magazine like STATE SERVICE. In the present issue there is presented the arguments for retaining the convention, arguments made five years ago by Assemblyman Mark Eisner, and are considered sound today by advocates of the system.

Some members of the legislature saw the STATE SERVICE magazine for the first time when the session began in January, and they have shown their appreciation of its value to them and their constituents by generous support, as indicated by the number who have subscribed. Many of them purchased extra copies to be distributed among the people at home. They express the opinion that the magazine is the best medium by which citizens of this State may become familiar with their State government, and learn from the heads of departments at first hand what is being done.

Excise Commissioner Herbert S. Sisson also volunteered the information that the women folks at home eagerly look for STATE SERVICE every month. "If it does not come on time they ask me to find out why," said Mr. Sisson. "The fact that the women are so much interested I consider is a great compliment to your magazine.”

Mr. Sisson voices the opinion constantly expressed by different readers of STATE SERVICE. It is not merely a magazine for public men and those interested in public questions, but is pre-eminently a home magazine, an educator and an entertainer.

Women clubs are being organized more than ever throughout the State since the women became voters. These clubs are intended to educate the new voters as to their duties. The Ladies' Reading Circle of Saratoga Springs was the first organization of its kind to see in STATE SERVICE a valuable aid. Mrs. C. R. Allen jr., of that city subscribed for the magazine in the name of the circle, in order that its members may be reliably informed every month of what is being done in the State government.

"STATE SERVICE is a great credit to all those who prepare it from month to month," declared Senator James A. Towner of Putnam county, "and I find it more interesting and get more good out of it than any other magazine I read. Artistically and editorially, it certainly is one of the best publications I have ever seen.”

Another view of the usefulness of STATE SERVICE is its appeal to New York State men residing in other parts of the United States. The Rev. Charles E. Snyder, minister of the First Unitarian church of Sioux City, Iowa, writes It is nearly seventeen years since I was a youngster in Columbia county with a lively interest in New York politics, During all these years I have tried to keep in touch with State affairs back there and now comes STATE SERVICE with its wealth of news and reviews. It is decidedly a boon to me and I am heartily glad to have it. Its contributions to the study of state government are greatly worth while and it feeds a hungry place in the heart of one who still feels that New York is home."

Mr. Snyder's cordial letter gives us an idea. Why should not New York people at home bring this valuable magazine to the attention of their friends living outside of the State? They, too, have not lost their interest in their home state. Here is an opportunity for them to learn month after month of the vital happenings in New York State, the happenings they like to know about, put in condensed and interesting form.

The career of John S. Paterson who died during January is one of the most remarkable among the men who have served the State in an important position. Only a few weeks before his death Mr. Paterson celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his installation in the insurance department of which for many years he had been actuary. Administrations come and go and people of the State, as a matter of course, are made familiar with the heads of departments but they rarely know anything of the men and women who faithfully serve the public as subordinates. On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary all of the living superintendents of insurance, under whom Mr. Paterson had served, sent glowing and sincere tributes to his ability and fidelity. Among them were: Louis F. Payn, who was superintendent when Governor Black was in office; Francis Hendricks, Otto Kelsey, William H. Hotchkiss, William T. Emmet, Frank Hasbrouck and the present head of the office, Jesse S. Phillips. It was on December 26, 1867 that Mr. Paterson entered the employ of the State as a clerk at the age of nineteen. His father was then actuary of the department and on April 23, 1883 his son succeeded to the office. William Barnes, the first superintendent, father of William Barnes of the Albany Evening Journal, was the first under whom Mr. Paterson was employed in the department.

Word has been received in the office of the State Enginee, and Surveyor, to the effect that Edwin V. R. Payner formerly resident engineer on the Champlain branch of the barge canal, has been commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 25th U. S. Engineers at Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass. Col. Payne entered the State engineering department in 1896 as a rodman and rose through the civil service to the grades of leveler, assistant engineer and resident engineer. He was born in Bangal, N. Y., in 1872.

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Assemblyman E. Corning Davis, Montgomery county, had an exciting experience last month when he arrived to take his seat at the capitol. Mr. Davis, as is his custom, carried his suitcase to the capitol. When he began to ascend the front steps he was challenged by an armed guard. "You can't take that bag past here," said the guard to the surprised assemblyman. 'Why not," demanded Davis. What does all this mean? " "It means that we are instructed not to allow anybody to pass with bags or suspicious looking parcels." "Do you know who I am?" shouted the now irate representative from Montgomery county. 'No, nor do I care,” rejoined the guard, holding his bayoneted gun in a menacing position. "You must identify yourself before you get in here." Assemblyman Davis pulled out a wad of papers from his inside pocket and displayed an envelope bearing the name Hon. E. Corning Davis, member of assembly. There," shouted the assemblyman defiantly, that ought to let me go by." The guard said, "All right, you may go." Suddenly Davis retorted: How do you know the envelope bears my real name? 'Well, if you are going to get gay about it," replied the young soldier, “I may stop you after all," as the assemblyman headed up the steps, followed by the guard. When he arrived at the second floor of the capitol Davis was stopped by another armed man. Now, thoroughly out of patience with all guards in soldiers' uniform, he asked his challenger to come with him to Superintendent of Buildings Storr's office. There he was known and was allowed to peacefully ascend to the third floor and take his seat in the assembly chamber.

Major Henry L. K. Shaw, former chief of the division of child hygiene of the State department of health, has been at Camp Greenleaf, Chattanooga, Tenn. Major Shaw was one of the first medical men in the State to be commissioned in the medical officers' reserve corps, and soon after the war with Germany began he was detailed to examine applicants in the reserve corps. Prior to his going to Camp Greenleaf he was stationed at Madison barracks near Watertown, N. Y.

Chauncey M. Depew at the age of eighty-four is as eloquent and entertaining as ever in his after-dinner speeches. At a recent dinner when he became president of the Pilgrims he urged upon all Americans to give their earnest support to President Wilson in the great war. He said: Let all the ability and training and statesmanship in America come to his aid. America has felt her interest in this war from the first. We felt a unity with Great Britain strong as a blood tie that can never be severed. President Wilson's recent message stating our aims has been understood by all our allies and by our enemies. We are asking nothing, seeking nothing: we want no indemnities, no territory."

C. L. Grant, connected with the Secretary of State's office, recently received an invitation to open a big Red Cross drive at Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Grant was one of the commission which went to France in October in connection with the vote of New York State's soldiers and sailors. He gave an account of his experiences abroad at the State armory in Mohawk last month.

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Bringing with him the story of his wonderful fishing abilities, Owen Owens of Watertown, who helps Henry Seilheimer behind the senate desk, is back in Albany for the session. Mr. Owens was a member of a fishing party which L. G. DeCant gave on the St. Lawrence river in the late fall. So far as Mr. Owens having been a member of the party, there has been no argument, but when it comes to the size of a fish which Mr. Owens claimed to have landed, there has been a wrangle which dates back to the day of the supposed catch and which has now been brought to the state capitol to form an apparent endless source of discussion. Furthermore, Mr. Owens declares that it was the only fish caught on the entire trip. He refers all inquiries as to the size of the fish to Garry Farrell, clerk to Senator Brown.