advocated both by the Constitutional Convention and by the Reconstruction Commission was the reorganization of these miscellaneous administrative agencies into a smaller number of coordinated departments under the governor's control. Another movement was directed toward the establishment of an executive budget system. Neither of these reforms was adopted. One of the most important changes in local government was the adop- tion by the Legislature of an optional charter law for cities.
History. On Oct. 6 1910 Gov. Charles E. Hughes resigned to accept a position as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was succeeded by Horace White, the lieutenant-governor. Among the outstanding accomplishments of Gov. Hughes's term of office may be mentioned: the enactment of a progressive inheritance tax law; the creation of a Public Service Commission with large powers; the passage of a law prohibiting race-track gambling; and the strengthening of the state child labour laws. Gov. Hughes had persistently advocated the enactment of a thoroughgoing direct primary law, but because of the opposition of the leaders of his party to this reform, the convention system survived his term of office and furnished one of the most impor- tant issues of state politics throughout the following decade. In the elections of Nov. 1910 the Democrats elected not only the governor, John A. Dix, and the other state officers, but also a majority of the state Legislature. Dix received 689,700 votes; Stimson, his Republican opponent, 622,299.
The 1911 Legislature passed a direct primary law which was a compromise, retaining the party convention for the nomination of the state ticket but providing for the nomination of most other officers by direct primaries. The Wagner-Levy election law pro- vided that only registered and enrolled voters might make indepen- dent nominations by petition; that there be uniform registration days throughout the state; that bi-partisan election boards be estab- lished in each county; that the name of a candidate might appear only once on the ballot; and that in rural districts voters who had not voted at the previous election must register personally. Obvi- ously one of the chief purposes of this law was to make fusion tickets and independent voting as difficult as possible. The two last- mentioned provisions were declared unconstitutional by the Court of Appeals. In the autumn elections the Republicans secured a large majority in the Assembly.
The 1912 Legislature passed a number of important measures. An amendment to the primary law allowed party organizations to make the Assembly district, instead of the election district, the unit of representation. This permitted absurdly long ballots and practically prevented everything but straight voting. Another amendment restricted the payment of money to any person for securing signatures to a designating petition. The Rapid Transit Act was amended so as to allow the building of new subways in New York City. Large appropriations were made for state and county highway construction. An amendment to the labour law restricted the hours of labour; for minors in factories.
In the autumn elections of 1912 the Democrats carried the state. The vote for president was: Wilson, Democrat, 655,573; Taft, Republican, 455,487; Roosevelt, Progressive, 390,093; the vote for governor was: Sulzer, Democrat, 649,559; Hedges, Re- publican, 444,105 ; Straus, Progressive, 393,183. The Democrats elected a majority in both Houses of the state Legislature. The newly -elected governor was inaugurated Jan. i 1913. He had for many years received the support of Tammany Hall, first as a member of the Assembly and then for 18 years as congressman.
Among the important laws enacted in 1913 were: several measures designed to insure greater safety in factories; a law establishing an eight-hour day for employees on public works; a law limiting to 54 hours a week the time that women and children under 16 might work in certain industries; a law reorganizing the Labor Department and creating one of Efficiency and Economy.
Early in April 1913 the governor sent a special message to the Legislature urging the enactment of a direct primary law which would abolish the party convention. The disagreement between the governor and Tammany Hall, which had begun over the ques- tion of appointments, developed into an open conflict over this new issue. The Legislature by large majorities refused to pass the bill which the governor favoured and substituted a measure which he in his veto pronounced an insult to the electorate. The Senate refused to confirm many of the governor's appointments. After the adjournment of the Legislature on May 3, Gov. Sulzer entered on a strenuous campaign throughout the state to arouse public sentiment for his defeated primary bill. On June 16 he convened a special session of the Legislature, but his primary bill was again defeated by large majorities and the substitute bills adopted were
promptly vetoed. In the meantime, a joint legislative committee, appointed before the end of the regular session to inquire into the affairs of the several state departments, began an investigation into the governor's campaign fund. Witnesses testified that he had made false returns as to the campaign contributions he had received. Evidence was presented to the effect that a part of the fund col- lected had been used for speculation. When the Legislature took a recess, July 23, the governor declared the special session adjourned ; but the Legislature reassembled Aug. n. Two days later the Assembly voted, 79 to 45, to impeach the governor on eight counts. Mr. Sulzer denied the authority of the Assembly to impeach him during a special session and claimed that even a legal impeachment would not prevent his continuance in office during the trial. The governor's contentions were overruled by the Court of Impeach- ment composed of the 51 Senators and the 9 justices of the Court of Appeals. The trial lasted until Oct. 17, when the governor was removed from office by a vote of 43 to 12, having been found guilty on three counts: that he had filed false statements relative to his campaign receipts and expenditures; committed perjury by swear- ing to such false statements; and suppressed evidence before the joint investigating committee, thus committing a misdemeanour. Martin H. Glynn, lieutenant-governor, succeeded.
The elections of Nov. 1913 resulted in an overwhelming defeat for Tammany. William Sulzer, nominated by the Pro- gressives of the Sixth Assembly District in New York City, was elected by a large majority over his Democratic and Republi- can opponents. Many Democratic assemblymen who had pre- viously voted for his impeachment were defeated.
A constitutional amendment authorizing the Legislature to pass laws to protect the lives, health, or safety of employees, and per- mitting the enactment of workmen's compensation laws was approved by a large majority. The special session of the Legis- lature, which had taken a recess after the trial of Gov. Sulzer, reas- sembled on Dec. 18. Gov. Glynn recommended the enactment of five important measures: a direct primary law abolishing the state conventions; a ballot law modelled on that of Massachusetts; the enactment of measures to carry out the Federal constitutional amendment providing for popular election of U.S. Senators; the submission to the voters of the question of calling a state C9nstitu- tional convention; and the passing of a workmen's compensation law. The Legislature adopted the entire programme. The new primary law, state-wide in character, provided for a primary ballot with the candidates grouped according to the office sought; no party columns or party emblems were allowed; designations were to be made by petition and the state convention was abolished. The new ballot law required the use of a modified Massachusetts ballot on which the first place in each office group was to be given to the candidate of the party which received the largest number of votes in the preceding election for governor. The party emblem was permitted. The workmen's compensation law was made to cover specified hazardous employments. It fixed rates and periods of compensation. A state workmen's compensation commission of five members appointed by the governor was created.
The 1914 Legislature enacted an optional charter law for cities of the second class (with pop. between 50,000 and 175,000) and of the third class (with pop. below 50,000). Among the seven types of charters authorized were those providing for the city manager and the commission. In accordance with a law enacted in Dec. 1913, an election was held April 7 1914 to determine whether a state consti- tutional convention should be called. Less than one-fifth of the qualified voters participated in the election, but of these a small majority favoured a convention.
In the autumn elections of 1914 the Republican party was successful. The vote for governor was: Whitman, Republican, 686,701; Glynn, Democrat, 541,269. The new Legislature was strongly Republican in both branches. Of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, 116 were Republicans, 52 Democrats.
The new Legislature passed a widowed mothers' pension law providing for the creation of county boards of child welfare, with authority to grant allowances to widowed mothers with dependent children under 16 years of age. The inferior criminal courts of New York City were reorganized and a board of city magistrates with one chief magistrate was created. The law gave a magistrate the right to sit as a judge of Special Sessions and to dispose summarily of minor misdemeanours. Another law authorized parole commis- sions in cities of the first class (with pop. of 175,000).
The outstanding event of 1915 was the Constitutional Con- vention, which met at Albany on April 6 and lasted until Sept. 10. Elihu Root was chosen president. Although the proposed new constitution embodied many highly desirable reforms it was overwhelmingly rejected by the voters at the Nov. election. The vote was: for the constitution, 400,423; against, 910,462. Two amendments, relating to legislative apportionment and to
