140th New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 140th January 1 December 31, 1917 Lt. Gov. Edward Schoeneck (R) Elon R. Brown (R) Thaddeus C. Sweet (R) 51 150 Republican (35-15) Republican (99-49-2) 1st January 3 May 10, 1917 2nd July 31 October 2, 1917 139th 141st The 140th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to October 2, 1917, during the third year of Charles S. Whitman's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1906 and 1907, 51 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. The senatorial districts were made up of entire counties, except New York County (twelve districts), Kings County (eight districts), Erie County (three districts) and Monroe County (two districts). The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county. At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Socialist Party, the Prohibition Party, the Progressive Party, the Independence League, the Socialist Labor Party and the American Party also nominated tickets. Elections The 1916 New York state election, was held on November 7. Charles S. Whitman and Edward Schoeneck were re-elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor; both Republicans. The other eight statewide elective offices were also carried by Republicans. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Republicans 836,000; Democrats 687,000; Socialists 63,000; Prohibition 22,000; Progressives 7,000; Independence League 5,000; Socialist Labor 4,000; and American 2,000. Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1917; and adjourned on May 10. Thaddeus C. Sweet (R) was re-elected Speaker. Elon R. Brown (R) was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate. The Legislature redistricted the Senate seats,For the exact boundaries of the senate districts see Manual for the Use of the Legislature (1921; pg. 549–560) and re-apportioned the number of assemblymen per county. Bronx County—which had been part of New York County at the time of the previous apportionment and occupied roughly the area of four Assembly districts—was properly separated, and was apportioned eight seats. New York County (without the Bronx) lost eight seats; and Erie, Jefferson and Ulster counties lost one seat each. Queens County gained two seats; and Broome, Nassau, Richmond, Schenectady and Westchester counties gained one seat each.For the number of assemblymen per county, and the exact boundaries of the Assembly districts, see Manual for the Use of the Legislature (1921; pg. 596–633) The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on July 31, 1917. This session was called to enact food control legislation, which would regulate the seizure and shipping of food to the Allies in Europe, helping them with their war effort against Germany during World War I.LEGISLATURE MEETS TO PASS FOOD ACT in NYT on August 1, 1917 On August 24, the Food Control Bill was passed by the Legislature. The bill established a three-member Food Control Commission. The Legislature took a recess until September 6.FOOD BILL WINS IN LEGISLATURE in NYT on August 25, 1917 On September 7, the State Senate rejected the nomination of George Walbridge Perkins as Chairman of the Food Control Commission, and took a recess until September 25.REJECTS PERKINS FOR FOOD BOARD in NYT on September 8, 1917 On October 2, the State Senate rejected again the nomination of Perkins; and then confirmed the appointment of John Mitchell, Jacob Gould Schurman and Charles A. Wieting to the Food Control Commission. The Legislature then adjourned sine die.PERKINS REJECTED; MITCHELL CHOSEN in NYT on October 3, 1917 State Senate Districts 30em 1st District: Nassau and Suffolk counties 2nd District: Queens County, i.e the Borough of Queens 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th District: Parts of Kings County, i.e. the Borough of Brooklyn 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th District: Parts of New York County, i.e. the Borough of Manhattan 21st and 22nd District: Parts of Bronx County, i.e. the Borough of the Bronx 23rd District: Richmond and Rockland counties 24th District: Westchester County 25th District: Orange and Sullivan counties 26th District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam and counties 27th District: Greene and Ulster counties 28th District: Albany County 29th District: Rensselaer County 30th District: Saratoga and Washington counties 31st District: Montgomery, Schenectady and Schoharie counties 32nd District: Lewis, Fulton, Hamilton and Herkimer counties 33rd District: Clinton, Essex and Warren counties 34th District: Franklin and St. Lawrence counties 35th District: Jefferson and Oswego counties 36th District: Oneida County 37th District: Chenango, Madison and Otsego counties 38th District: Onondaga County 39th District: Broome and Delaware counties 40th District: Cayuga, Cortland and Seneca counties 41st District: Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins counties 42nd District: Ontario, Wayne and Yates counties 43rd District: Steuben and Livingston counties 44th District: Allegany, Genesee and Wyoming counties 45th and 46th District: Monroe County 47th District: Niagara and Orleans counties 48th, 49th and 50th District: Erie County 51st District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties Members The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Salvatore A. Cotillo, John Knight, Ross Graves and Leonard W. H. Gibbs changed from the Assembly to the Senate. Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." District Senator Party Notes1stGeorge L. Thompson* Republicanre-elected2ndPeter M. Daly Democratresigned on October 11Journal of the Senate (140th Session) (1918; pg. 3f)3rdThomas H. Cullen* Democratre-elected4thCharles C. Lockwood* Republicanre-elected5thWilliam J. Heffernan* Democratre-elected6thCharles F. Murphy Republican7thDaniel J. Carroll* Democratre-elected8thAlvah W. Burlingame Jr.* Republicanre-elected9thRobert R. Lawson* Republicanre-elected10thAlfred J. Gilchrist* Republicanre-elected11thBernard Downing Democrat12thJacob Koenig Democrat13thJimmy Walker* Democratre-elected14thJames A. Foley* Democratre-elected15thJohn J. Boylan* Democratre-elected16thRobert F. Wagner* Democratre-elected; Minority Leader17thOgden L. Mills* Republicanre-elected; resigned on July 31, 1917MILLS QUITS STATE SENATE in NYT on August 1, 1917 Chairman of Affairs of the City of New YorkCOMMITTEE ON CITY NAMED in NYT on January 11, 191718thAlbert Ottinger Republican19thEdward J. Dowling Democrat20thSalvatore A. Cotillo* Democrat21stJohn J. Dunnigan* Democratre-elected22ndJohn V. Sheridan Democrat23rdGeorge Cromwell* Republicanre-elected24thGeorge A. Slater* Republicanre-elected25thJohn D. Stivers* Republicanre-elected26thJames E. Towner* Republicanre-elected27thCharles W. Walton* Republicanre-elected28thHenry M. Sage* Republicanre-elected29thGeorge B. Wellington* Republicanre-elected30thGeorge H. Whitney* Republicanre-elected31stJames W. Yelverton Republican32ndTheodore Douglas Robinson Republican33rdJames A. Emerson* Republicanre-elected34thN. Monroe Marshall* Republicanre-elected35thElon R. Brown* Republicanre-elected; re-elected Temporary President36thCharles W. Wicks* Republicanre-elected37thAdon P. Brown Republican38thJ. Henry Walters* Republicanre-elected39thWilliam H. Hill* Republicanre-elected40thCharles J. Hewitt* Republicanre-elected41stMorris S. Halliday* Republicanre-elected42ndWilliam A. Carson Republican43rdCharles D. Newton* Republicanre-elected44thJohn Knight* Republican45thGeorge F. Argetsinger* Republicanre-elected46thJohn B. Mullan* Republicanre-elected47thGeorge F. Thompson* Republicanre-elected48thRoss Graves* Republican49thSamuel J. Ramsperger* Democratre-elected50thLeonard W. H. Gibbs* Republican51st(George E. Spring)* Republicanre-elected; did not attend the sessionState Senator Spring Is Dying in NYT on January 6, 1917 and died on January 25, 1917 Employees Clerk: Ernest A. Fay Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles R. Hotaling Stenographer: State Assembly Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." Assemblymen District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stClarence F. Welsh* Republican2ndJohn G. Malone* Republican3rdWilliam C. Baxter* Republican AlleganyWilliam Duke Jr.* Republican BroomeEdmund B. Jenks Republican CattaraugusDeHart H. Ames* Republican CayugaL. Ford Hager Republican Chautauqua1stLeon L. Fancher* Republican2ndJoseph A. McGinnies* Republican ChemungRobert P. Bush* Democrat ChenangoBert Lord* Republican ClintonWallace E. Pierce Republican ColumbiaWilliam Wallace Chace* Republican CortlandGeorge H. Wiltsie* Republican DelawareJames S. Allen Republican Dutchess1stJames C. Allen* Republican2ndFrank L. Gardner* Republican Erie1stAlexander Taylor* Republican2ndJohn W. Slacer Republican3rdNicholas J. Miller* Republican4thJames M. Mead* Democrat5thJohn A. Lynch* Democrat6thAlexander A. Patrzykowski Democrat7thEarl G. Danser Republican8thHerbert A. Zimmerman Republican9thNelson W. Cheney* Republican EssexRaymond T. Kenyon* Republican FranklinWarren T. Thayer* Republican Fulton and HamiltonBurt Z. Kasson* Republican GeneseeLouis H. Wells* Republican GreeneHarding Showers Republican HerkimerEdward O. Davies Republican Jefferson1stH. Edmund Machold* RepublicanChairman of Ways and Means2ndWillard S. Augsbury* Republican Kings1stGeorge H. Ericson Republican2ndPatrick H. Larney Democrat3rdFrank J. Taylor* Democrat4thPeter A. McArdle* Democrat5thJames H. Caulfield Jr. Republican6thNathan D. Shapiro* Republican7thDaniel F. Farrell* Democrat8thJohn J. McKeon* Democrat9thFrederick S. Burr* Democrat10thFred M. Ahern* Republican11thGeorge R. Brennan* Republican12thWilliam T. Simpson* Republican13thMorgan T. Donnelly Democrat14thJohn Peter La Frenz* Democrat15thJeremiah F. Twomey* Democrat16thSamuel R. Green Republican17thFrederick A. Wells* Republican18thWilfred E. Youker Republican19thBenjamin C. Klingmann Democrat20thAugust C. Flamman* Republican21stJoseph A. Whitehorn Socialistunsuccessfully contested by Isaac Mendelsohn (D)Mendelsohn claimed that Whitehorn was ineligible because he was not a resident of the 21st District. Whitehorn admitted that he resided in the 6th District of Kings County, but the Assembly Committee on the Judiciary rejected Mendelsohn's claim, upholding previous decisions in similar cases: while the voters were legally required to reside within the district where they vote, the candidates were not; see Whitehorn Keeps His Place in NYT on April 6, 191722ndCharles H. Duff* Republican23rdAbraham I. Shiplacoff* Socialist LewisHenry L. Grant* Republican LivingstonGeorge F. Wheelock* Republican MadisonMorell E. Tallett* Republican Monroe1stJames A. Harris* Republican2ndSimon L. Adler* RepublicanMajority Leader3rdHarry B. Crowley Republican4thFrank Dobson* Republican5thFranklin W. Judson* Republican MontgomeryErastus Corning Davis* Republican NassauThomas A. McWhinney* Republican New York1stJohn J. Ryan* Democrat2ndPeter J. Hamill* Democrat3rdCaesar B. F. Barra* Democrat4thHenry S. Schimmel* Democrat5thMaurice McDonald* Democrat6thNathan D. Perlman* Republican7thPeter P. McElligott* Democrat8thAbraham Goodman* Democrat9thCharles D. Donohue* Democrat10thAbner Greenberg Democratcontested by Max S. Seidler (R)11thJames F. Mahony* Democrat12thJoseph D. Kelly* Democrat13thFredolin F. Straub Democrat14thRobert Lee Tudor* Democrat15thAbram Ellenbogen* Republican16thMartin G. McCue* Democrat17thMartin Bourke Republican18thMark Goldberg* Democrat19thPerry M. Armstrong* Democrat20thFrank Aranow* Democrat21stHarold C. Mitchell Republican22ndMaurice Bloch* Democrat23rdEarl A. Smith Democrat24thOwen M. Kiernan* Democrat25thRobert McC. Marsh* Republican26thMeyer Levy* Democrat27thSchuyler M. Meyer Republican28thCharles Novello Republicancontested by James M. Vincent (D)29thAlfred D. Bell* Republican30thTimothy F. Gould* Democrat31stJacob Goldstein* Democrat Bronx32ndWilliam S. Evans* Democrat33rdEarl H. Miller* Democrat34thM. Maldwin Fertig* Democrat35thJoseph M. Callahan* DemocratMinority Leader; on November 6, 1917, elected Clerk of Bronx Co. Niagara1stWilliam Bewley* Republican2ndAlan V. Parker* Republican Oneida1stAlbert H. Geiersbach Democrat2ndLouis M. Martin* Republican3rdGeorge T. Davis* Republican Onondaga1stManuel J. Soule Republican2ndHarley J. Crane Republican3rdGeorge R. Fearon* Republican OntarioHeber E. Wheeler* Republican Orange1stWilliam F. Brush Republican2ndCharles L. Mead* Republican OrleansFrank H. Lattin Republican OswegoThaddeus C. Sweet* Republicanre-elected Speaker OtsegoAllen J. Bloomfield* Republican PutnamJohn P. Donohoe Republican Queens1stPeter A. Leininger Democrat2ndPeter J. McGarry* Democrat3rdWilliam H. O'Hare* Democrat4thFrank E. Hopkins Republican Rensselaer1stJohn F. Shannon* Democrat2ndArthur Cowee* Republican RichmondHenry A. Seesselberg Democrat RocklandWilliam A. Serven* Republican St. Lawrence1stFrank L. Seaker* Republican2ndEdward A. Everett* Republican SaratogaGilbert T. Seelye* Republican SchenectadyWalter S. McNab* Republican SchoharieGeorge A. Parsons Democrat SchuylerHenry J. Mitchell* Republican SenecaLewis W. Johnson Republican Steuben1stSamuel E. Quackenbush Republican2ndRichard M. Prangen* Republican Suffolk1stDeWitt C. Talmage* Republican2ndHenry A. Murphy* RepublicanChairman of Excise SullivanSeymour Merritt Democrat TiogaDaniel P. Witter* Republican TompkinsCasper Fenner* Republican Ulster1stJoel Brink Republican2ndAbram P. Lefevre* Republican WarrenHenry E. H. Brereton* Republican WashingtonCharles O. Pratt* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary WayneFrank D. Gaylord Republican Westchester1stGeorge Blakely* Republican2ndWilliam S. Coffey* Republican3rdWalter W. Law Jr.* Republican4thFloy D. Hopkins* Republican WyomingBert P. Gage Republican YatesHoward S. Fullagar* Republican Employees Clerk: Fred W. Hammond Sergeant-at-Arms: Harry W. Haines Postmaster: James H. UnderwoodMalcolm James https://books.google.com/books?id=l3FIAAAAYAAJ The New York Red Book J. B. Lyon Company 1917 Albany, N.Y. 203 Google Books General Clerk: Wilson Messerhttps://books.google.com/books?id=l3FIAAAAYAAJ The New York Red Book J. B. Lyon Company 1917 Malcolm James Albany, N.Y. 204 Google Books Notes Sources NEXT LEGISLATURE FIRMLY REPUBLICAN in NYT on November 8, 1916 REPUBLICANS GAIN MORE LEGISLATORS in NYT on November 9, 1916 URGES A COMMITTEE FOR NEW YORK BILLS in NYT on January 3, 1917 140 Category:1917 in New York (state) New York