THE NEED OF LEGISLATIVE EXPERTS

convey a clearer conception of their work ings. The Citizens' Union, "a union of citizens of New York City without regard to party, for the purpose of securing the honest and efficient government of the City of New York," maintains a representative in Al bany during the entire session to gather general information concerning legislation, to get hearings on important bills, to appear before committees when hearings are sud denly called "over night" and in general to be on the spot when the need is greatest. The lobbyists of corporations are met by trained advocates devoted to the interests of good government. In New York City the organization has a Committee on Legis lation, composed of some fifteen lawyers. The secretary of the committee, with ade quate assistance, devotes his entire time to the examination of all bills that may seem to affect New York City or its citizens in any way. All bills that seem questionable are immediately sent to such members of the committee, or to such other lawyers, as are most familiar with the subject affected, with a request that a report be submitted covering the following points : (1) How will the bill affect existing law, the city charter, rights or powers of New York City? (2) Is it necessary or desirable in its pres ent form, or with any changes you think worth while suggesting? (3) What should be the attitude of the committee? These reports are carefully considered at the weekly meetings of the full committee. If the bill is objectionable the opposition of the committee is expressed in a variety of ways, depending on the introducer of the bill, its relative importance and the influ ence that may be behind it. It is quite true, as Mr. Orth finds, that the majority of legislators are "average American citizens." Because they are such they prefer to do right rather than wrong and it is quite suffi cient to point out privately to them that a certain bill which they have introduced is

79

objectionable because violative of Home Rule, unnecessary because power exists in some board or city department, or is inac curate or loosely drawn. If there is consid erable pressure, however, behind a very ob jectionable bill, it is a fight to a finish. This means that the committee sends a brief, in opposition, to the Legislative Com mittee having it in charge, asks for and at tends hearings, writes to every member of the legislature setting forth the facts, enlists the co-operation of citizens and other organi zations, sends memoranda to the newspapers, and, if the bill finally passes both houses, fights it before the mayor and governor. Every legitimate channel is used to secure the defeat of the measure. On the Niagara bill letters were sent to the common coun cils of other cities calling their attention to the threatened invasion of their franchise rights and a number of them actively aided in the defeat of the bill. The City Club has a legislative bureau which gathers, through a representative maintained in each house of the Legislature, facts relative to the introduction of bills, hearings, position on the calendar, etc. These facts, together with copies of all bills, are sent to New York City and immediately distributed to other organizations and com mittees. The secretary of the club, late deputy commissioner of the Tenement House Department, is in Albany a large part of the time and devotes his particular attention to proposed amendments to the Tenement House Law, which is still the object of vicious attacks by property own ers who have been made to feel its burdens. Certain amendments in 1903 were defeated only after the most strenuous efforts, which included the descent upon the Legislature of a special trainload of indignant citizens in cluding settlement workers, city officials and tenement house dwellers. The Merchants' Association, aside from its great work as the leader of such associa tions throughout the country, devotes con siderable money and energy towards pro