148th New York State Legislature

The 148th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to June 26, 1925, during the third year of Al Smith's second tenure as Governor of New York, in Albany.

148th New York State Legislature
←147th 149th→
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1925
Senate
Members51
PresidentLt. Gov. Seymour Lowman (R)
Temporary PresidentJohn Knight (R)
Party controlRepublican (29–22)
Assembly
Members150
SpeakerJoseph A. McGinnies (R)
Party controlRepublican (96–54)
Sessions
1stJanuary 7 – March 27, 1925
2ndJune 22 – 26, 1925

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1917, 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 consisted either of one or more entire counties; or a contiguous area within a single county. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were New York (nine districts), Kings (eight), Bronx (three), Erie (three), Monroe (two), Queens (two) and Westchester (two). 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 Workers Party and the Socialist Labor Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The New York state election, 1924, was held on November 4. Governor Al Smith (Dem.) was re-elected, but the other six incumbent Democratic state officers were defeated by their Republican challengers. State Senator Seymour Lowman (Rep.) was elected Lieutenant Governor, the last time in New York history that the governor and the lieutenant governor were elected from opposing tickets. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democrats 1,627,000; Republicans 1,519,000; Socialists 100,000; Workers 6,000; and Socialist Labor 5,000.

For the first time, a woman was elected to a statewide elective office: Florence E. S. Knapp was elected Secretary of State of New York. At the end of her term she was accused of maladministration, and was convicted of grand larceny in office in 1928. After the re-organisation of the state administration in 1926, the office became appointive, and has remained so ever since. Knapp remained the only woman elected to a statewide elective office in New York for fifty years, until the election of Mary Anne Krupsak as Lieutenant Governor of New York in 1974.

Only one woman was elected to the State Assembly: Rhoda Fox Graves (Rep.), of Gouverneur, a former school teacher who after her marriage became active in women's organisations and politics.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1925;[1] and adjourned on March 27.[2]

Joseph A. McGinnies (Rep.) was elected Speaker.

John Knight (Rep.) was elected Temporary President of the State Senate.

In his annual message, Gov. Al Smith proposed a thorough reconstruction of the state administration. During the next two years, many state departments were abolished, merged or created. Most notably, of three offices which had been statewide elective since 1847, one (the Secretary of State) was made appointive, and two (the State Engineer and the State Treasurer) were abolished, the duties being taken over by other departments.

The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on June 22, 1925;[3] and adjourned on June 26.[4] This session was called by Gov. Al Smith to reconsider the state park legislation passed during the regular session.

State Senate

Districts

Members
Partisan composition of the Senate.

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Thomas F. Burchill, William J. Hickey and Leigh G. Kirkland changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

District Senator Party Notes
1st George L. Thompson* Republican re-elected
2nd John L. Karle Republican
3rd Peter J. McGarry* Democrat re-elected
4th Philip M. Kleinfeld* Democrat re-elected
5th Daniel F. Farrell* Democrat re-elected
6th James A. Higgins* Democrat re-elected
7th John A. Hastings* Democrat re-elected
8th William L. Love* Democrat re-elected
9th Frank E. Johnson Democrat on November 3, 1925, elected to the Municipal Court
10th Jeremiah F. Twomey* Democrat re-elected
11th Daniel J. Carroll* Democrat re-elected
12th Jimmy Walker* Democrat re-elected; Minority Leader;
on November 3, 1925, elected Mayor of New York City
13th Thomas F. Burchill* Democrat
14th Bernard Downing* Democrat re-elected
15th Nathan Straus, Jr.* Democrat re-elected
16th Thomas I. Sheridan* Democrat re-elected
17th Courtlandt Nicoll Republican
18th Martin J. Kennedy* Democrat re-elected
19th Duncan T. O'Brien* Democrat re-elected
20th Michael E. Reiburn* Democrat re-elected
21st Henry G. Schackno* Democrat re-elected
22nd Benjamin Antin* Democrat re-elected
23rd John J. Dunnigan* Democrat re-elected
24th Thomas J. Walsh Democrat
25th Walter W. Westall* Republican re-elected
26th Seabury C. Mastick* Republican re-elected
27th Caleb H. Baumes* Republican re-elected
28th J. Griswold Webb* Republican re-elected
29th Arthur F. Bouton* Republican re-elected
30th William T. Byrne* Democrat re-elected
31st John F. Williams Republican
32nd Thomas C. Brown Republican
33rd Mortimer Y. Ferris* Rep./Dem. re-elected
34th Warren T. Thayer* Republican re-elected
35th Jeremiah Keck Republican
36th Henry D. Williams Republican
37th Perley A. Pitcher Republican
38th George R. Fearon* Republican re-elected
39th Willis Wendell Republican
40th B. Roger Wales Republican
41st James S. Truman Republican
42nd Charles J. Hewitt* Republican re-elected
43rd Ernest E. Cole* Rep./Soc. re-elected
44th John Knight* Rep./Dem./Soc. re-elected; elected Temporary President
45th James L. Whitley* Republican re-elected
46th Homer E. A. Dick* Republican re-elected
47th William W. Campbell* Rep./Dem. re-elected
48th William J. Hickey* Republican
49th Leonard R. Lipowicz Republican
50th Leonard W. H. Gibbs* Republican re-elected
51st Leigh G. Kirkland* Rep./Soc.

Employees
  • Clerk: Ernest A. Fay
  • Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles R. Hotaling
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms:
  • Principal Doorkeeper:
  • First Assistant Doorkeeper:
  • Stenographer:

State Assembly

Assemblymen
Partisan composition of the Assembly in New York City

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

District Assemblymen Party Notes
Albany 1st Delbert C. Hall Republican
2nd John P. Hayes Democrat
3rd Frederick B. Linen Republican
Allegany Cassius Congdon* Republican
Bronx 1st Nicholas J. Eberhard* Democrat
2nd Lester W. Patterson* Democrat
3rd Julius S. Berg* Democrat
4th Louis A. Schoffel* Democrat on November 3, 1925, elected Register of Bronx Co.
5th Harry A. Samberg* Democrat
6th Thomas J. McDonald* Democrat
7th John F. Reidy* Democrat
8th Joseph E. Kinsley* Democrat
Broome 1st Edmund B. Jenks* Republican Chairman of Codes
2nd Forman E. Whitcomb* Republican
Cattaraugus James W. Watson Rep./Soc.
Cayuga Sanford G. Lyon* Rep./Soc.
Chautauqua 1st Adolf F. Johnson* Republican
2nd Joseph A. McGinnies* Republican elected Speaker
Chemung Hovey E. Copley* Republican
Chenango Bert Lord* Republican
Clinton George W. Gilbert* Republican
Columbia Lewis F. Harder* Republican
Cortland Irving F. Rice* Republican
Delaware Ralph H. Loomis* Republican
Dutchess 1st Howard N. Allen* Republican
2nd John M. Hackett* Republican
Erie 1st John S. N. Sprague Republican
2nd Henry W. Hutt* Republican
3rd Frank X. Bernhardt Republican
4th John J. Meegan* Democrat
5th Ansley B. Borkowski* Republican
6th Charles A. Freiberg* Republican
7th Edmund F. Cooke* Republican
8th Nelson W. Cheney* Republican
Essex Fred L. Porter* Republican
Franklin George J. Moore* Republican
Fulton and Hamilton Eberly Hutchinson* Republican Chairman of Ways and Means
Genesee Charles P. Miller* Republican
Greene Ellis W. Bentley* Republican
Herkimer Theodore L. Rogers Republican
Jefferson Jasper W. Cornaire Republican
Kings 1st Charles F. Cline* Democrat
2nd Murray Hearn* Democrat
3rd Frank J. Taylor* Democrat
4th Peter A. McArdle* Democrat
5th Robert C. Shephard Republican
6th Joseph Reich* Democrat
7th John J. Howard* Democrat
8th Michael J. Reilly* Democrat
9th Richard J. Tonry* Democrat
10th Bernard F. Gray* Democrat
11th Edward J. Coughlin* Democrat
12th Marcellus H. Evans* Democrat
13th William Breitenbach Democrat
14th Joseph R. Blake* Democrat
15th Gerald F. Dunne Democrat
16th Maurice Z. Bungard* Democrat
17th Edward E. Fay Republican
18th Irwin Steingut* Democrat
19th Jerome G. Ambro Democrat
20th Frank A. Miller* Democrat
21st Walter F. Clayton* Republican Chairman of Cities
22nd Howard C. Franklin* Democrat
23rd Joseph F. Ricca* Rep./Dem.
Lewis Clarence L. Fisher Republican
Livingston Lewis G. Stapley* Republican
Madison John W. Gates Republican
Monroe 1st Arthur T. Pammenter Republican
2nd Simon L. Adler* Republican Majority Leader
3rd Cosmo A. Cilano Republican
4th Fred J. Slater Republican
5th W. Ray Austin* Republican
Montgomery Samuel W. McCleary* Republican
Nassau 1st Edwin W. Wallace* Republican
2nd F. Trubee Davison* Republican
New York 1st Peter J. Hamill* Democrat
2nd Frank R. Galgano* Democrat
3rd Sylvester A. Dineen Democrat
4th Samuel Mandelbaum* Democrat
5th Frank A. Carlin* Democrat
6th Morris Weinfeld* Democrat
7th John L. Buckley Democrat
8th Henry O. Kahan* Democrat
9th John H. Conroy* Democrat
10th Phelps Phelps* Republican
11th Samuel I. Rosenman* Democrat
12th Paul T. Kammerer, Jr. Democrat
13th John P. Nugent* Democrat
14th Frederick L. Hackenburg* Democrat
15th Samuel H. Hofstadter Republican
16th Maurice Bloch* Democrat Minority Leader
17th Meyer Alterman* Democrat
18th Owen M. Kiernan* Democrat
19th Abraham Grenthal Republican
20th Louis A. Cuvillier* Democrat
21st Pope B. Billups[5] Republican
22nd Joseph A. Gavagan* Democrat
23rd A. Spencer Feld Democrat
Niagara 1st Mark T. Lambert* Republican
2nd Frank S. Hall* Republican
Oneida 1st Gordon C. Ferguson Republican
2nd Russell G. Dunmore* Republican
3rd George J. Skinner* Republican
Onondaga 1st Horace M. Stone* Republican
2nd Willis H. Sargent Republican
3rd Richard B. Smith* Republican
Ontario Robert A. Catchpole Republican
Orange 1st DeWitt C. Dominick Republican
2nd Charles L. Mead* Republican Chairman of Public Institutions
Orleans Frank H. Lattin* Republican
Oswego Victor C. Lewis* Republican
Otsego Frank M. Smith Republican
Putnam John R. Yale* Republican died on July 17, 1925
Queens 1st Henry M. Dietz* Democrat
2nd Owen J. Dever* Democrat resigned his seat on March 28, 1925, to accept an
appointment as Director of the Queens Public Library
3rd Alfred J. Kennedy* Democrat
4th D. Lacy Dayton* Republican
5th William F. Brunner* Democrat
6th Henry Baum Republican
Rensselaer 1st Edward J. Donohue Republican
2nd William D. Thomas Republican
Richmond 1st William S. Hart* Democrat
2nd William L. Vaughan* Democrat
Rockland Walter S. Gedney* Republican
St. Lawrence 1st Rhoda Fox Graves Republican
2nd Walter L. Pratt* Republican
Saratoga Burton D. Esmond* Republican
Schenectady 1st Charles W. Merriam* Republican
2nd William M. Nicoll* Republican
Schoharie Kenneth H. Fake* Republican
Schuyler William Wickham* Republican
Seneca William H. Van Cleef* Republican
Steuben 1st Wilson Messer* Republican
2nd Leon F. Wheatley* Republican
Suffolk 1st John G. Downs Republican
2nd John Boyle, Jr.* Republican
Sullivan J. Maxwell Knapp Republican
Tioga Daniel P. Witter* Republican
Tompkins James R. Robinson* Republican
Ulster Millard Davis Republican
Warren Richard J. Bolton Republican
Washington Herbert A. Bartholomew* Republican
Wayne Harry A. Tellier Republican
Westchester 1st Thomas Channing Moore* Republican
2nd Herbert B. Shonk* Republican
3rd Milan E. Goodrich* Republican
4th Alexander H. Garnjost* Republican
5th George A. Krug Republican
Wyoming Webb A. Joiner* Republican
Yates James H. Underwood* Republican

Employees

Notes
  1. MESSAGE LONGEST ON RECORD in NYT on January 8, 1925 (subscription required)
  2. New York Red Book (1939; pg. 241)
  3. BATTLE OVER PARKS WILL BEGIN TONIGHT AT SPECIAL SESSION in NYT on June 22, 1925 (subscription required)
  4. SMITH EXCORIATES WESTCHESTER GROUP FOR PARK DESERTION in NYT on June 26, 1925 (subscription required)
  5. Pope Barrow Billups (born October 11, 1889, in Athens, Georgia), lawyer, African-American

Sources
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