148th New York State Legislature
# 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.

## 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; and adjourned on March 27.

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; and adjourned on June 26. This session was called by Gov. Al Smith to reconsider the state park legislation passed during the regular session.

## State Senate

### Districts

* 1st District: Nassau and Suffolk counties
* 2nd and 3rd District: Parts of Queens County, i.e. the Borough of Queens
* 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th District: Parts of Kings County, i.e. the Borough of Brooklyn
* 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th District: Parts of New York County, i.e. the Borough of Manhattan
* 21st, 22nd and 23rd District: Parts of Bronx County, i.e. the Borough of the Bronx
* 24th District: Richmond County, i.e. the Borough of Richmond (now the Borough of Staten Island), and Rockland County
* 25th District: Part of Westchester County
* 26th District: Cortlandt, Greenburgh, Mount Pleasant, Ossining and part of Yonkers; in Westchester County
* 27th District: Orange and Sullivan counties
* 28th District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam counties
* 29th District: Delaware, Greene and Ulster counties
* 30th District: Albany County
* 31st District: Rensselaer County
* 32nd District: Saratoga and Schenectady counties
* 33rd District: Clinton, Essex, Warren and Washington counties
* 34th District: Franklin and St. Lawrence counties
* 35th District: Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer and Lewis counties
* 36th District: Oneida County
* 37th District: Jefferson and Oswego counties
* 38th District: Onondaga County
* 39th District: Madison, Montgomery, Otsego and Schoharie counties
* 40th District: Broome, Chenango and Cortland counties
* 41st District: Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins counties
* 42nd District: Cayuga, Seneca and Wayne counties
* 43rd District: Ontario, Steuben and Yates counties
* 44th District: Allegany, Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming
* 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. 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

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

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

### Employees

* Clerk: Fred W. Hammond
