Common Good (1964)

the house will be in order it's a massive building we New Yorkers own up here in Albany a massive building in which a massive job is constantly in work a job that's done well or not so well depending on many things mostly though on us there's a collection of workshops in there turning out a special product it is here that our wishes if enough of us wish them hard enough are translated into laws if you'd like to see that process in the legislature of the state of New York come inside with us right now and we'll see them in [Music] action there's a flow to the process of translating people's wishes many of them conflicting into the will of the people and translating that in turn into [Music] laws the start of it and the Finish are well outside this building it starts and finishes of course back home back home throughout the state but this is headquarters this is where the action is and how the action goes each year depends heavily on the legislator's leadership men selected by their brothers on the floor the speaker of the assembly the Senate's president pro the majority minority leaders in both Chambers 150 assemblymen 58 Senators lawyers most of them some manufacturers a few Farmers one funeral director you've been doing a great job up here and you just go back to the people in your district and come I understand your bill came out of the committee today in the assembly yes I'm happy to hear about it I'm glad the news is getting around we keep our ears open we'll try to do what we can on the Senate side taking you over to the Senate today there's going to be some interesting debate think it's going to be exciting interested sure I we've got to increase the annual subsidy for public housing I'm going to push it in the Senate how about the ass [Music] help thebly but about the second Flor govern has sign [Music] yes it is ornate I suppose the architectural style is what Byzantine Saron Baro R Coco Hudson River bonial perhaps or Palazo but I like it of course it is not the setting that makes the legislation it has occurred in places like this or in Open Fields on one occasion at runny meat it is I think the quality of the men that you choose to be your legislator you choose by the exercise of your vote in the elections in which you do vote that's what makes the difference the difference can be enormous once to the assembly you sent a 23-year-old Theodore Roosevelt for the rights of the people we stand for the rights of the wage worker we stand for his right to a living wage we stand for the right and duty of the government to limit the hours of women in Industry to abolish child labor and some years later from the east side of New York City you sent the happy warrior Al Smith who is the Forgotten man he is all of us Americans who have sought by Thrift hard work and sacrifice to save something for a rainy day to the Senate you once sent two lifelong friends who later went to Washington War a patrici of the Hudson River Valley Franklin Delano Roosevelt is it fair to approve a huge City Boulevard and at the same time disapprove the Improvement of a muddy Farm to Market Road his friend seated across the aisle a German immigrant who later wrote the Wagner Act we must have democracy and Industry as well as in government democracy and Industry means Fair participation by those who wake in the decisions vitally affecting their lives and livelihood another future US president here was the fox of Kinder hook Martin vanban back in 1831 William seart represented you before he became Lincoln Secretary of State and among other things arranged the purchase of Alaska it's hard to tell close up who today will be the standouts when today grows into history but if elected there are important things one can find out for sure one can make out clear enough whose side you're on and who's on yours and act accordingly look on this Bellmont Bill what's the what's the difficulty there what do you put it over for the problem was the bill was ready for passage last week but I put it over to today the technical problems have been worked out now you should they've cured those things now I'll see if it gets out tomorrow it would be very helpful be fine thanks for mil BT and I'll look for you tomorrow and check with you one finds out also how a load of 8 to 10 ,000 bills can be processed in a usual legislative session work is by the minute preparations are year round organized in special Ways by committees research groups open hearings and closed caucuses and most especially constant touch with the district voters back at home that part of it the keeping touch is probably harder today than ever but certainly more practical thanks to the latest models and Communications equipment the communications men seem to work much like they all always have same speed and all same questioning technique the same favoring of Headliners over less striking significant advances but the extensive coverage they give legislative news today can help district voters keep the sharpest kind of I on things the reporter's row backed against the rostom must be faced by every legislator every time he votes every time he makes a speech the proceedings once they're called to order are bewildering at first the short roll call the reading of a bill reduced to the last section raising the hand to vote only the negative all parts of what seems a strange exotic ceremony they are in fact a signal system like the chant of the tobacco Auctioneer and the hand signals of the flooran on the stock exchange look upon us gathered here in this assembly shed upon us as a body and upon each of us individually The Helpful Spirit of thy Grace Municipal La relation to overtime conversation from public off for second they're doing some work here do you want take effect laid aside 1905 by Mr Bartlet an actur Gates Court act in relation to virtual representation bill is starred 4814 by Mr Black an act to amend of members membership corporations law in relation to nonprofit Waterworks corporations read the last section the SE will take effect to immediately all ABS Les young 137 knows none bills passed literacy has nothing to do with intelligence these men serve Faithfully in the Army and not only that but if you are literate or illiterate you are bound to pay your taxes we represent the people of the entire State I said before we're proud of our franchise laws in this state we're anxious to keep them that way and the these bills and the merits shouldn't be come before us and shouldn't be passed all those in favor say i contr n read the title of the bill number 1016 by Mr Ramos Lopez concurrent resolution the Senate assembly proposing an amendment section one of article two of the constitution in relation to literacy tests on the motion of Mr travia those voting for the motion will be voting for the discharge of the standing committee those voting against will be voting to sustain the action of the standing committee all those in favor say I contrary nay motion is [Music] lost there's one way of cutting through the jargon to what the action really is youngsters do it when they visit here as they do by the hundreds every week their shortcut is to take the longer view this the assembly are Gallery the exhibits are changed every week the paintings uh are related to the work of the legislature this one over here early down in the early 1800s is called politicians in a country store now politicking was already a traditional skill a workable way of stretching out and smoothing out differences coming up with a solution which everyone could live with and that is still of course a major task and achievement right here some of the issues with us today have been around for as long as anyone can recall a century ago people passing Mrs mccormic Place pictured here knew about juvenile delinquency although they had a different name for it children the concern we have with them have always been a major legislative program New York legislated State support for public schools back in 18 66 an item which now gets near half the total budget of the state three generations before an artist reporter sketched this scene New York outlawed slavery the year 1799 we've come a long way since for the first child labor law in 1853 when many felt the unskilled drudgery of children was needed to build a thriving industry with workman's compensation laws in 1913 with a canal system which unlocked a continent's resources and helped to open it settlement and with the eies modern counterpart the widest longest throughway in the world that's the Long View of the action now take a shorter one of a single Bill and how it comes to be intro number 4740 introduced in the assembly faces a Committee hearing hold that to be don't threaten me I have a responsibility and I'm going to I don't think should be that hard for them to f out well the the trouble is that there's a background here in Albany County with respect to this type of legislation ladies and gentlemen this hearing has been called to consider the legislation by Mr moski introductory 4740 print 4926 to amend the real property law in relation to the sale of subdivided lands as I understand it this bill is designed to uh put Provisions in the real property law which will protect people who buy land which is is sold to them through advertising uh subdivided land is that right Mr moski that's correct Mr chairman a little elaboration it affects only those who sell vacant land on the installment plant Frank what's different about this bill is not already covered by law Mr chairman can I have an explanation yeah it's my my understanding that there is a section of the real property law now which provides for the filing of statements verified statements where you subdivide land and sell it why do we need this amendment Mr chairman this is one section of the real property law where the buyer is afforded no relief whatsoever no Protection Plus the fact that we can't go out of state and exodite the man who sells this out of state this is where we need it he sells it in state but he's out of state we have to get our hands on of it you know Frank I think your bill is laudable but I don't know where you're going with it here you're making uh this this crime failure to report a felony isn't that rather har that's not undo restriction well you haven't let me finish uh you know the felonies in our state uh murder robbery in the first degree this is a rather severe penalty is well this is a severe instance of millions of dollars involved the people investing their hard earned money at the end to be used at the end of their retiring years Mr chairman this bill might cause a real problem to some of us Upstate counties a lot of our Farmers you know are going out of farming and they are selling off a lot or two to uh raise cash frankly to put their children through school for the most part M cook we have witnesses who might be able to clear up some of these problem problems uh Mr Robert Carol would you come in please Mr Carol is a reporter for Newsday who did a series on this installment Sal sales won't you sit right here what do you know about installment sales to the people of New York Mr Carol assemblyman in a single County in Arizona Mojave County there are more than 13,000 square miles of worthless desert land without water or roads or utilities this this land is worth about $2 an acre but phony promoters are calling them retirement home sites and selling them to New Yorkers for $1,000 for a half an acre of sand and the New Yorkers that they are aiming at are the poor and the elderly thank you Mr Carol will you wait for us please and in event anybody wants to ask any further questions Mr Morton Davis won you be seated Please Mr Davis is one of the thousands of New Yorkers of been taken in by some of this phony advertising Mr Davis have you anything to Enlighten the committee with on this Mr chairman I'm uh post office employee and I expect to retire in a few years three years ago I put $10 down became one of the suckers and I paid $360 so far recently my wife and I decided to take a little vacation and visit our retirement Lots out in Arizona I found nothing not even a bird not a rat no sidewalks no roads no water not even I just feel disgusted I've been taken and I hope you can do something for us I've been to see a lawyer he says he tells me there's nothing I can do I'm just stuck anybody any questions to address to the witness I think he makes a pretty good case Mr Davis will you tell the members of this committee through what media you learned of this land yes is San I learned about it after reading uh one of these glowing ads in the newspaper and uh I was one of the suckers that answered it I had a representative call on me and uh he also described it in glowing terms and I thought that I had a beautiful place to retire to uh with my wife now you gave him $10 when he called in person how was the rest of the purchase price made after that I paid $10 every single month if there are no further questions of the witness the witness is excused Mr M kluski how many people does this affect in New York state how many people have been swindled by this method here's a list of case history after case history and news day and these other articles as well have you read the magazines Mr chairman we need this bill right now Mr C has this bill got the endorsement of the Attorney General and the Secretary of State well certainly and I think the sponsor of the bill can tell you that we spoke to the attorney general you got this letter on file M yes we have a letter on the file not only that Frank if you remember correctly last week we went down to talk to the attorney general and he told us the great need for the Bill of the hundreds of millions of dollars that are going down the drain the effect of this bill is to make the purchaser fully aware of what he's buying and give him recourse in this state in the state of New York against the seller it fully protects the public when they deposit these money for the purchase of the land I'm for that Mr chairman let's move this bill out in the floor where it belongs now I think the bill crosses party lines it ought to be sent out on the floor on its merits and I'm hopeful that the committee will vote vot accordingly thank you very much and good night to you as it turned out the committee did vote accordingly an in 4740 was handed down for the assembly to act on one way or the others and vages with less than 1,000 population to make purchases from a vendor who has been awarded a contract for the same item by competitive bidding in another political subdivision the last section the SE take effect immediately all the ABS Les Young 140 NOS none tear hands down the following Bill clerk will read number 4926 by Mr MOSI an act to amend the real property Law relates to sale of subdivided land the last section SE shall take effect immediately Mr Speaker Mr Speaker I just this minute learned of the purport of the legislation which we are now considering I have not had a chance to fully study this significant we must move this bill now if the bill doesn't come to a vote on the floor today it's going to be dead for the rest of the session and another $300 million is going to go down to drain this year whole people's money I most humbly request that the bill be laid aside until next week no Mr Speaker I move this bill Mr Speaker Mr Speaker I object to this bill because if this bill were enacted into law the state of New York would then be policing the entire country to bring these people in from out of the state and Pro Ute them in this state we don't have the money and on that ground I feel that the bill should be defeated ladies and gentlemen if the only objections to this legislation are technical ones there are no objections this is an emergency situation this bill should pass now I can tell you that there are 70 companies at this very moment soliciting sales in the state of New York for out of state lands estimated sales throughout this nation last year amounted to $700 million and gentlemen this is a situation which prays upon the poor and upon the elderly of our state Mr Speaker I object to this bill this would throw hundreds of people out of work the advertising men that write the ads and perform the services the salesman who sell the land lay it aside no Mr Speaker I move this bill now move the bill without objection the clerk will read the last section the SE shall take effect immediately call a roll Abram Zing travia young is32 NOS 13 bills passed c will Le the title of the next bill number 4535 of Mr Ingram an act the educ next step is the Senate [Music] [Music] the day starts in the Senate with distribution of the calendar a summary of all matters scheduled for consideration and with the summary the book of bills in assembly intro 474 is brought with simple ceremony into what some have called the most beautiful legislative room in the country it's a different room in many ways from the assembly chamber a different group of men too somewhat older many of them a little more accustomed to the role of [Music] mediating the choices they must make are are not just for or against the choic is not to mediate between on the one hand the wish for greater opportunity in education against the wish to keep down taxes or for civil liberties against a wish to nurse along a dying Prejudice there's a panorama of choices among which to allocate the resources of the state and all of them are favored and opposed by labor by Bankers by wine Growers by teachers except of course for the few on which there is a consensus in the whole state state they buy out ofate land uh and there's over 70 organizations in the state now selling uh advertising in the newspapers with no protection whatsoever in this matter well as you know you've been talking to me about it for several days morning how are you Bill good to see you Henry how are you fine Bill Good Henry uh this is the bill with the attorney General uh oh that's right he Ted work it out with the Secretary of State there's been an article in one of the meading newspapers uh that went on for four or 5 weeks and it's called Misery acres and it really points up this whole program you sold me come on in we see you get it going [Applause] Senate will please be in order the invocation will be offered by Reverend Robert J hwma of the first Reformed Church of Bethlehem Reverend hawman let us pray most gracious God we humbly beseech thee for the people of this nation for the governor and people and legislature of this state it's my government the first item on the agenda might be as now a special bill I don't own my first allegiance to the state of New York I owe my first allegiance to the federal government of these United States if there is a particular program which is conflict with some something the state wants to do I'm certain we can sit down reasonable men with the administrators of that program in Washington and work it out we don't need some kind of a watch doog to watch over our president over our elected members of the Congress what kind of nonsense is this why are we allowing ourselves to be stuck into this kind of argument I can only tell you I'm very disturbed and I hope you get the opposition and from across the center aisle you get the supporting view of it this this this Bill calls for information and more information I'm sure the senator does not object to having more information in a field which is one of the most obscure particularly in state finan the next item might be as now reaction to a news report about the Senate I feel that I've had a ra with most of the members of the legislative correspondence Association friendship I value most high and whose Integrity can be questioned by no one may I submit that this be a banner red letter day in the history of this Senate when we say once and for all in a loud voice for all are here we will not be intimidated by one newspaper we will not succumb and prostitute our judgment on the order of editorial approval dictated by a quest for greater circulation we will not be so decrepit morally we will not be so weak intellect ually as to succumb to that which they are trying to drive down our throats reading 325 Mr M and ultimately the work gets going on passage of the bills of subdivided lands last section section two this Act take effect July 1st all the rooll the pros and cons have all been ironed out on these and among them assembly intro 474 [Music] ask the bill is now a law because as its heading reads the people of the state of New York represented in Senate and assembly do and act that's the story of one bill and there are some 9,000 more or less each year Affairs of villagers Affairs of cities education Finance conservation judiciary are touching almost every activity of man in a state of 16 million people their work their health their play their children's growth and opportunities their care and their old age in illness and in birth this year some of the significant wishes which the people represented in Senate and assembly did enact were these [Music] [Applause] next year well that's up to you [Music] oh