SMITH, Alfred E., American legislator and statesman: b. New York City, 30 Dec. 1873. He attended the parochial school of Saint James in New York and after graduation took charge of the trucking business of his father. In 1895 Mr. Smith was appointed clerk in the office of the commissioner of jurors, which position he held until his election to the State assembly in 1903 from the then second district of New York City. Re-elected annually to the assembly, he rapidly rose to leadership in that body; in 1911 he became Democratic leader in the assembly; in 1912 was Democratic floor leader; and in 1913 was the unanimous choice of his party for speaker. Mr. Smith was re-elecfed to the assembly in 1913 and 1914, and in the spring of 1915 was chosen a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Conven tion. In this capacity he received high com mendation from all parties, and Elihu Root, chairman of the convention, pronounced him one of the best informed in the State govern ment within that body. In the assembly Mr. Smith demonstrated unusual ability. During his term of service the insurance investigation had occurred, with its important effect upon the future of State government; the Alds scandal was largely responsible for the election of Gov ernor Dix; the factory investigation had taken place with Mr. Smith as one of the most active members of the committee. Its findings cul minated in the enactment by the Democratic party while in power of the greatest number of humanitarian laws ever placed on the statute books of New York in a single decade. The struggle for and the passage of the Work men's Compensation Law took place while Mr. Smith was a member of the legislature, as also the great fight for political purity, the elimina tion of graft and of corporation campaign con tributions, resulting in the passage of the Direct Primary Law and the imposition of rigorous penalties for corrupt practices in connection with elections. During Mr. Smith's term of service in the State legislature he constantly fought for the submission of woman suffrage to the people. In 1915 Mr. Smith was elected
sheriff of New York County by a plurality of 46,202. In 1917 he was elected president of the board of aldermen of Greater New York. In each office that he held he received the unquali fied praise and support of the best element of the press and public regardless of politics. His record made him the logicar candidate of his party for governor in 1918. At the election of 5 Nov. 1918 he was elected governor of New York, carrying Greater New York by the larg est plurality ever given a gubernatorial can didate. In the State he received 1,009,936 votes W against 994,828 for his opponent, Mr. Whitman. One of his first acts as governor was to appoint a reconstruction commission to deal with the great after-war problems. Among his recom mendations to the legislature of 1919 were a speedy settlement of pressing problems resulting from the war; the necessity of providing for at least optional municipal ownership of public utilities; providing more liberal home rule for cities; providing a minimum wage for women; the passage of health insurance measures for industrial workers; the amendment of the Workmen's Compensation Law for the purpose of eliminating the direct settlement clause; and the establishment of co-operative conditions be tween the producer and the consumer. He was able to secure the enactment of several of these recommendations, but many of his reme dial measures met defeat in the legislature. The governor allowed liberal appropriations for highway maintenance and repair, and signed the bill providing for equal pay for men and women employed in the school system of the State. Appropriations for the caring of the in sane and the feeble-minded during his first year were the largest in the history of the State. In June 1919 he called a special session of the legislature for the purpose of ratifying the woman suffrage amendment to the Federal Constitution.