Research

In 1942, the New York City Department of Investigation, under the direction of Commissioner William B. Herlands, conducted a study of irregularities in the Workmen's Compensation Law affecting municipal employees and New York City as an employer. The investigation revealed such problems as the submission by doctors of fraudulent bills to employers and insurance companies. New York Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia reported these irregularities to Governor Thomas E. Dewey and requested that he order an investigation.

The Office of General Services was established by Laws of 1960 (Chapter 459).

This Commission was created by Executive Order on October 10, 1953 to investigate the operations and management of New York harness racing associations, corporations, and tracks and of the New York State Harness Racing Commission. The investigation was prompted by the August 28, 1953 murder of Thomas F. Lewis, President of Local 32-E, Building Service Employees International Union, A.F. of L. This union claimed jurisdiction over several hundred employees at Yonkers Raceway. Questionable hiring and other practices were revealed at Yonkers Raceway following Lewis' murder.

Composed of ten members appointed in equal numbers by the Senate majority leader and the speaker of the Assembly, the committee held public hearings in the summer and fall of 1943. These hearings and research conducted by the committee's counsel produced over 200 exhibits including charts, tables, maps, engineering reports, and other documents. Many of these exhibits were included in the revised edition of the committee's complete report, which was issued in 1945. The committee's recommendations were enacted with minor modifications as chapter 1035 of the laws of 1957.

The Joint Legislative Committee on Consumer Protection was created by a June 3, 1964 Concurrent Resolution to investigate high prices, consumer fraud, misleading advertising, and other areas involving consumer protection. Each year the committee held a series of public hearings, drafted legislation to remediate unfair practices, testified before other legislative committees and government agencies, and generally attempted to keep the public informed of their rights as consumers.

Earl W. Brydges was a member of the New York State Senate from 1948 to 1972, representing the Niagara County region. From 1966 to 1972, Brydges served as the Senate's Majority Leader. He was very active in the fields of education and mental retardation. In addition to other committee assignments, he was the chairman of the Standing Committee on Education. He was also the chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee to Revise and Simplify the Education Law and of the Joint Legislative Committee on Mental Retardation.

The Historical Records Survey (HRS) was authorized by Presidential Letter No. 1090 on November 15, 1935 to locate and measure local records, to study preservation methods, and to make recommendations concerning maintenance and use. Initially, the HRS was subordinate to the Federal Writers' Project. After a year of conflict between Writers' Project and HRS executive staff, the survey was separated from the Writers' Project and made a full, independent member of Federal Project One, in November 1936.

Legislation in 1963 (Chapters 932 and 933) established and specified the functions of the Mental Hygiene Facilities Improvement Fund. The Fund was created as a public benefit corporation to expedite planning, construction, and reconstruction of state hospitals, schools, and other mental hygiene care, maintenance, treatment, and research and training facilities.

Disruptions to established trade routes during the early years of World War II left America in short supply of such materials as rubber and gasoline, and coordinated efforts to conserve these items were begun in 1941. As the fighting escalated, and with America's entry into the war, the demand increased for items that would be used specifically for the war effort, such as metals, rags, paper, and waste fat. Cut off from usual suppliers, it became clear that the country would have to reclaim the needed materials from used items.

New York State's first constitution in 1777, and subsequent constitutions of 1821, 1846, and 1894, vested supreme executive power and authority in a governor. Colonial precedents for a governor as executive officer were the director general, who administered New Netherland under the Dutch from 1624 to 1664; and the royal governor, who administered the colony under the British until 1776.