New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-18

LAVISH APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE COMMISSIONS
AuTHORIZED BY GOVERNOR FLOwER-sOME
OF THE UNNECESSARY INCREASES
NEW OFFICES CREATED THIS
YEAR-DEPAETMENTs WHICH
CAN BE ABOLISHED.
,, -,v prcr.t Ar CORRESPONDENT OF THE rglDrNE,
Albany. Dec 17-One Of the most important
stems which leading Republican members OF the
Incoming Republican Legislature propose taking
in behalf Of the taxpayers OF the State Is that
of reducing largely the cost of the State COM
missions. which Of late years have been great
burden upon the Treasury The finance officers
of every county in the State are cutting down
county expenses in view of the hard times,
and it is felt by prominent Republican Senator'S
and Assemblymen that the Legislature should
initiate their example at Albany by lessening
the cost of the State government
When Alonzo b. Cornell the last Republican
who has held the Office OF Governor surrendered
his place to Grover Cleveland on January l.,
1883 the total yearly cost Of the State commits
sons was only $6744i. Under the three admin
istrations which followed that Of Mr.. Cornell
those of Governors Cleveland Hill and Flower
all Democratic-the cost Of these commissions
increased steadily until at the beginning of the
present year II amounted to S1,1S0l1S AZ for the
wear 1892: and 1t may be mentioned as an item
of general interest that since January l. $780,
these State commissions have received from the
State Treasury the large sum OF s6,S47.S92 -.
Moreover they have eaten badly into the re-
ceipts OF the State from the Corporation and
Inheritance Tax laws (which should have been
wholly devoted to decreasing the direct State
taxes
GOV FLOWERS ZEAL FOR ECONOMY SUBSIDIES.
Mr. Flower. in his first annual message to the
LEGISLATURE in January, 1892. recommended
earnestly a reduction in the number and in the
expense accounts Of the State commissions
but then he became so interested in his attempt
TO defeat Grover Clevelands nomination for
President and bring about that of David b.
Mill that he forgot all that he had said upon
Ahis particular subject of economy, and. instead
of reducing the cost of the commissions, actually
increased It, The commissions cost ss42, 32S q
when he assumed office in January, 1892. and
BY the end Of that year, with his consent the
experditure upon them had been increased 10
sllS0l13 A. There was scarcely a State COM
mission that did not receive at his hands a
larger sum Of money than it had obtained the
previous year from David b. Hill.
One of the most noteworthy of these increases
was in the case of the Department of Public
Buildings. which is especially under Governor
Flowers own care.
This department is managed by the Trustees
of Public Buildings, the trustees now being Gov
ernor Flower. Lieutenant-Governor Sheehan and
Speaker Sulzer In the year 1892, which is in
question Speaker Bush was one Of these trustees
of public buildings ana suizer was not In 1891
It had cost the State the sum of $l66,S5O 29 to
care for its public buildings. Under the man.
7 .iaufp n to
ernor Sheehan and Speaker Bush trustees
the cost ran up to s25461S ca, an increase in one
year of ss7,76a 35 1t should be stated in partial
exculpation of Messrs. Flower. Sheehan and
Bush that the Superintendent OF Public Build
inys is Michael Deehanty, father-in-law Of Sen
ator Edward Murphy, jr.. and that Of course,
they would not find fault with man having
such political pull" even though he ran up
the expense of cleaning and heating the States
buildings in Albany, maintained large force
Of useless orderlies and failed to keep the rooms
in the Capitol clean.
USELESS INCREASES OF APPROPRIATIONS.
The present year Mr.. Flower has again con-
sented to an increase Of the appropriations for
the State commissions. although 1t must nave
been obvious to him while the Democratic
Legislature was in session that the nnancal
affairs of a large proportion Of the people Of the
that therefore any reduction in the States ex-
penses would be gratefully received by them
The appropriation for the support of the Game
and Fish Protectors for instance, was increased
from S18 492 so In 1892 to s23 95S 65 In 1893 What
special necessity was there for thus increasing
by S. 46G 10 in one year the expense Of this COM
mission? Then there was the Bureau OF Labor
Statistics. It's cost in 1892 was $33,642 AZ; its
cost this year will be $500 CO. The Niagara
Reservation Commissioners in 1892 were author
lied to expend s3S. .263 %. This year the Demo-
cratic Legislature and Governor Flower author
lied them to expend $41,0lO Il.
The State Board of Health in 1892 expended
$29,146 Ga. This year, under a plea that there
might be cholera. the board was authorized To
and will expend s41. .75G SO. This Is the mOs
justifabe increase thus far mentioned. The
Dairy Commissioner received a lofter title thi:
year. that OF commissioner OF Agriculture,
and of course his appropriation was Increased tt
comport with the title 1t was S9645l 43 in 1882
Il is $105 302 70 in 1893 an increase OF sS.sol ~
1t was announced that the Forest Commission
had been RECONSTRUCTED and therefore its affairs
would be better managed. That is to say ther'
had been three Forest Commissioners. and ne"
law authorized Governor Flower TO appoint hVe
The new Forest Commission has not yet peconi'
economical In 1892 under the old Commission
ers the expenses of the Forest Commission
amounted to $36 299 04. This year. 1893. under M
new Commissioners, the expenses VIII De sf~'
2ls Oh: an increase Of s. 9iS 81 in one year. INT
Factory Inspectors were increased in NUMBER ah'
as result the expense OF maintas ga nsa re
$8l20 "a in 1893 an increase OF Sl3,2S1 90 In on
year. Board OF Port Wardens, which cos
S3024 70 in 1892, will cost $5229 81 in 1893 Farm
ers' Institutes, which cost $l09S6 81 in 1872, VIII
cost $l3,6 AZ in 1893.
NEW OFFICES CREATED IN 1893.
But this does not tell the entire history OF IN
creases. New offices have been created in 1898
Among them are a Miscellaneous Reporter, VINO
is TO receive s. 939 3S and u Mine Inspector, VINO
is to get s19s7 3S. Added TO this, the Demo
cratic Legislature OF 1898 and Governor Flower
increa sed the nav Of the State Inspector Of Ga:
Meters from 81, 500 to $1,000 and gave him tnret
inspectors to live in Brooklyn. Albany and Bui
Andrew Clinchy a henchman of Richard Croker
received the S. 900 sinecure; and Assemoiynla,
Cahan of Buffalo, a henchman OF William