New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-01
A CABINET COUNCIL.

A CABINET COUNCIL.
The Governor called a conference Of the mem
bers OF his cabinet Of State officers to consider
the painful disclosures Those present were
/ Lieutenant-Governor Woodruff, Secretary Of
/ State McDonough, State Treasurer Jaeckel, At
! torney- General Davies Deputy Controller Mer-
rinan and State Engineer Bond When the
/ conference adjourned all the State officers
seemed greatly disturbed by what they had
/ heard The deficits" not large in
amount but clearly there reason TO fear
that the bad habit OF spending more money
than was appropriated by the Legislature and
thus running into debt might be found TO per-
neate all State departments and bureaus
! Hence the apparent anxiety OF those present at
the conference.
The newspaper cores spondents entered the Ex-
ecutive Chamber the State officers were de-
parting. The Governor informed them that
within an hour he had had talk with Colonel
John y. Partridge, Superintendent Of Public
Works and had learned from him that the
deficit" in this Department not un-
manageable the one in the Department Of
Public Buildings. BY rigid economy Colonel
Partridge believed he could carry his Depart
ment to the end Of the year without asking the
Legislature for additional appropriations
/
former Superlntendents Of Public Works have
had to pay their expenses. 1t is evident that
he will have 10 exercise the strlctest economy.
FIRST FRUITS OF ECONOMY
The Governor stated that the era Of painful
economy had already begun in the Department
OF Public Works. Colonel Partridge having dis
missed men enough to make a saving OF S2o0OO
a year The Governor did not state the fact,
but one OF the men thus dismissed IS R. G. Lay,
a relative Of Ex-Governor Morton. and for four
years assistant superintendent Of the Western
Division Of the Erie Canal Perhaps II was this
dismissal that caused the news to go around
that the Governor had decided upon the policy
OF not interfering with his subordnates in any
particular. but to look to them for results. II
any man IS dismissed the Governor will not aid
him to get reinstated believing that the Depart
ment head is endeavoring to act in the interest
Of the State.
Another economy announced by the Governor
was the discontinuance Of the "sunburst' OF
fourteen hundred electric lights blazing above
the golden dome Of the grand western stairway
These lights cost the State 81 600 year. Harry
r. Bender the new Superintendent Of Public
Buildings, recommended their dscontinuance
state Treasurer Jaeckel's embarrassment Is
said to have been caused by the generosity Of
Addison B. Covin IN raising all salaries In the
State Treasurers office just before retiring from
office r. c. Wilkes had his salary Increased
from So 900 TO 50 400; W. Fl. Monty, from $3.50
TO 50 100: Isaac p Bauvelt, from Sl9OO to
50 1O0 Nh Mcfarland. from $1,000 to $1,000
and j. F. White. from $1,000 to $1,000 The
Legislature had made no provision for such an
increase Indeed It had reduced the appropria-
ton for the Department from $2S662 20 to
so. 900 In the first three months Of the fiscal
year the sum Of S7162 10 was expended. On
this basis the Department would have to have
sos G51 in order to pay its way
HOW MR. PERRY WAS TREATED.
The Governor did not say anything about
state Treasurer Jaeckels report, but he did in
form the newspaper correspondents that there
was a deficiency in the Department OF Isaac c.
Perry. the Commissioner OF the Capitol whose
chief duties just now are those Of State archi-
tcct Mr.. Perry. upon being asked about the de-
fclency In his Department. said:
Last winter | asked for $4,000 TO carry on |
NV Department but the Legislature only gave !
me S2OOOO With that small sum l have man /
aged as architect the expenditure or SZZVoUOQ
ON State buildings, armories hospitals, normal !
schools and the like which now under con- |
etruction. That $4,000 is less than per cent |
Of the total cost OF the buildings lhvoLveu. ,
have been constructing new buildings al CenuaI |
Isp on Long Island. which viii house ZOoo |
p-orle and also three hospital buildings at !
central Islip a building on Wards Island for |
three hundred persons. two hospitals al OSdehs-
burg a building at Geneva for the Agricultural /
Exrerimcnt station a new barrack for the |
Soldiers Home al Bath the finest armory IN |
the state for the Attn Regiment at Buffalo, hos
pitals at Poughkeepsle and at Buffalo nuild-
ing for the blind asylum at Batavia. building
for feeble-minded children at Newark and
new hospital at Bnghamton. This does not IN
clude ali the structures l have been superln-
tending. . .r
NV appropriation was far too small After l
had expcnded 50 900 more than my S2OooD Con-
troller Roberts borrowed $1,000 for me. | have
expended 1000 more than my appropriation.
and | need So 900 additional. I think ! nave
spent the money economically and wisely and
mat II there is a deficiency II was due to causes
which 7 could not avoid after the Legislature
reduced my appropriation below its legitimate
limit" Co.,
In commenting on the removals In the Canal
Department. Superintendent Partridge said that
in the case OF Colonel Lay he mad nIed win
tho Governor a memorandum. In accordance
with the requirements OF the law, that his
action was "in the public interest He was not
he of a successor to |