New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-01
CHECKS ON EXTRAVAGANCE
BTLLs MADE NECESSARY BY DEFICIEN
CITS AT ALBANY.
EXCEEDING AN APPROPRIATION TO BE A
PUNISHABLE ACT-A MEASURE TAN
ING RECEIPTS OF BREWERS.
rrv TELEGRAPH 70 THE TRiBrNzl

fBv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
Albany FEB 2s.-The big deficiencies IN SEVERN
state departments caused by state ohc"ts -
ce,dng their appropriations. were the cause "' Wv
Introduction a. severll important bills to-day. on"
otors Higgins and Brown presented measures IN
,,,,1 "a nre,ont such deficiencies In the future
while Senator KrIm introduced an act 10 increase
the states annual income by taxing the pre"eI5
NJ ale and beer and the manufacturers OF re''i'eu
SPIRITS
Governor Roosevclts policy OF aiming the 'o'-
ernor II the State with power to obtain lHio,i"'
ton rs TO the financial condition 81 any oar
department Is apparent in the FIRST OF the p''S
submlffed by Senator Higgins. y says that ul'
Governor NAV appoint financial secretary WIN
must be a certified public accountant me h'"'
ciaI secretary shall have authority wheh "''s''e'
bv the Governor TO examine and make copies ol a.
counts or other records relating 70 the Hhdi0-''
administration Of any state department. ana any
officer mr. otoar person having charge OF any sue"
accounts shall afford the financial secretary eF''y
reasonable faclllty for an examination he''o' ANU
shall furnish to him any information required III
connection herewith" VT
Then comes n bill. prepared by senator ~
g,na IN compel tho State officers to keep "ithH
.bo,r concentrations Such deficiency as that IN
Cured by. Frederick T. Easton superintendent "l
puh,ic Rurdings. lately Of t2l3,co, Is TO be pun
ishabie +, l.,
senator rlon r. Brown. OF watcrtown. also IN
PRODUCED some refo m bills which may ~
rordod rs auxiliary 10 those Of Senator hlss"s'
In ono Of the bills he provides FOR monthly ieP
from, all charitable or reforma tory Institutions III
tb. state Of all their receipts and expenditures
The bill also says that the State ControIl'r anu
the president Of the State Board OF OhdIlIcS' SUI
ioct 10 the approval in writing Of the "oE''"o''
bou claeeif-. into grades the officers and employees
OF :he various charitable and refcrmatory i'S,t1u
lions required by law to report 10 th9 'o"''
md shall r..inc the salaries and wages % oe
paid such officers and employees
Then come, Senator Krums bill to tax the
brewers and stillers. The bill eXempis mem
from n tax on cir capital stock, but taxes 'NeHl
/ per cent On their gross receipts from ousln'sS
in this State and per cent on the amount "a '''
dividends in excess Of per cent.
Tho Finance Committee Of the Senate ana inc
Wavs and Means Committee Of the Assembly manu-
ed ir to-day their long. detailed report on STATE
DEPARTMENT expenditures and the means for pre-
venting such expenditures as overrun approprla-
lions. The report says. in part:
Tor many years appropriations have been made
TO various departments institutions ana colillis
ether salarifs clerk hire. LABOR. repairs or other
cxpcnecs IN the discretion Of the heads OK the d"-
=, rtnorts and the various salaries or wages paid
Tor labor performed i'm each doI1rimcnt are IIg-
aIortly entirely dependent upon tho business abil-
a.. consor,atisn generosity fayoritism or caprice
W. found in che department. a private secretary
paid g. zoo a year ln another department. $500 a
year Zoo one department conhdental cierk was
pald 80 500 "a year. ln another $l5op year, IN one
DEPARTMENT p male stenographer was paid .'t" a
Year. and in another department a male stenos-
raphor was paid Sl.S'o year; in one department n
another department n female steno6rapnor was
paid - 400 year. in orc department q pTc'ircader
was u.id SIS a month. In another department
proofrcadcr was paid $50 a month. IN one prison
prison q tcarnatcr wa paid 81 a month.
These great inequalities In the service should he
.es'cd by les.',' our - sir ,,rin
fhc recess ana draw I0 bin which would limit the
number II employees ~ each department. specify
estabiisha- minimum rate Of wages. at which
lai" oH employee tnder th" grade Of deputies
State. with gradual increase up 20 "a maximum
rlt" - wages which vouiG b.. received IS en-
ll1fts who haG been IN the States service no less
Your committee further nrd+ that various dc
7. t.nrltr ur~ receiving moneys in tho nature ~
f''s for legitimate services performed. such as
Y.ftm.uf and Do" Tarfhg popa~tIu, 30. the Al
f.ruey Generals Department and others. in the
sruNup annually. and over which Cicero BPS no anait
boz thc Controller o. other financial officer ~ the
State Inn s"Hr Instances c'iHf'fHii aye peg
ui'''i 3" '>n'n' moneys "HI'h reeve. j."
fii. manner for such purposes ana DO surh man
r'r 9r fh' department head deem. proper without
appropriation hy tlc Legislator or 1r 'rr"' tlns
at ... CONTROLLERS o'i,.. THE result i' fns. the
actual cype1a tur.t ~ som. ~ those Departments
a- n1f published i. Tie financial .por'f. or Lu" Nn
ff..n Tiis System ehou'd be corrected. ctelr
dollar ~ money received hy any depart n'1f .u.d
pad ort cXo'pt hy REGULAR appf9piai'r; ana an an
made hy financial officer
Tho report th.n tolls how ia many cases ap-
nropratons for public huiidnes ana public d'.
r.rtm.nts have hecn exceeded. Most ~ tho 'y.s
specified a-c ho corrected hy the bills introduced
to-day hv $ nators HIGGINS and Brown.