New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-05
GOVERNMENT BY COMMISSION

When the executive or legislative officers of
this State do not know what to do on any sub
ject or do not have the courage to do it, they
hand it over to commission That means de-
lay, avoidance of responsibility and a saving for
politics or other congenial occupation of the
time required 10 achieve real craftsmanship and
mastery of the details of State government.
1t also means taxes large and ever increasing
taxes. For some twenty years now this system
of government by commission has been endured
and it is time to take account of stock The tax
able wealth of the State has not quite doubled
since 1880 but the burden of State taxation has
more than trebled. And there is no end in sight.
Still the call is for commissions. No new ques-
ton comes up but it must be examined by
commission. No new work is to be done but it
must be intrusted to a commission with large
and highly paid staff, instead of being devolved
upon some existing department to be performed
by few additional low priced clerks. 1t was
once the theory that the agencies of government
could not delegate their functions, but by fic-
tons are long past that. Now the constitu-
dOnal officers vote and sign, but the real wres-
Ting with public questions is done vicariously
1t is as if the men chosen by the people to rule
them found the task of government too great
and, like indolent MerOvingians, must have APP
pointive functonaries for every task. The old
recognized officers of the State once actually
carried on almost the entire government, while
to-day q mere fraction of the States activities is
performed in their departments.
In 1880 there were two State commissions
created-the State Board of Health and the
Game and Fish Protectors-and they drew
$3,577 81 from the State treasury. In 1899 there
were thirty-one commissions and offices in exist
ence which were unknown before 1880, and they
drew S6562 916 20 from the State treasury. In
Those twenty years these new instrumentalities
of administration have cost the people of New
York $3S, 423, 100 SO. 1t is to be conceded that
some of these additions to the machinery of
government useful and even necessary.
Thus nearly S4,500000 was spent last year
through the Commission in Lunacy for the State
care of the insane, burden formerly borne by
the counties. So large part of that sum is
levied on the taxpayers merely in another form,
and the rest of it is perhaps fairly compensated
for by the better results achieved. Neverthe-
less the habit of creating new boards and bu-
reaus has resulted in enormous expenditures by
the State quite out of proportion to the increase
of wealth and population Moreover when the
State assumes a new duty it almost always per-
forms it at greater cost than the cities or
counties.
OF course there were number of boards in
existence before 1880, but the era of extrava-
gance appears TO have dated from that time, CO.
incident with the introduction of the indirect tax
system. This was intended to relieve the people
of direct taxes for State purposes and would
have done so before this had strict economy been
practised. In 1880 the State tax amounted 10
So, 232, 542 49, Then the first important indirect
tax levied, amounting in 1881 to 1892, 725 16,
and the direct tax was reduced to S. 032, 500 81.
The total State tax thus S7,025, 544 II. The
next year indirect taxes brought in 81 5S3 AS &C.
and the direct levy amounted to S6,S20.022 %.
From that time on, though new indirect taxes
have been levied on corporations. on inheri-
tances, liquor sales, and the income from
such sources has steadily increased, yet the
direct tax burden has gone growing. Only
once, in 1891, has the direct levy been less than
in 1882 and in 1899 it reached the enormous
sum Of S1264022S 90, while the indirect tax
yielded 1868, 100, making the total tax levy for
1899 500, 80, 1913 o. Thus the indirect tax alone
Of last year was somewhat larger than the total
tax of 1880, more than 81, 100000 larger than
the total Of 1881 and more than $1,000,000
larger than that in 1882. Yet the direct tax re-
ceipts of 1899 were almost double those of 1892
and the rate itself was higher 1t is to be ex-
pected that with the growth of the State the
expenses of government should increase, but
when in addition to these millions from indirect
taxes the State goes on levying direct taxes at a
rate higher than in 1889 it is evident that the ex
pendtures have vastly outrun their natural rate
of increase. The additional millions spent are
largely the price of undertakings not properly
belonging to the State. or. if belonging to it,
then wastefully administered.
1t is easy 10 see why money is spent thus
lavishly when the readiness with which new en-
terprises have been undertaken since 1882 is
considered In 1883 six new bureaus or depart
ments were established. BY 1894 ten more new
ones were to be found in the list while one had
been abolished. Then they began to spring up
like mushrooms In 1895 five more were Gre
ated and two consolidated, and since then eight
more have been established while four others
have been consolidated. Naturally this gen.
erous habit of doing anything that any theorist
called for, from taking an expensive hand in
labor disputes to assuming supervision of New
York City elections could not be INDUCED with
out lavish expenditure in other ways The de-
partments existing prior to 1880 have had to re-
ceive their share, and last year cost the State
SIS, 724, 197 IL more than they did twenty years
ago, while the new enterprises since undertaken
cost S6,562,976 90 Yet will anybody say that,
excepting for few works such as the care of
the insane, the people of this Commonwealth
are any better of for this trebng of their taxes?
Where is ii TO end? Instead of reduction and
consolidation new bureaus are proposed and,
for instance it is urged that the corporation tax
work now done by the Controller be given to a
new Tax Department Nor is 1t merely the per-
manent commissions that are demoralizing. The
continuous succession of temporary committees
10 revise this law, draft that measure and ex-
anime into this other proposed reform all tend