New-York tribune., 1903-03-09
A METHoD1CAL GOVERNOR.
How Mr. 0delI Keeps Track Of the Affairs
of State,

In describing the methodical manner in which
Governor Odell day by day gets through the
great mass of business which necessarily comes
before the chief executive of the Empire State.
writer in the forthcoming issue of Leslie's
Weekly" says:
When BENJAMIN 3. Odell. jr., elected to
the governorship in 1901, and walked into the
Executive Chamber to begin his official duties
he took the seat OF his predecessors at the desk
in the little secluded apartment in the rear or
the Executive Chamber, which is known TO
his very able and efficient secretaries Messrs
Graham and Mcknight. the Governor
office, and determined first of all things to ao-
minister the affairs of state precisely as he had
so successfully administered his own private
business concerns.
Governor Oder seldom deals with the unex-
pected. That is not the habit of his mind lnat
is not the habit of any sound business man VINO
deals with figures. The executive deals with
figures, with calculations. with certainties and
with expected results. Upon his desk, for ln-
stance, the nearest book in reach of his right
hand is little volume bound in red morocco.
Open it and you find that 1t is an account book,
with ruled pages of ledger paper. That Httle
red hook is the financial chart of Governor
Odeli's administration. 1t tells how much money
the State has to spend. and what the limits OF
its expenditures during the current year must
be. One put it down settled fact that
the limitations thus fixed by the Governor, IN
the interest Of taxpayers, will not be exceeded.
His methods are direct his speech is plain.
and he looks you squarely in the eye when ne
talks 10 you. Trickery is foreign TO the nature
of such men. The little red book that few nave
ever seen or ever notice II they have seen 1t,
the Governors desk. symbolizes his methods.
1t is the key to the situation. But now does iI
carry out his purposes in all the complexities OF
his manifold duties? Simply enough. lie makes
everything conform scrupulously to his orlslnal
and we'll thought out plan. In n drawer IN MS
desk lies a printed copy OF the annual @ a ~ a.
pria ton bill-a bulky, uninterestng mass OF de
partrnental figures On the broad margin--not
of an occasional page, but of every page-ln the
Governors own hand, are abundant inarSInd,,
Alongside of
dollars for inspectors he writes the business
mans natural INQUIRY, How many?' DO these
thousands Of dollars pay an extravagant salary
to one Inspector or moderate salaries 10 SeP-
eral? The people want to know ana 'he "oF-
ernor is the peoples representative
By the side of an item of appropriation OF ssv
eraI hundred thousands of dollars IN aIlotntl ny:
dparmnsannt nan stands the TaF5sa direeton cxpft Not
onIy must the item be cut but the Governor
tells how much the reduction must be.
observed a pile of tradesmens bills on top
of the Governors big morning mall 10 ,ia9 S
audit the bills OF the state yoIr5o 5o re reniied
''Of half dozen departments do' ne ;r ieliI l,,h
"The rest go to the Controller but o!ls 2C' 9S
as these for the Board of HeAlth' me rlStl. 49, e.
me- There they were bills for as smaH an
amount as a couple Of dollars-a stack OF theIa.
every one waiting for an exarnlnauoii pS '
executive, and then for his signature
Tho Governor is at his desk at O. or not not
later than 930 every secular qaF, aSore W & or $50
n m. Long as these hours are, they 3at Sca,tvr go
give him time especially while the lesISla,, lesI,a
e IN session to meet anything like the requlle
roents of his public duties. for the same M o
ouch business methods he always aq"l!lH 80
systematically and diligently aPpheo IN III, &c
djsrOsitiou Of legislative work Every piIl ~; -
soon as It is printed is placed on a me o m i,l @
desk This ponderous bundle OF bllls IS ti an ~
toresttng study Every one Of them Is piop.iy ,S,
and carefully read, and at the bottom OF II WI ~
he found in a word the Governors hrSt an
nerhans his final impression regarding II, IN d
few, words-short, sharp and decisive chaidC
teristic OF all the Governors actions
prt the executive of the State is judiclal
-,inded His first quick impression lnus -
norded on a bill IS always subject TO a ,
and revision His file Of bills Keeps C1TN .iT
al Hesitation introduced, but ne mas sun aii i
other method Of carefully considerlhg el ,noS pn,
nsssed These are placed in large enEeiop9, -,
each by itself with any memoranod tIt tiisI 3 tinn
he essential to its most complete conslderi'ioI
n these envelopes, or Jackets az they CO &C.
caIed the hills go to the Attorney Geheis a. ~
caref,I examination from a legal stanupuTtaIttt,
and FOR a report. When the bills come pdck ~ ~
tbe Governor the Jacket or envelope Is C"i .L
nIe+a aI1y covered with stamps when trace @ Ll7
bb;storv ~ each measure from its lntroouCIi IN
Thexy then await the Governors aPploE"L ,o 20
I,eto OF each bill passed the doPe[loL or! o.,
receiues a carefully prepared digest, lndlca'iI'e
+be exact scone and purpose or the fhedSule'