New-York tribune., 1909-05-26
TENTATIVE BUDGETS
WOULD IMPROTE STATE
APPROPRIATIONS.
GoUernor Hughes Suggests Com
mission to Which Departments
COuH Submit Earlg Estimates.
fIy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

A1ro,x, MAY o5-One feature of the state
mont issued I,,- Governor Hughes explaining his
action on the appropriation bills to date has re-
ceiyed little general discussion. but there mas
been a great deal OF debate over it in pohucal
circles aud IN state departments. rms was Tue
Governors suggestion that there be some ma
cbiper,- to arrange tentative department bud
gets in advance of the legislative session so the
Legislature would have the advantage OF TINS
preliminary work The Governor said:
rrbora ebould be provided some permanent
,,7otbod for comparative examination OF depart
mental budgets and proposals for appropraa-
tions in advance Of the legislative session, ;"
that the Legislature may be aided by prelim-
inarv investigation and report in determining
with lust proportion. the amounts that can
properly be allowed
To any person who has watched for any
length of time the results of the present sys-
tenn of appropriating state moneys the wisdom
of the Governors recommendation is apparent
at q Glance Such a method almost inevitably
would do away with the Crudities and the IN
eouaIities of the existing give-and-take sort OF
ARRANGEMENT by which the appropriations com
r1ittees of the two houses wrangle with depart
nent heads for several weeks. wrangle among
themselves for a week or two longer. finally
reach a sort OF harmony through conference
committee and pass a measure appropTiating a
few million dollars than the state can
afford, relying on a Governor TO veto sufficient
items to bring expenditures within income.
Glowing examples of the results of such work
have been furnished this year, when the head
Of one department told his friends he got more
money than he asked for, another whose of1cial
duties demand no travelling had an allowance
for travelling expenses. while the Public Service
Commission for the I'd District had TO norty
the public that for lack OF appropriation IL
ling
nation of grade crossings, has had to suspend
investigation of railroad accidents and is badly
crippled IN its inspection of railroad equipment.
Roughly. the Governors idea is to have a
commission or bureau created TO which the
state departments could submit tentative bud
gets. with all appropriate information COM
parative figures. estimates for necessary in
creases in working force based on necessary
increase of business and the like.
All these data could be tabulated and digested
as no legislative committee in the rush Of
session can do. The result would be that the
Finance committees could take up for consid-
Grafton coherent comprehensive material, and
would be able easily TO the relative needs
of departments.
II is probable that there is not one head Of a
state department or superintendent of an insu-
tuition which has TO rely on state funds who
would not welcome some such system. As
things are. the states moneys constitute pie
from which the ones with especial luck or par
ticularly long fingers and arms strong with
political influence are likely 10 pull all the
plums. This is not necessarily TO be construed
as criticism OF the Appropriations committees,
either
Their action is arbitrary: il has be.
they work under tremendous pressure with in
sufficient time and no opportunity to digest
analyze the mass Of demands and conflicting
information poured in them. That weakness
in method the Governors suggestion would go
far to correct.
And if the Governor had power, Governors
Of some other states have, to reduce appropria-
tions without vetoing them, there IS little ques-
tion that the states money would be spent more
wisely and far more thriftily.
Another remark Of the Governors has aroused
much interest. He called attention TO the fact
that I'VE are paying for many permanent i'm
provements out of income. So that the cost
Of new establishments which will serve their
purpose for a generation or more is betrayed
out of the income of the short time which
elapses during their construction"
This happens 10 be exactly opposite to the
process of paying running expenses out of the
proceeds Of corporate stock which has driven
New York City into a bad mess financially; but