The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-21
Paying the Piper.

s1AlNNNAA " az lANAAN0 Jul 49, ~" - -
ofstate finance az revealed by Governor
HUGHEss memorandum ACCOMPANYING
his action upon the appropriations bill
passed BY the Legislature are these;
First. the cos, Of State government for
1910 will exc, ed that for 1914 by tS.tSs.-
so, second. the expense will exceed the
income BY a sum a. large and perhaps
larger third. the excess Of expenditure
over inccme will just about wipe out
the remains II the surplus in the State
Treasury. Next year there will come the
return 10 the direct tax.
Several weeks ago THE SUN analysed
the preliminary figures which revealed
the progress toward poverty Of the State
Treasury in the last four years With
the final yhgures for 1910 in hand Il is
possible n show this much more pre-
cissly In the twcnty years that passed
between lSs7 and 1910 the cost Of State
government increased Sl2,67s.O OO. or
from Sl4.gal .OOO % s2s.s7e.OO0. In the
four years between 1901 and 1910. that is
in the years in which the Hon. CHARLES
Evans HUGHEs has been Governor. the
Increase was Sl2,692 900. or practically
identical. rising from t2s.S79ODO in the
last year Of the administration % the
late Governor HOOKS 70 81. 0Oi On for
the present year
Il will 70 -een. then, that in four wears
the cost IT State government has IN
creased approximately 50 per cent.
Between the four wears 81 OBELL and
those II HUGHEs there interviewed only
the two years NJ the Higgins admipis-
tration. vet while the Cnst II the Odell
regime 10 the State was hut Sa4. $50. ON,
that ~ Nlr. HUGHEs's term will be
Sisi $500, Or tJ7.Js5.O0 more This
Indicates an annual advantage II above
0ODOO for the present incumbent.
The two years Of the Higgins admins
tration cost SIS So .DOo: the last two
years ~ the present Governor will cost
above S73.5ji On. or above S3o.O0O .OgO
more for two years and an annual e1-
cess ~ SlOOo.OO
Such an expansion IN the cost n State
government u plainly unparalleled in
State history, Il II true that the effort.
the natural eHort. Of the adherents II the
present Governor v ~ b. % FIX the blame
upon me Legislature. yet how far can
such q course 10 Justideds Whv should
the Legislature 81 1870. for example.
succeed m persundinc Governor HUGHEs
n approve a budget SIEGE. on larger
than that accepted ny tho late FRANZ
W HIcCINs only four years ago. Why
should the legislative branch. which
under the combined administrations ol
HuI. FJoWER. NORTON. BLACK. RoOsE.
WILT. ODELL and HIGGINs advanced the
cost NJ State government on an average
but ag3i On annually. suddenly run Il
up a. an annual rate 81 81. $500 under
HtGHFs. Is Il possible in the face o!
such oomparisons 10 believe that IN,
responsibility lies wholly or consider
ably outside the Executive,
The truth IL that IN large measure IN,
sudden and enormous Increase IN ihecost
Of State government r. the natural. 'hs
inevitable the inyariable CONSCIOUSNESS
Of the injection 81 the moral issue into
the administration Of State Affairs. FoI
four years the members Of the Legisla.
tuTe and the Executive have been en-.
gagged not IN attending 10 the rOutins
business If the State but in a campaign
70 rereneraie public morals or in tn
other campaign 10 prevent such a ~.
generation. In this fight what could be
more natural than that the thing Of Ieast
consequence should be State finance
When the sole question asked II the
ambitious legislator by his constituent,
was concerning his attitude upor
Hughes policies, when by champion.
ship " them NJ became a popular her
on the instant why should he labor ir
COMMITTEES On dull supply bills;
The Governor too; how could h.
pause in his great contest, Twice a
least hc has rallied extra sessions 70 r.
vive moral issuf,. How could he com
piicate the -trIggIeand obscure the prin
o.-ies by Iniecting a financial UIeatioS
into the Legislature summoned 10 pas,
hIs race'rack bill NJ he direct primary
without these paramount ISSUES. %
course. hc could have vetoed the an
preparation bills and demanded from
Legislators IN extraordinary session ,
reasonable, sound, sensihle Rnancia
measure But what applause. VIA
mas meetings, what Appeals 70 N,
people are possible when a question %
receipts and expenses ia AZ stake. Wha
importance IL there. moreover. IN mer,
h0rdid monetary considerations whs,
ths soul 81 a State - 70 bs savedg
We assume the people Of this stat
1--we bad what hoy wanted: We knov