New-York tribune., 1910-06-21


| propriations Immediately available and
| their expenditure before September 30 in a
| given year, may thus greatly augment the
| amount of surplus determined at the
| end of that year The bookkeeping princi-
pie referred to has had the sanction OF long
| continued custom and affords a valuable
basis of comparison. but in determining the
| amounts OF money actually available at a
given time we must consider the amount
| expended up to that time and the appro-
priations then in force.
On September 80, 1903. our actual cash
surplus. after deducting the appropria tions
then in force, amounted to $3.50. 40s 96. To
/ this were added the appropriations made
| by the Legislature of 1908 expended before
September so, 1903 (s35o7.S75 1o). making the
| surplus at the end of the fiscal year, sl2-
| s57.7S4 o.
| During the fiscal year ending September
! 80 1909, instead of receiving the customary
| s. 10000 or more in liquor taxes the state
received only about S., 100000. This was due
| to a change IN the date for issuing LIQUOR
| tax certificates, but It had the effect of re-
ducing our balance on September 30 1909
by about s4,oO0.00o The surplus at the end
of the year, computed in the customary
way. amounted to sS4s1.o23 50. The actual
appropriations in force, was only s. $50
241 II. the remainder (s5, S24. 7S1 76) being the
| addition of the appropriations of 1909 which
were expended before September so OF that
year.
In mis- last annual report the State Con-
troller has estimated, after charging all
the appropriations in force on October !,
1909. that available cash on September
50, 1910, will be Sc 002 3S9 81. But this estimate
is made without adjustment either to take
account of the appropriations of 1909 which
may remain unexpended on September 80,
1910. or of the appropriations made at the
recent session which will be expended be-
fore the latter date
It may well be that our surplus at the
close Of the current fiscal year will be
found to be as large as that at the end of
last fiscal year. and our actual cash bal
ance may indeed be greater than the bal
ance We then had. But in view of the
amounts that have been appropriated, to
be Immediately available, it is clear that
We cannot assume that our available mon
eys will be any greater than the sum we
must maintain as a working balance, and
we must make our financial arrangements
accordingly.
Demands on Administration Grow.
ne demands UpolI dCllllulSLl dtlcii OIL
continually increasing. There is not the
slightest ground for the expectation that
the people of the state will permit any
substantial reduction Of our activities The
interests of agriculture and labor. the de
mands of education and Of public charity,
the protection of public rights with respect
to public possessions and the instrument
talities of intercourse, the making of suit
ohI inst settlement of
controversies with those holding public
privileges and the safeguarding of the
community against its exploitation, the ex-
ecutiop of the police powers TO guard
health and safety, require numerous ad-
ministrative facilities which cannot be
withheld, and the tendency unquestionably
will be to increase rather than to diminish
them. This will be not only because of
the needs due to increase of population,
but by reason of the constantly growing de-
mand for improved governmental methods
and for more human and enlightened ser
vice along lines that are commonly accept
ed as being within the power and scope Of
governmental action.
The number of those who should be
cared for in our hospitals for the insane
is now increasing, I informed, at the
rate of about one thousand a year. On
the basis of three thousand to a hospital
this would mean a new hospital every
three years. Several Of our hospitals are
now shockingly overcrowded.- We are en-
larging the accommodations at Kings
Park, Central 1slip and Wards Island. We
have started the new Mohansic hospital
and still another will soon be provided.
The demands on the part of our charitable
institutions for increased accommodations,
for betterments. to secure the ends for
which they were established. as well as
for necessary upkeep, are very heavy. Our
prisons are overcrowded. We have two
new prisons under way We are construct
ing new state educational building for
which and the new power plant the sum
of $780, 900 has been appropriated this year.
Our policy with respect to road improve
ment carries with it not merely the con-
struction of new roads, but road ulatnte-
nance, which under existing conditions of
travel and by reason Of neglect in the
past requires large expenditures, destined
annually to increase as additional roads are
provided.
We build our state institutions, hospitals.
charitable institutions. prisons and public
buildings out Of income No private husi-
ness would charge its income as does the
state I do not object to this policy so far
as public buildings and institutions are con-
cerned. for the demand for new ones, for
betterments and improvements Is so great
from all parts Of the state that the neces-
sity Of providing for them out Of income
affords a check which, though irritating
to many good citizens who would prefer
still more rapid progress. is undoubtedly
wholesome in it's restraint.
Serious Burden on Resources,
But the fact remains that paying for
these additions to the permanent holdings
Of the state out of income imposes upon
our annual resources a very serious bur-
den in addition to that created by the ne
and improvements We now have In course
Of construction call for very large amounts
Of money, and undoubtedly as these are
completed other demands now postponed
will have to be reckoned with.
Our income is derived from indirect tax
alton. In our estimate for the current |
year we find that. taking the s2l. 100000 ex-
pected outside of miscellaneous receipts, |
over S29. 100000 is estimated to come from |
the liquor tax. corporation taxes, inheri- |
tance tax and stock transfer tax.
When the bonds issued for the canal and
highway improvements were voted the |
people, under the constitutional provision |
authorized a direct tax sufficient to provide |