New-York tribune., 1911-01-05

'lNe veto. tUr tie canal and highway SINK
ing funds the state paid the sum OF $2V91,-
/ lN - last Year. 1T is estimated that the
sum OF si,660,C0) vii be required TO meet
sGch nXed charges for the ensuing year.
II WIZ also be noted that expenditures tor
SpeIatlhk expenses and new construction
! nave increased enormously during the last
Even years. such increase appears III
every department of the state government
WIN our present income. il is clear tha'
/ expenses OF operation and for new con-
Strucuon must be cut down If we expect
70 avoid q deficit in our state treasury
contracts have been made for work yet ia
! DE done. involving the future expenditure
! OF several millions Of dollars. The credit
/ or the state must be mainland. Hence t'.e
most rigid economy must prevail. consist
ent with efficient state service. II is most
essential that we return TO a normal basis
or annual expenditure, and thereafter prog
ress at normal rate of increase.
The principal causes for this rapid in
! crease in the cost of government are the
ADDED expenditures for our boards and
\ commissions
AS compared with seven years ago. the
! annual expenditure for our penal instltu-
| tions increased
From an expenditure in 1903 Of. S12j.e3l 62
To an expenditure in 1910 OF. ........ lG4S, ,3S3 ~
| An increase OF more than........... J2TT
and in 1910 the Commission on New Prisons
vas authorized to enter INTO contracts Ior
| the future expenditure of s. 2Go,cD for the
! construction and equipment OF new state
prison.
AS compared with seven years ago, the
annual expenditure of the Lunacy Commis-
/ sion increased
From an expenditure I'm 1908 Of ESQ 7SS II
&c an expend, turc in 1910 of........ 1853. IW 40
/ An increase Of more than. 64o
and in 1910 the commission was authorized
| 10 enter into contracts ior the future eN-
BendIture OF S.uv.uyU Tor the construction
OF new STATE hospital.
As compared Hltn seven years ago the
annual expenditure Tor educauona! pur-
poses has Increased more tnan o3 per cent.
| DurlnS the last nScal yeal the new fup-
! lie Service Commissions cost the state
] s5y7.3sz 90. FOR I.lc ensuing year the PUB
4 Tic Service Commissions ask the state 10
! appropriate Si,Jo,,o5I 10. These sums are IN
addition to the very large sums charged
1 by the Public Service Commission OF the
J First Distrlc, to the city of New York
I 1 90 lot refer 10 these facts because l
disapprovc legitimate expenditures for hos
pitals aSylums. schools and regulative
commissions, but to snow the abnormal
rate of Increase in the expenditures for
! these purposes. and to point out the abso-
/ lutte necessity of the most drastic retrench-
ment II this Is not done, direct tax
muSt be imposed upon the people for the
reason that although our predecessors eX-
hausted every reasonable source OF indirect
tG GXation, nevertheless the expenditures dur
ing each of the last three years exceeded
the revenues, thereby very greatly depleting
the treasury. We believe that such re-
trenChment can be made without impair
ing the efficiency of the state service. I'm
necessary boards and commissions should
be abolished. useless employees removed
and every demand for appropriation care
fully scrutiniZed to the end that the ex-
penditures Of the state be brought within
our income and that the total amount OF
appropriations be limited to the estimated
amount OF revenues from which they are TO
be paid.
An apparent surplus OF S6,7S2,20l % on
September 80. lsl0 the end OF the last fiscal
year. after deducting the liabilities for ap-
FasNae l.tnf NON
date leaves q real cash surplus OF only
$255l. .7S5 "a. being practically the smallest
left in the state treasury at the end OF
fiscal term for many years past,
The total revenues of the state during
the last fiscal year were S31 $40 73 and
the total appropriations s42,S75 .450 Sc. leav-
ing the net amount in tho hands of the
Treasurer, subject TO appropriations, at the
sum Of $2,55l,1S5 81. There would have
been a deficit Of over FIVE millions Of dol
lars but that there was surplus In the
treasury at the end Of the previous year.
The amount of revenue derived last year
from all sources Of taxation by the state
was S2G91".S76 -, ana the amount OF the
. npdgetary requirements made mp by the
last administration for the present fiscal
year is $5e,6l4.2sS SS, leaving an apparent
ieflcit to be made up df our revenues are
AS large this year as lasD. by new sources
OF taxation or by increased revenue from
the present sources Of nearly thirteen mill
ions Of dollars Sf3.o000O0i.
The latter alternative seems quite out of
the DO'.nOS OF reasonable IlDhdDllty, as the
late Controller has called attention 10 the
fact that the recent legislation providing
FOR a higher tax on inheritances Will i'm all
probability decrease rather than increase
the returns from that source by causing
citizens Of the state 10 remove their dOmi-
Giles TO some point or points outside our
boundaries
Canals.
The outstanding contracts for the work
Of canal Improvement amount 20 s74.S42. 900,