The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-23
THE NEW CONSTITUTION.
The SimpllfcatlOn of Government Dis.
cusscd by Mr.. Wickersham.

to the following subjects.
/. The organization of the executive
or administrative branches of the
State Government and the method of
choosing the officials to direct their
activities. The short ballot.
2. The Legislature.
3. The method of making annual
appropriations for the expenses of the
state, introducing for the first time
the budget system.
4. The method of contracting State
Indebtedness, substitution OF serial
bonds for sinking fund bonds.
5. Home rule for cities.
8. Home rule for counties.
Z. Reform in civil procedure in
courts of the State, and in the organ
~ization and jurisdiction OF courts.
8. State control over the assessment
of taxes on personal and intangible
property.
.. Protection OF the natural re-
sources of the state. The Conserva-
ton Commission.
10. Protection OF wage earners by
the creation of "A department Of labor
and industry; by extending the bene-
fits of the workmen's compensation
act to embrace occupational diseases,
and 10y empowering the Legislature to
regulate or prohibit manufacturing
in tenement houses.
programme. But the enumeration is
not complete. for a number of other
matters are also embraced in the
amendments proposed, to which flu
ture reference viii he made. Those
relating to the subjects enumerated
profoundly affect the government OF the
State and require careful examination.
1t Is the writer's purpose to consider
thrm in the order above set forth.
/. The state executive and admin
istrative government.
:" present 'o'"''''" :" '"e "'a'e
Government is thus succinctly and ac-
curatcly described in the introduction
" NV ''" "" ~ "7'"'''''
and functions prepared by the Blu
rea of Municipal Research and pub
"H"'" W INV i''''''''''' p'Par'"ieh
VI "''''"'' ~" '"'' ''' '"o
'
me '"'''""'"' o' thN SaN OF Sew
d-,n,r,mcn,s. buretgs. hoarts, in.,I,u,io,.
and officers, and They supervise and tcEu'
g., v,ry ~, ,ta., zoo ao,cto. ror.
erumcn' have hccn created since tn. last
,"hs'''n'I'n'l convention IN ~. IN al
then IN existence have hacn enlarged and
Increased during tho twenty year period
,t,, r,e r.s,r.el ,r4 q. h,s ,oo, rn,T,,,1
during the pas, few years that sInpihca,
'''' "'' CONTAMINATION are necessary
or these l6' agencies los are boards
ana commissions or various kinds,
clever commissions being under the
Legislature n four separate ofice
under the judiciary. leaving l52 adj
minlStratiNe or executive agencies
permanent organs or administration
In 1924 there were only thirty-nine OF
such agencies. In 1904 there were sixty
There are now o 1900 employees
or the state, about 10000 OF whom
are employed In the state institutions
The expenses of h state Govern
ment' exclusive or interest on tn
canal II highway debt, and or tht
free school FUND, which In 1897
amounted 10 Sl2,O6s,6i6, in 1914 were
upward of Sl2,OoO.O0 These condi'
tions have been very generally rec
ognized as calling for a complete re
organization of the state Government
Constitution divide the civil admin
~istrative functions OF the State int
seventeen different departments ant
require the Legislature at its mex
session to distribute all the functions
and activities now scattered among
the l52 administrative bodies allow
mentioned to and among these seven