New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-14
LET GOVERNOR CUT
DIRECT TAX, HPLAN
Syracuse Delegate Sug-
gests 1t Could Be Done
by Amendment.
CIVIL SERVICE MERIT
SYSTEM CENSURED
LemueI Quigg Calls 1t Con
temptibIe Fraud Minimum
Wage for Women Proposed.

from stan Correspondent, OF Tie Tribuncl
Albany, May 10 Hereafter the Gov
ernor may reduce the amount of a
direct tax levied by the Legislature
after its adjournment, if a proposed
amendment introduced by Ray B. Smith,
of Syracuse, at to-day's session of the
constitutional Convention, is passed by
the convention and approved by the
people.
Mr.. Smiths proposal gives the Gov
ernor power, after the final adjourn
ment of the Legislature, if a bill TO
impose direct tax, other than one re-
curing approval by the people, be be-
fore him, to amend it by striking out
the amount of the tax and substituting
a lesser amount. The bill, as amended
by the Governor. would then become
law.
Were there such law in existence
now the Governor, if he so wlIled,
could reduce the $l9,556,000 direct tax
recently passed by the Legislature TO
whatever figure he desired.
Not quite so meritoriOus, in the
opinion of reformers, is a second pro-
posal of Mr.. Smith. which strikes a
hard blow at election reform by max
ing it mandatory that ballots be print
ed so as to enable straight party voting
with a single mark.
John Godfrey SAKE, of New York,
introduced a proposed amendment that
aims at the ending of one of the recog-
nized sources of honest graft now en-
loved by legislators. Mr. SAKE would
prohibit the Legislature from passing
any local or private bill granting to a
corporation, association. or individual,
the right to prove claim against the
state.
William R. Bayes, Of Nyack, intro
duccd set of proposed amendments
also looking toward legislative reform.
Mr.. Bayes proposed harder work for
the Legislature, shorter sessions, and
a consequent saving to the taxpayers
of the state. His bills provide that the
Legislature shall sit six days a week,
and that the session shall end on
March -. He would also prohibit the
introduction of bills after January 10,
except by report of committees or on
emergency messages of the 'Governor.
Joseph Rosch, of New York, would
have boards of Cancellation and arbi-
tration for the settlement of labor
disputes provided for in the constitu-
ton.
Alfred f. Smith, minority leader of
the Assembly. introduced a group Of
labor bills. They provide for the Gre
alton of a commission to make labor
and factory regulations so that rules
practicable in some cases but unduly
severe in others may be varied within
bounds Of reason; allowing the Legls-
lature TO fix minimum wage for
women and minors; granting the Legis-
lature power to prohibit wholly or IN
part manufacturing in tenements.
CORTLAND Nicoll, of New York, in
troduced a proposition TO make justices
of the Court of Appeals appOintive by
the Governor instead of elective by the
people.
The hearing to-day before the Civil
Service Committee was enllvened by
some frank utterances on the art Of
Lemuel Ely Quigg. A delegation of
Spanish War Veterans, headed by the
Rev. John 7. Chadwick, who was chap
lain on the Maine when she was sunk
in Havana Harbor, pleaded for the IA
vorable consideration of a suggested
amendment tnat veterans OF the Span
ish-American War be given the same
preferences in the civil service as are
now enjoyed by Civil War veterans. Mr..
Quigg made it plain that he was against
any such proposition.
Frankly, I'm spokesman" he said:
"If | had my way, only the favored
sons of the victorious party would be
given employment by the state or any
of its subdivisions.
Military service is duty that
every mar fitted for it should perform:
And having done that duty he should
be satisfied. instead of seeking to OBJ
tain advantage over others in competi-
ton for an Office on account of it.
THE so-called merit system of our
civil service has come TO be con-
temptlble fraud. This is largely due
TO the creation of an exempt class. We
get "A Republican Governor and he ex-
empts persons he desires to appoint
to office; we get a Democratic Cover
nor and he does the same thing