The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-27
THE NEW CONSTITUTION.
Expenditures 1t Authorizes Explained
and Defended.

va ~ V hApt"fb'"
and Defended.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: l
was surprised and sorry to see my fell
low Delegate Mr.. Unger repudiating the
new Constitution because of certain in
creased expenditures which he claims
1t calls for.
The record shows that Mr.. Unger spe-
officially voted for the Increase of the
Governors salary, for the Increase OF
the salaries of Senator's and Assembly
men, for the establishment of the new
departments OF state Tax Commissions
ers, COMMISSIONS of Accounts. Public
Service Commissioners, &c, OF which he
now complains. In fact he voted for all
the financial increases he points out
except those In the judiciary article.
Hence my surprise and sorrow at his
reputation end the inference he would
have us draw from the statement that
he voted against the Constitution In
its entirety.
1t is hardly a fair thing, and GER
tainly no argument, merely to point out
alleged increases without a word as 10
their being unnecessary or undesirable.
Although Mr.. Unger presents no argu-
ments to refute. let me oTer some OF the
considerations which led to some OF the
increases he mentions.
The Governor OF this state cannot
live appropriately to his position and
meet the many necessary demands on
his hospitality on the present salary OF
that office. II is unjust to compel him
to resort to his own means. as all re-
cent Governors rave had TO do. This
means that a worthy man without
money could not afford to accept this
office. Surely we wish to maintain
properly the dignity of our highest
officer.
As to legislative salaries. the indi-
vldual experience Of our Delegates at
this convention. very similar In point
~ duration and expense to a legislative
session. showed that $500 was entirely
inadequate to meet the charges OF liv-
ing. travel. &c. and leave any recon-
pense for services or for keeping house
at home. For years the people, par
ticularly In the cities, have viewed with
suspicion their Legislators who seemed
to live on their salaries and have asked I:
How do they do it, forgetting that
they accused themselves, and the duty
was theirs to pay decent salaries II they
wanted decent. honest legislators. The
labor unions favored this increase In
salaries as they found they could not
send a poor man to the Legislature un-
less they helped support him there, as
we were told.
As to expense for more Judges. II Is
n question OF the necessity of more to do
the ever increasing work of "A con-
stantly growing community. No one a
deny the necessity. Speedy Justice Is
far more important TO the people than
the cost OF A few more Judges.
The $4,000 expense for the printing
OF the debates OF the Legislature will be
the cheapest possible check on the ex-
travagant demands of individual legis-
latols who will hesitate To face public
| ity. II will save hundreds OF thou
sands OF dollars.
The constitutionalizlng OF the Cour OF
Claims, the Civil Service Commission,
state TaX Commission and Public Ser
vice Commission in no way Increases ex-
pense. They have all existed for many
years, often under other names, the
state Tax Commission running back TO
1859 the Court of Claims Is, perhaps. as
old the civil Service over twenty
years, and nobody dreams that they
could he properly dispensed with in the
next twenty years.
Stress is laid on the expenses OF the
new Supreme Court commissioners.
These are mainly 10 take the place of
the present excessively expensive COM
missioners appointed in condemnation
proceedings, whose compensat Ton depends
on the number of hearings they hold,
which are consequently strung out for
years. Instead of added expense, much
time and money are expected to be
saved by the new commissioners, amt
one Of the greatest abuses We have
rcmedied.
The expenses imposed by the new Con-
situation are relatively trif.ng hut are
most wise and necessary. Even II they
were all unnecessary they are small. in
deed, when compared with the immense
savings 10 be made under the other new
provisions az to serial bonds, the budget
and the reorganization OF the state adj
I m.nistratlou.
The serial bond provision alone is
automatically calculated to save us
many millions of dollars. Is it not
penny wise and pound foolish to reject
the opportunity to save these millions
because OF a slight increase in expenses?
Let US always bear in mind that We
must view the Constitution as a whole,
Weighing what we consider it's ubjec-
tionable features against its advantages.
D Viewed thus | think few will fail 10
see that AZ a whole Il IL well worthy OF
adoption. c. A. WEBER.
B~RooKLYN, September %.