The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-29

In the matter of giving the Governor more and broader
power, | believe there are mistakes of such a serious char
acter that the proposal in this respect will prove more
harmful than beneficial. | believe thoroughly in a proper
budget system. but under our plan of electing a Governor
for two years. granted that there is a change every two
years, we would get an independent responsible budget
system but every other year. For. if the Governor We're to
be elected this year and take Office on the lt of January,
the budget for him would be made up by the department
heads that were going out with the outgoing Governor.
The next year the new Governor and his department heads
could make up their own budget, but the following year
he in turn would make up the budget for the next incoming
Gov sn, .o;.. Til: certainly Gx g G;sv1ss; a S:;o.if uls opportunity nifty
politics with the efficiency of the State departments at the
expense of incoming Governors and vice versa.
No large business concern could obtain anything like
reasonable efficiency under this method of doing business.
and. in my judgment. no State with such vast admins
tratve interests as ours can do so either.
The plan by which the Governor makes up his budget
and sends it in is not by any means free from Legislative
influence, because the Legislature has the right after it
pWn Bills Hs a .md G pass thSm f t%fs s"bmi"si"n to the G GoVerno '*
This opens up . vast field of dicker and trade between the
government and both. In this connection, the restoration to
Me Gorernor Of the p9mer 10 appoint memberS Of TIE Lealsla-
oud thoroughIy reoctionoyy. The Governor of this State had
this power one hundred years ago, and it was taken away by
the Constitution in 1921 because of its great abuse. In the
discussion on this subject in the convention of 1921 that
adopted the section which is now sought to be repealed, Mr..
Williams, a delegate, said:
nineteen out of twenty Of these oanes have been filed out Of the
people h"ye i expe ss"f , i" xsa dis,pp p .o b S"'f FROM c%'' o"s part %"o of the the
State to the other. and although they have selected n many in
stances fit and suitable candidates for Office, yet, inasmuch as
they were taken from the Legislature, they have been considered
Improper selections. An idea is entertained that the Legislature
has been rendered subservient to the appointment power for the
promotion of political views and the advancement of individuals
in that BODY
Another delegate. Mr.. Bacon, said:
"Whcn we &c. a W have done at N o remote period, more
than one third of the Legislative body returning home with their
commissions in their pockets, the people will inevitably draw from
it some unkind inferences.'
(Mr. Bacon was evidently a very polite gentleman)
POWER TO APPOINT MEMBERS OF LEGISLA-
TURF TO OFFICE.
In this connection, it is extremely important to note that
the proposed Constitution not only restores to the Governor
the power to appoint members of the Legislature to office. ont
mere is in me proposed ner Constitution nothing "hotCrcr 10
prerent an Assemblyman or a Senator bc"H oppo'ni'd hy the
Gorp,Vor as heat Of one Of me Stote Departments dnd stu re-
manning a member Of the LrgiSIafmr, SiHi"g IN mat bodH
mhich ~Hl odopt a b"dgct for his omn dep"tm"'. consider
giving the Governor such power as this tanlamount to manu-
featuring a new and valuable currency with which the Cover
nor can buy members of the Legislature for any purpose he