New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-11
Message Result of Confer
ence with Experienced
Leaders.
GOVERNOR MISLED, is
OPINION IN ALBANY
Mitchell Accountants Said Prac-
tically to Have Substantiated
SaXe'S Accusation.
IErOn . star Corte.pondsnt Of rYne Trlbun,

Iron star Correspondent OF The Tribune
Albany, March Governor Whit
man, in a reply tonight to ex-senator
John Godfrey Saxe's statement that
he had counted $lS,OOO,OOO twice in his
recent message to the Legislature on
the condition of the states finances,
refers to Mr.. SaXe's charge that the
figures were juggled as "belabored ef-
forts to confuse the facts" He says
that the figures in his message, and
the conclusions therein, were arrived
at after a comparison of the records
and figures In the Controllers Office.
The Governor makes It plain that
his message was the result of confer
ences with the experienced leaders
Of the Senate and the Assembly"
There is a strong opinion here that the
Governor was misled by these leaders,
who, in turn, were led astray by their
laymen's knowledge of finances.
One attache of the Controllers Of
fice made this statement tonight to
the Tribune correspondents:
"Ex-Senator Saxo's figures are tech
nically correct, but the figures in the
Governors message were also correct"
1t was said here tonight that expert
accountants who have been at work on
the state finances on orders from
Mayor Mitchell for tie last ten days
have practically substantated the
charges of Mr.. SAKE.
The Governors Statement.
In his statement. which was pre-
pared after he had consulted with
legislators and attaches Of Controller
Travis's office. Governor Whitman said:
"My attention has been called 20 the
criticism of the message which | sent
to the Legislature dealing with the
financial condition OF the state and the
necessity of raising by direct tax ap-
proximately SlS,000,000 unless eXtraor-
binary measures of economy are prac-
tised.
"rhe belabored efforts to confuse the
facts contained in my message as a
basis for the criticism. impressed me
as interesting, but l cannot accept
these as warranting a change in the
financial policy outlined in my message
for carrying on the states work during
the fiscal year. nor as altering the
amounts required for that purpose.
81 beg TO assure the taxpayers OF
the state that before transmitting my
communication to the Legislature the
records and figures Of the Controllers
Office were carefully compared. and
that, moreover, the matter was the
subject OF conferences with the ex-
perienced leaders Of the Senate and
Assembly. and the figures stated and
the conclusions reached represent the
combined judgment, which, upon veri-
fcation ] confidently assert is correct.
"The vice of the financial policy OF
the last administration, as shown by
the Controllers reports, was that the
appropriations were arbitrarily fixed
bv the Legislature at S39 100000, while
the Controllers estimate, page l3, ls
$4,000. 600 for similar items. and the
actual expenses of government, accu-
rately computed and necessary TO carry
on the affairs Of government until the
end OF this fiscal year, will require the
appropriations Of the sums to which /
called the attention Of the Legislature
and characterized as deficiencies.
Appropriation Exhausted.
"To illustrate: The appropriation for
the workmens compensation commits
sion should have been SUI .oient to meet
the expenditures Of that department
from October, 1914, 20 the end of the
fiscal year. September 20, 1915. As a
matter of fact, the appropriation for
that department was entirely exhausted
on the first day Of January, when | as
sumed the duties of Office. while in sew
eral of the other departments the lack
of adequate appropriation is found
generally in varying degrees. Not only
is this condition present with reference
10 the actual administration expenses
of departments, but it is also found in
the inadequacy Of appropriations to
Continued on page 4. column
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