The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-05
New Articles Are Introduced to Meet Modern Condi.
tons in Government and Anticipated Sections Are
Revised by Prominent Men.


ALBANY, Sept. 4-on April q 1853 dele
gates elected to the Constitutional Con-
vention in the previous November cleo
ton met at Albany to take up the work
Of revising and bringing up to date the
State Constitution.
Tonight at Z o'clock. after nearly five
months continuous work in committees
and in the main session. they completed
the work and will soon submit to the
voters the result Of their labors.
A summary OF the amendments fol-
lows:
Providing that the only State officials
to be elected hereafter beside the Gov
ernor and Lieutenant-G Governor shall be
the Attorney-General and Comptroller.
All other functions of State government
are to be grouped under fourteen ex-
ecutive State departments. and the
State Department OF Education will be
presided over by the Regents of the Uni
versity elected by the Legislature. who
appoint the State Commissioner OF Ed
ucation. The Governor is to have the
appointment Of the Public Service Com
missioners. the Conservation Commits
s!oners, the Civil Service Com
missioners and the Labor and Industry
Commissioners, with the approval OF
the State Senate, but he will have the
appointment without the approval OF
the State Senate. of the heads of ten
departments, including those Of Ac-
counts, Treasury, Taxation, State. Pub
lie Works, Health, Agriculture, Chari-
ties and Correction, Banking I'M In
surance.
The State Comptroller will be the
head of the Finance Department and
shall nave all his present powers and
duties, subject to change by the Legts-
lature, except that the Commissioner OF
Accounts will have power TO examine
and verify all accounts showing the
financial transactions OF the State and
its several departments and offices, in
GLIDING the Comptroller's office.
May Increase Tax Board.
The chief of the Treasury Depart
ment will be the State Treasurer. The
Legislature may establish a single
headed or a larger State Tax Commits
sion, the present membership OF three
to continue unless changed. The Secre-
tary Of State will have his present
duties, except administering the auto
mobile tax law, but 1t is anticipated the
LEGISLATURE will give him the powers
now exercised by the State.
The big department is to be that of
Public Works. and the superintendent
will nave the construction. maintenance
and operation OF the STATES pubic
works. including annals. highways and
all public buildings not from time to
time assigned by law to any other de-
partment, and he shall establish In his
department bureaus of engineering and
architecture to take the place OF the
state Engineer and the State Architect.
An unsuccessful attempt was made 10
provide In the Constitution tnat the heau
OF this department should be an engi-
neer in view of the fact that he Is to
build the roads and complete the barge
canal as we'll as the terminals.
The Department OF Health is con-
,irued under a COMMISSIONS OF Health
as at present. and the Commissions OF
Agriculture Is made the head OF tna'
department. \ secretary OF ShaIt'es
and Correction will be at the heim OF
the Departnent OF Charities and Correc-
tion. with powers OF inspection ana
suneryision over all State charitable IN
stitutions, State hospitals Tor the IN
aane. state prisons and other state cor
regional institutions.
The Superintendent OF Banks 10 mace
raqnOnSlDle Tor tne bdIlhlhS btp"
and the Superintendent OF Insurance TOT
The Insurance Department. The head
~ the DEPARTMENT OF Labor and Indus
try shall be an Industrial Commissioner
or Commissioners as the Legislature may
proyide. At present II is a commission
N Ave members. The two Public Ser
vice Commissions are to comprise the
Department of Public Utilities and un-
M the Legislature shall otherwise pro-
A.. x-ltl.@ rAtnn ~ taQinna are con-
tinued with the Jurisdiction and powers
at present vested in them. The Gov
ernor may remove any Commissioners Tor
cause after service upon him or tho
alleged cause and an opportunity to be
heard. II was attempted to incorpor-
ate In the Constitution a provision de-
filming the court review which PUBIC ser
vice corporations might have from or
ders OF the commissions and prohibiting
the Legislature from passing rate bills
without a previous investigation OF a
public service commission.
Some Departments Unchanged.
The Department of Conservation is
placed under the direction Of a nine
headed commission and the Department
of Civil Service under n commission OF
three as at present with the same terms
and powers. The next Legislature Is
to provide by law for the appropriate
assignment. TO take effect not earlier
than January l, 1917, OF all the civil.
admin, strative and executive functions
OF the state government through the
several departments enumerated. Sub
ject TO the limitations Of the Constitu-
ton the Legislature may assign new
powers and functions to departments,
officers and commissions or change their
powers and functions, but no new de-
partments shall be created hereafter.
Any bureau, board, commission or Of
fce hereafter created must be placed
In one of the departments established
by this article.
The Attorney-General and Comptrol-
Ter may be removed from office only
by Impeachment, the same as the Gov
ernor. All appointive heads OF depart
ments shall be subject to impeachment
or they nay be removed by the Sem
ate on a two-thirds vote in addition to
the general provision that they may
be removed by the Governor at his dis
erection.
BY increasing the salary OF the Gov
ernor from 10000 TO $50, 900 It was
planned 10 make the Governor the real
boss of his party and do away with in
visible government This amendment
gave the Governor a four year instead
OF "A two year term after January /,
1918, and made him ineligible TO sue
coed himself, 50 that he would have am
pie time to put In force his policies OF
government. William Barnes and
Lemuel Ely Qu.gg led n revolt in the