The sun., 1915-11-15
WHITMAN TO TACKLE
BUDGET TOMORROW
Drastic Reform Step Will End
"Logrolling" by Killing
Lump Sum System.
TO QUIZ STATE OFFICIALS

ALBANY, Nov. 1l.-Gov. whitman will
initiate on Tuesday the conferences
which are TO be held weekly with a
view Of framing an executive State
budget for submission to the Legisla-
ture in January which will include all
appropriations TO be made by the next
Legislature.
Tho heads OF the Agriculture. Bank
ing and Insurance departments will be
questioned first by tho Governor and
then the chairman of tho Legislative
finance committees. at public hearings
to be held in the Executive Chamber
The Governor will he aided in this work
BY his secretary, William A. Orr. and
Charles a. Bervey. the expert of the
New York city Finance Department
who aided Gov. Whitman last May In
pruning the thirty day appropriation
bills left by the Legislature.
Mr.. Hervey performed a like ser.
vice for Comptroller Prendergast In
the preparation of the New York city
budget recently completed by the Board
of Estimate and AIportionment lr
his executive budget the Governor will
sound the death knell OF the system oi
lump sum appropriations for State
departments and institutions.
This outcome of Mr.. Whiimans plar
to frame comprehensive State budget
10 be submitted for the consideration o.
the Legislature is the most drastic and
far reaching step in economic progress
that has ever been attempted In this
State.
'Lumping' Plan Abused.
For years tho plan OF Jumping into
= single appropriation bill for a depart
ment or state institution such diverse
elements of expenditure as maintenance
repairs. supplies. personal service and
other items has been used to pu
through the Legislature all sorts OF hid
den schemes for needless expenditures
and eStravagances
The old established game of log roll.
ing and the quiet achievement OF pri-
vate political ends have been possible
through the introduction OF numberless
separate appropriation bills in which
under the cloak of a single sum set aside
for the needs Of one or several depart
ments, there have been concealed plans
Of dollars out OF the public treasury In
the employment OF local labor and the
purchase of unnecessary materials tc
keep this labor presumably at work.
A typical and annually recurring in.
stance has been the appropriation OF q
stated sum for maintenance. supplies
and repairs" In any department or in
stitution the needed repairs have
usually formed the most persuasive
argument in behalf of the whole ap.
preparation. Then, there being no pro.
vision in the bill to the contrary, the
entire appropriation could be, and very
often was spent simply on maintenance
and supplies. or either No repairs hav.
ing been made during the year still
larger appropriation under this plea
would he asked for and obtained the
following year.
First reform Attempt.
No Legislature or Governor has ever
attempted to abolish or reform this sys-
tenn.
Last year Gov. Whitman during the
thirty day bill period after the adjourn
ment of the Legislature. sought to ac-
quire by personal examination Of the
heads of departments some specific In
formation as to the actual needs of the
various State departments and institu.
tions and to compare these needs with
the lump sums appropriated.
But owing to the brief time available
and the frank ignorance OF many de-
partment heads concerning the financial
details Of their offices. most of the re-
trenchment work had to be done. as In
the past, with an axe"
The legal restrictions upon the Gov
ernor's Veto which prohibit him from re-
ducing a single item. though he may
veto It entirely, made 1t impossible 10
segregate the necessary from the un-
necessary appropriations without inn
pairing the efficiency OF some legitimate
State functions.
prevent the recurrence of such a situ-
alton while he remained chief executive
Accordingly he consulted with men who
had studied the States needs and ex-
penditures, and then undertook to have
a tentative State budget framed for tho
coming year that would enable the Leg
islature 10 proceed to an intelligent. or
derly and detailed consideration OF al
proposed State expenditures.
To carry out this plan a fifteen pags
printed pamphlet has been prepared
under the Governors direction to be
used as a guide by State officials In
framing requests to the Governors bud
get conference for appropriations for
next year.
Called a CIassifica tfon.
This pamphlet will reach every State
department and institution head to-
morrow. 1t is called "Classification
II all State Expenditures" and In II
every imaginable item of expense for
public purposes in any direction Is clas-
sfied under its proper heading.
All department heads will be required
10 adhere closely to the rules and clas-
sfications set forth in the guide in the
raining Of their appropriation requests
md the budget conference. OF which
iiov. Whitman will be chairman, will
AXE up the requests item by item ac.
ording to the enumerated classified
Ions.
The Governor and his advisers are
tonvinced that this system Of classify
lng and detailing all proposed expendi-
lures viii result in large and substan,
tial economies in the public funds. II
will abolish, they believe. the system
II obtaining appropriations from the
Legislature of public moneys Cor pur.
o.