New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-11
Henry l. StimsOn Defends
Budget Plan at COnstitu-
tiOnal Convention.
TAMMANY MEN
FIGHT MEASURE
Declare Ii Would Weaken LegiS D.
lature by Giving Governor
Budget Make Up.
lRr rclcrrnnh 10 Tn, Tribune J

Albany. Aug. 1O.-The TammaEy CON
( tingent among the Democrats in the
Constitutional Convention fought hard
to-day against state budget reform as
proposed in the amendment offered by
the finance committee. OF which Henry
/. Stimsop is Chairman. There is lit
tie doubt of its final adoption, however,
as not only the majority of the Repub-
licans. but such Democrats as John b.
/ Stanchfeld and John q. SAKE favor it.
The amendment places making of the
/ budget in the hands of the Governor
] instead of the Legislature. In Novem-
Der of each year the head of each state
department is to submit to the Gov
ernor an tented estimate of the
money needed, and in February, after
public hearings, the Governor is to
submit to the Legislature budget con-
tanning "a complete plan Of the pro-
posed expenditures and estimated rev
enues." The bill would become law
Immediately on passing. No other APP
preparations could be made by the
Legislature until the Governors bill
was passed, and then all appropriations
would have to be by separate bills, each
for a single work or object.
Predicts $50, 100000 Budget.
Mr.. Stimson declared that this ulan
would prevent "log rolling" and pork
barrels" From, 1885 to 1915 he said
the increase in the states budget has
been from 100000 TO $42,OOOOOO. We
have reached the limit of our indirect
revenues and must husband our re-
sources. As il is now our expenditures
are Increasing faster than the real es-
tate values on which tax can ne lev
led, and next year we face budget OF.
$50, 100000.
1.-THE direct tax cannot be kept down
In fact. direct tax will be necessary
for q long time to come, but If our
plan is adopted it will not increase Tor
II makes the Controller as well as the
G,vcrDor a critic ana a check on eN-
Ur. Stimson said the Legislature had
babitualv shifted its responsibility 10
Inc Governor By passing appropriations
,-bicb were millions above what the
Governor would allow. Therefore, ne
argu.d. the plan should be reversed.
Tho 6cht Of the Tammany men
AGAINST ,he proposal was led by A. f.
smith and Robert +. Wagner. Mr..
Smith held tnat log rolling and borkS
I..rrols" would be in no way CHECKED
bv tbp measure. declaring that these
uractices were brought about DIV the
special bills and not by the regular ap-
pearriation Hill, so per cent o. when;
ho said. is statutory III. Smith sara
.,o proDosql should specify mat heads
of departmcnts be prevented from IN
curing obligations without appIoptid
lions. and trat all private and local
money bills he passed by a t|o-thlrds
vote.
Plan Weakens Legislature.
"By this proposal declared Senator
l. WAGNER. "vCu are creating KING DF
taking poHcr from the representatives
of the people. who are human, and CIV.
ing il TO some superhuman beng or
Your own creation. But you VIII ma
in the executive chamber the same
weaknesses and falllblilties thaJ exist
in the Leg stature
Johr G.. SAKE said he was an enthusi-
astic supporter of the proposal. but he
offered an amendment eliminating the
mower of the Legislature to call the
Governor before il to be heard on the
budget.
II have 70 objection TO the Legis-
lature calling heads of departments be
fore IT," he said, "but | most emphatl-
callv object to the Legislature having
the right to heckle the Governor IN TINS
matter
This was practically the only pro
vision in the proposal that Senator
Wagner favored He thought that the
1 Governor should be required to attend
hearing OF the Legislature on the
vote Of onc-third Of the members OF
either house.
"But suDposing the Governor should
refuse to come ?' asked one delegate.
"Thc Legislature should then have
the right TO punish him. the Senator
answered.
Would YOU impeach him ~ de-
manded another delegate.
eyes. we might impeach him. re-
piled Senator Wagner. lie added that
the Governor would be violating his
oath of office in not obeylnC the sum
mons.
Dr. JACOB Gould Schurman spoke for
the S'imson proposal, saying that
similar plan Of budget making had
worked out successfully for years IN
Cornell University. of which he Is
president He said that Cornells
budget was about $500, 900 year.