The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-21

ALBANY. April Discriminating the
important features Of the appropriation
bill just passed Ivy the Legislature, Sem
ator Henry NJ. Sage. chairman Of tho
Senate Finance Committee. made a.vig-
orous reply in u statement tonight to
criticism made Of the present Legisla-
lures handling OF state finances. lie
said the hill should satisfy as nearly rs
possible all parties concerned. pointing
out that a bill agreeable in every way
to everybody was impossible of draft
ing.
TIL" senator declared his belief that
the days of s%30.0O0.0OO and $4,000, 900
appropriation bills were jrst and that
within a short time the aruual cNpcndi-
lures would reach the 800, 900, 900 mark.
The amount OF this years bill is
Sj27S1,13I,' said Senator Sage. ITO
this must he added appropriations for
highway maintenance and repair in
cluded necessarily in separate bills Of
s5.S7i,3i1. making a total OF S5s.65..47s.
The total Of the tentative budget pre-
pared by the Governor was $57,161,,17
and The total OF last years bills for the
same purposes was S63.g91,I1l. As IL
well known, the amount OF last years
bills was made necessary by reason OF
The fact that insufficient appropriations
had been made in the previous year.
"By the most strenuous efforts we
have avoided a direct tax this year.
However. the only reason that "A direct
tax is avoided is because we have a
balance of somewhat more than &c.,
o00. 0oo in the treasury. due to the large
increase In indirect revenue over the
estimates. This is "A condition we cannot
look forward to "A second time. We
viii at the end of this year have only
IA small working balance. Our sources
Of indirect rcVeuue are about cx-
hdus,ed.
Personally 7 am and always have
been in favor of a direct lax. and |
would favor a direct tax every year to
AXE care of our interest and sink
ing fund requirements. irrespective OK
whether the treasury was In "A rich or
impoverished condition"
With reference TO the legislative bud
get, OF which senator Sage was the
father and which requires deliberation
and consideration of the financial meas
urcs. thereby eliminating the practice
which was the vogue in years past Of
rushing through the money measures on
the last day Of the session. the state
meut says the form of the bill Is en-
tirely new.
~ " tllF
construction and reappropriation bills.
together with the sinking fund c%ontribu-
tions, are all combined In one bill II
says. The criticism. largely justified.
which has always attended the pas
sage of these bills at tho last hour. by
an emergency message (thc bills them
selves are not being printed in Anal
form until somc days after the adjourn
ment of the Legislature) cannot apply
TO the matter under discussion this year.
I'm regard to the items which make
tho total of the bill. and also taking into
consideration the charge that the bill
10 made up Of padded payrolls and pork,
| would call attention to the fact that
Of the total included in this bill Of
s5@,1S1 600, the amounts appropriated
for tho following purposes. namely. edu-
catloual, normal schools. agricultural
schools. hospitals. charitable institutions,
! risous, criminal insane, debt service.
National Guard. judiciary and canals,
amount to s4o.153,5+4. IS per cent. Of
the total. leaving s"l:.627.5S7. or - per
cent. Of .the total, for all other state
purposes.
expenses. unless the people Of the state
desire L. give up the activities above.
could be found IN his sl2. 900. 900. In
his connection decreases totalling s?7&..
BOO, as compared with last years bill
have been mad IN the following de.
partfnents Secretary of State. 5000 ,
Attorney-General, s3s,O0O: Comptroller
10000, Legislative, $3.50. Gao civil
Service Commission. 100000; Excise,
$4,000: industrial Commission, S22i.-
600 Health officer of the Port of New
York. $4,000 Tax Department. $780,
600 Nautical School. $4,000. Depart.
ment of Agriculture. S3S, 600 Trustees
Of Public Buildings, $4,000 Conserv,-
ton Department. Sl7,0oO: Engineer AMI
Surveyor, $4,000: Banking Department.
$4,000, Insurance Department. s2i-
0Ou