New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-06

to hospitals and institutions Of any
amounts whatever other than the petty
cash tund psopo"al referred to-
hat all of the fiscal powers now
segregated among the various state dc
partmcnts shall hc centred IN the Office
Of the state Controller This will
mean n removal of these financial pow
crs from the Department Of Highways.
Department of Public Works. the Hos
pital Commission. the fiscal supervisor,
the Prison Department. th/ Armory
Commission. the Palisades Park Com
mission and the State Fair Commits
sion
Debt Service flinders Economy.
zone of the features Of the cost Of
state government which shows an un-
usually large increase and makes n
net saving difficult. even with the cN-
crclsc Of rigid economy i'm the admin
istrativc departments" adds the mes
sage. els the debt service of the state.
which includes the payments TO the
sinking funds and the payment of in
tcrcst on the outstanding bonds of the
state. Those items in the estimate sub
mlttCd 90 me by the State Controller
show an increase over the allowances
for 1915 of $2.0S1 1881, based on the
assessed valuation of September. 1915.
The final total Of the contributions
TO these sinking funds for the next
fiscal year required under the sinking
fund provisions OF the state constitu-
tiou must he based upon the assessed
valuation Of the state as Of September,
1916 II these valuations increase dur
iuE the present year ~ greatly as they
did during the fiscal year ended Sep
tembcr. 1918. the estimate Of S2.0S1.-
3G5.9i made by the State Controller IN
these items viii be materially in
creased
This increase does not represent an
actual need of the state to provide
adequately for the amortization Of
state bonds, but is due 20 the consti-
/ tutional provision which fixes the con
tributioas Of the state 90 its sinking
funds upon the basis of property val
ucs within the state M the time the
contribution is made For this reason
our sinking funds are being largely in
fatcd and the taxpayers Of the present
are called upon TO make contributions
for this purpose which properly should
fall upon the taxpayers of the future.
81 earnestly recommend that a CON
etitutional amendment be prepared by
the present Legislature 20 correct this
condition as far as il Is possible and
20 provide that the future borrowing
of the state be placed upon a modern
and sound financial basis, either
through the use Of serial bonds or
through the application Of actuarial
methods to the regulation OF sinking
fund contributions.
Single Appropriation Act Urged.
Recommendations with regard to the
state budget are:
THAT all appropriations or reappro-
priations for a fiscal year shall be IN
one appropriation act, except for an
extraordinary emergency occurring
during q legislative session or TO meet
the expense Of a new department Of
state government created after the
adoption of the regular budget apprO-
prlationS.
THAT all appropriations other than
those made for specifically described
repairs for construction and perma-
uent bettermcnts, or for payment Of
sinking fund or interest charges, or
for the payment Of adjUdicated claims
against the state, shall lapse AZ the end
OF the fiscal year OF which the appro-
priation is made.
That all appropriations shall be
made so as TO clearly and specifically
perscrbe how all state moneys are 10
be used.
THAT all appropriations for any one
department or activity shall be eX-
pressed in items closely associated so