New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-11
at the tracks. That provision seems
TO be doing the business.
Work for Conservation.

WORK Tor CONSERVATION.
One Of the most important features
Of the Governors administration was
his insistence on the conservation of
the states resources.
One thing the Governor did in thai
direction created a precedent that can
never be set aside. For years IL has
been the habit OF the Legislature 10
grant charters 20 water power com
panies with no provision for compen-
sation TO the state. Therefore. when
the incorporators o. the Long Sault
Company, in which Assemblyman Mer-
rift and the late Senator O'Neil were
interested came along seeking a
charter their bill made no provision
for payment 10 the state for the
water power
When the bill went down TO the Gov.
ernor he promptly told MIR Merritt and
Senator O'Neil that he wouldn't sign u
that way. He entered into a series OF
conferences with them and engineers.
At those conferences scale OF pay
ment for the power expected to be de-
velopcd was worked out-a progressive
scale, making fair compensation 20 the
state That was incorporated in the
bill. which was reintroduced. II was
passed and signed in that form, and
became the first measure on the stat
ute books of New York State recogniz-
ing the right Of the state TO expect
payment for the grant Of permission 70
develop a water power.
Banking and Insurance Reforms.
The banking and insurance reform
laws passed felt the Governors strong
creative influence. lie and his superin-
tendents worked out a banking code
and an insurance code which are re
garded as models in their fields. An
other important law attributable
directly and wholly TO the Governor Is
that one permitting the Executive to
investigate state departments, not in
GLIDING those having elective heads
either personally or through commits
sioners of his appointing. II was IN
der that law that the forestry inves-
tigation with It's important disclosures
was made.
Under Governor Hughes the entire
state administration was put on high
plane. He made it point 70 put into
office men Of the highest standing
men of unquestioned ability and in
tegrity.
Numerous state hospitals and
schools and charitable institutions de
pend largely for their administration
on boards of managers. These mana
gers are appointed or named by the
Governor and the nominations con-
frmed by the Senate very largely as
matter of course. In other years
these nominations had been suggested
by the local legislators or politicians.
There was no money at stake in most
cases, but there was more or less
honor or prestige in serving on the
board of the local institution. So.
roughly speaking. these nominations
came to be part Of the political sys-
TEN.
Reform in Records.
When the Governor took office an
investigation of this part Of his execu-
tive duties showed that the boards
hadn't been keeping the proper
minutes, records of attendance and the
like. He sent out word in rather
emphatic fashion that there must
be speedy readjustment in that respect.
Proper records must be kept and re
turns Of the meetings made to the ex-
ccutive chamber. There the returns are
checked of, and II a member Of the
board of eome inStifutiOu haDpened =
be absent more frequently than the
law allowed from the required meet
ings his resignation was demanded.
This happened many times. Meantime,
as terms expired, the Governor APP
pointed men and women with deep
interest in this kind of work, who
could be depended on to attend to It,.
The state institutions began 70 show
marked improvement in condition as
the new boards took hold of the work
Repairs were made to buildings which
had needed attention sadly, econo-
mics were put into practice, and gen
eral tightening up resulted.
Another incident which marked the
legislative session of 1909 will show
the kind of work which the Governor
personally gave 20 the state. The
Statutory Consolidation Commission
had finished its work Of recodifying
the laws Of the state, and the con-
solidated statutes were adopted by
the legislature Ordinary governors
might have accepted the work of the
eminent lawyers on the commission
and the Legislature without hesita-
ton. The Governor and his counsel,