New-York tribune., 1917-12-24
Finance Committee Chair
man Says Rigid Economy
Must Be the Rule
Favors Pay Increases
Only for Employees Drawing
Small Salaries and Pinched
by Cost of Living
Especial Correspondence

ALBANY. Dec. %. Senator Henry NJ.
Sage. chairman of the Finance Commit
tee of the upper house, issued "a state
ment to-day explaining departmental
requests FOR approximations totalling
nearly S9S 100000, as tabuiatcd By the
Legislative Budget Committee. Senator
Sage said the utmost economy would be
observed by the state in all eXpendi-
lures. He predicted that the total re-
quests would be considerably cut.
Every department will be expected
by the Legislature foT this year and for
the duration of the war 20 use the most
rigid economy in the purchase and use
Of stationery. Of the telephone and telc-
graph and Of all Other purchases which
help swell the enormous total" he said.
Senator Sage said the increase asked
in the personal service items is S2,44o,-
900. As there are 20,S57 state en-
ployes getting about S2l ,433 900, the
average salary is 81 1000 including every
ono from the Governor down. The
average pay docs not seem highP said
Senator Sage, "in view of the living
conditions of the present day and he
declared it was the states plain duty
to increase the pay of deserving en-
ployes among those who are to-day re-
ceiving such & small compensation as
TO make il almost impossible TO live
decently."
Senator Sage's statement in part fol-
lows:
Charity Budget To BE Pruned
"The appropriations asked for this
year total approximately S9S S,000 900.
IN round numbers. S77,000,000 was ap-
-. .r-s.
crease asked over these figures Of
$21 100000. At "A time like the present,
when rigid economy IS an absolute
necessity, this is a staggering request.
In anaylzing the figures we find that
for construction alone the request is
for S27 700. about S8.000,000 Of
which is for highway maintenance and
repair. leaving Sl9.500,000 for other
construction almost altogether in hos
pitals. charitable institutions and pris-
ons. II goes without saying that no
such sum will be granted.
The other item showing a very large
increase is that for maintenance and
operation other than personal service.
1t is but fair TO say that the cost Of
maintenance and operation has largely
increased ard that il is impossible
under present conditions TO run the
states activities for the same cost as
they are run during time Of normal
prices and costs. The increase asked
is S7.015.0O0. OF this increase, 49,
$4,000 is asked for our hospitals
charitable institutions and prisons,
and Sl,412,O00 for our education de-
partment. this increase being largely
due to fixed charges as established by
law.
"Thc amount OF this increase in main
tenancc and operation can undoubted-
IS be decreased somewhat even in the
activities just mentioned and quite
largely in the other departments ask
IN" for increases.
AT the present time we should use
the utmost care in increasing the COM
pensation Of higher paid employees. and
no such increase should be granted un-
less the conditions are such as to make
it absolutely necessary. Z is TO be
noted that in this increase of S2,448,000
for salaries) a very large proportion
is asked for new positions. One thou
sand two hundred and thirty-seven
new places are asked for in the re-
quests.
at is my judgment that, except
where it is necessary to carry out the
provisions of an existing law, or where
it could be shown that il is an impos-
sibility to carry on the work of the
state properly with present forces. no
new employees should be added to the
states payroll this year"