New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-05
Sage Resolution the First
Shot in Battle Over
Appropriations
GOVERNOR HOPES
TO BLOCK INQUIRY
Lack of Cash in Contingent
Fund Seen as Check on
investigators

ff-,.5 sar Correspondents u rho tribunal
Albany. Jan. Governor Nhit-
mans friends on the Senate side OF the
Capitol took extra pains to-day to M
cure particularly about the resolu'lo"
introduced yesterday by Senator henry
NJ Sage. chairman Of the Senate Finance
Committee. It directed an invesugatlo"
nv that committee Of legislative appro-
priations Of the last six years to oe,
termine whether any Appropriation nau
boen uisused or diverted TO any othet
,,,,~nos. than that for which il was IN
tended They scrutinized it closely put
two and two tOgethe- With an eye on inc
Executive budget. and then a rs
..Nbat will whitman do ABOUT j. .--
Several of the Governor 5 ADVISERS
vera already up and doing. lhey W.
searobipg out last years apPIoPil"
tiors for the present legislature anu
-, stopped their forehngers JusC
below several items marked S en"C'
Contingent" and Senate Cler6 OVn-
tinoent" funds, one Of SlZ0'OOV' 'ne
other $4,000. IL was the second ~
which thew were Interested buU .nd'
was inst the beginning OF the sSaI1h.
A few hours later they had learned Ihai
Of the $4,000 only $4,000 remaaIrn1et
available for use by this Senate, ne. n%s
lind was reassuring. and what an Ihls s
activity meant is explained as lollo"''
To Fight Governors Budget
II was learned authoritatively to-day
that one of the primary purposes OF ne
60 resolution was 20 afford weap'
~ IN he used by the antl-N hltmah
Sorces in the Senate TO fight the Cover
49, budget and pass the budget pre-
ne.od Inv the Joint legislative commit
20 senator Sage would not discuss
~ resolutions except to say that Ihe
committee might find the Information u
could obtain useful 10 it IN perlectlng
tbo budret The Whitman budget VIII
he opposed. IL was stated, and the oppo-
sition will be of a vigorous SORT -..d
On the other hand, 1t was asseI.Seu
that II the Finance Committee useu lIe
mower proposed in the Sage resoiuS'on,
and had TO spend any money IN ihahl"s
its investigation, IL would nave 70 oraw
upon the Senate clerk cOhllhs T,Mr1
fund. now reduced 20 $ZS,OOV' ~
Governors friends were pleased WIZ 80
that total. because, they sald, F-''oOy
would be needed entirely for other anu
necessary routine operations OF the
senate Therefore. they reasoned II
funds are needed for the Investigator
the Finance Committee VIII nave 10
como 10 the Governor with a dehclehcy
item covering routine expenses anu
there he will have them.
indication of Coming Clashes
That is the present lineup, accord
ing to information obtained to-day
The Sage resolution is regarded at the
Capitol as another and stronger indlca-
ton of coming clashes between Gov
ernor Wbitman's friends in the Senate
and the oDposition led by Senator Zion
r. Brown. president pro TEN, and SEN
ator Sage. Just how the Sage resolu-
ton could be made effective in hghtIng
the Governors budget IS not quite
clear. but that is regarded as Its pur-
nose i'm authoritative quarters.
The legislative budget makers have
openlv displayed chagrin and resent
uent at the activity Of the Governor
budget making corps in the capitol
taking over what they regard as their
prerogstive. They would Ike to Know
IL is believed, what this work has cost.
The Governors corps has been working
here for weeks and is still at H.. Be
sides. he has been advised closely by
Public Service Commissioner Charles
8. Hervey. Of New York, and some Of
the work has been done by some per
sons from the New York City Con-
troller's Office