New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-19
A Time-Killing Legislature

Few legislatures have wasted more
time, with less excuse, m decade than
that of 1917. It's leaders are now discuss
ing, in tentative and programmeless kind
of way, the date of adjournment. If they
would perfect and bring 70 a vote as
promptly as they ought TO DO the meas
ures on the very few subjects Of impor-
lance now pending the session could be
ended liz a month.
Governor Whitmans annual message
laid before the lawmakers few matters of
1es! moment, and fewer Of urgency. The
legislators themselves have produced few
others IN the two thousand or so bills
which clutter the calendars. The rival
excise bills. that providing for local option
in cities and that reducing the number of
saloons and increasing license fees; the
bill creating a state police force the foods
and markets bill; the bills proposing devel-
ment of the state facilities for caring for
insane and feeble-minded; the bills recodi-
flying the education laws and enabling the
state to acquire its share of Federal appro-
priations for vocational education-these
and the regulation appropriation bills are
about the only legislation of prime value
now before the two houses.
Up 10 date only one measure of impor-
tance or general interest has been passed
the woman suffrage amendment. No rea-
son is apparent why these others should
L ha aVt
rouple Of weeks as at the end of couple
of months Mr.. Adler, majority leader of
the Assembly. confessed the other day that
while the Legislature had run about half
its course it had not completed half its
work. The plain fact is that though the
state maintains an expensive bill-drafting
ysnd reference department all the year In
an endeavor to prepare for and perfect
legislation, and has set up a system OF
handling the financial bills which provides
that they must be formulated and intro
nuced by March 10. the legislative machine
grinds along in the same old fashion, and
81 there is less than usual to do there is
the more time to waste.
The leaders this year cannot even argue
In extenuation Of the inertia that they have
been busy with all the problems laid before
them. One of the chief questions of admin
Istration, important not only for this but
FOR all subsequent years, is that of stand
Rrdizing and classifying the titles and
duties and salaries Of civil service en-
ployes This would result in cheaper and
more efficient department service. 1t has
been pending ever since the Horton civil
service committee Investigated the matter
and made recommendations for a general
reorganization, predicting saving of
thousands of dollars annually by the cut
ting out of incompetents and MASTERS in
the states employ. This was called to the
attention of the present Legislature by the
Governor, but there is no prospect of action
on il. Neither is there any sign of activity
toward the production of simple and uni
fed administration Of state charitable in
stitutions, such as has been proposed by
Mr.. Strong, the Governors commissioner,
following his investigation Of the State
Board of Charities. Endesvor along either
line would have been more worthy Of legis-
lative effort than a silly inquiry into the
salares of movie actors and the finances
OF moving picture concerns, even for a
prospect of increased revenue through tax
alton Of that industry.
There is still opportunity 10 finish the
tasks undertaken by the Legislature in a
reasonable time if the leaders speed up the
machinery. They can earn the gratitude
of the public thereby, and save the state a
goodly sum in clerk hire and running ex-
penses. which might be worth their while
in year when the treasury is not filled
TO bursting.