The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-10
THE EMPIRE STATE-A RECORD OF
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
State Comptroller Eugene NJ Travis Outlines the Progress
Revenues During

The important facts regarding the
internal affairs OF state these days are
unknown to many New Workers. be-
cause we are 30 busy earning a living
and devoting our attention to the
prosecution OF war. Nevertheless. the
vastncss Of the work of State govern
ment and the volume and variety OF
its activities are matters Of vital con-
Germ to every inhabitant OF this State,
whose motto. Excelsior" Is exempli-
fed in every phase of her being.
II takes a lot Of money to run State
government - over ISL 100000 this
year-and It will take more as time
goes on. The party out of power
will always tell us that the party IN
power is responsible for this increase
that 1t expends more than Is necessary
and that too much Is wasted. But
this charge Is always of a partisan
nature ever revived during election
times and afterward Immediately sub
sides.
one OF the heaviest requirements Is
for debt service--that is, the amount
annually needed to provide for the
retirement Of bonds and pay the in
terest on them. BY direction OF a ma
jority OF our voters we built the new
Barge Canal--the largest single public
enterprise--at a cost Of over $4,000
900. and over $10o.00o.000 highway
bonds and SIS, 100000 forest preserve
bonds have been issued during the las,
few years.
BY vote Of the people the State
ran In debt for these projects and II
cost about $14,000,000 annually to pro-
vide for the payment OF these under
takings. The State is the real pro-
tector of bur educational system. and
while taxes are paid locally for such
purposes, the State also makes con.
tribution--Sl2 ,000, 900 out OF the $685.
100000 appropriated--and 1t super.
vises the whole system, maintaining
| ten normal schools for the training OF
teachers.
The Commonwealth manages also
about fourteen hospitals for the in.
sane and they contain about 10000
patients at an annual cost OF approx.
mately sl4,oOO,ooO Moreover the
State conducts something like twenty
charitable institutions for the care Of
children who are feeble minded. blind
crippled or in need OF moral training
and for the care Of tubercular per.
sons, old soldiers and their widows
| The aggregate population OF these in
situations is about 10000 and the cos
of maintaining them Ia about $6,500.'
900 annually,
The six prisons of the State con-
tain about 5000 inmates and the cos
OF conducting these institutions II
about 100000 each year. For thu
| promotion Of agriculture in all III
! forms. including the scientific training
of young men at agricultural colleges
| stamping out of ali sorts OF insec
pests. diseases among cattle, &c. thu
State spends annually about $1,000, 900
! As above indicated, the State goes
( into debt for the building OF high
ways but annually pays Its proper
tionate share by contributing to sink
| ing funds which are reserves made
for the specific purpose of paying OF
the interest and reducing the amour
| of the principal. In addition to thu
cost OF construction, about $4,000. 00l
is required annually for maintenance
and repair. or All average OF abou
81 900 a year to maintain one mill
of road.
In ordinary times the Nationa
Guard costs about 100000 a year
but during the last fiscal year ap
proximately $14,000.000 was mad,
available. The rest Of the money tina
goes to make up the millions appropri
! &c do
In such a variety OF ways that II would
become monotonous to attempt figures
They include, however, general admin
istration, supervision of banking, la
Dor, insurance and other things es
sential to the welfare Of the citizen.
There is one phase OF governmental
| activity that IL espe cially interesting
ut this time, the conservation of tn,
forest and the development OF the fisl
and game. The State owns aoou
1.7O0, 900 acres of forest land and |
takes a small army OF men to patro
these ami to enforce the game law
And yet the entire payroll, amounting
10 s225,0O0 annually, is paid entirel!
from hunting license receipts.
So much in n general way rs Il
how much money 1t takes to run eacl
of the important branches of the Stat
Government. Even more interesting
is the manner in which the money Il
raised to meet these requirements
Few people remember that for years
ever since 1904, the state has beef
run almost entirely without direc
taxation. that is, without a tan on as
sessed valuation of real estate In th'
manner that city and county taxes ar,
paid. Since the annual payments
created by the canal. forest preserv,
and highway debts have increased 81
largely for interest and retirement o