New-York tribune., 1919-09-25
Recommendation of Re-
construction Commis.
sion Receive Almost
Unanin1ousIndorsement
Tanner Pleads for
Budget System
Says Ii Will Destroy Pork
Barrel; Civic Bodies
Back Boards Proposals

The plan Of Governor Smiths Re-
construction Commission for rcorgan-
izing the New York State government
received practically unanimous in
dorscment at q public hearing yesterday
in the aldcrmanic chamber at City
Hall
Representatives Of more than score
of civic organizations and state dc
partments voiced their approval Of the
plan to cut down the number of dc
partments, boards and commissions
from 1877 to is, make their heads an
swerable to the Governor and inau-
gurate a consolidated budget system.
The programme also calls for re-
sfrictions on the power OF the Lecis-
iature TO increase the budget items.
and q four-ycar term for Governor.
Frederick C. Tanner, former char
man OF the Republican State Commit
tee, attacked the present budget sys-
TEN, and declared himself strongly in
favor Of the general Recommendation
Of the commits ION.
ut is IN substance the same plan
proposed ia the constitution of 1915
said Mr.. Tanner 'In reality, 1t car
I rles on tfe system of sho-,s ,alls's
4 cabinet system and ..ient;fc bud
get advocated since the days Of Clcve-
land and Taft
Mr. Tanner showed how the number
OF departments of the state govern
meNt had increased from thirtv-nine in
1894 to sixty in 1904 152 in 1914 and
l61 at present In 1875. he said, the
state budget amounted 10 Sl2 600 900:
in 1908. S24000,000; III 1914, 2,000,-
GOO, and for this year over S95 1000, 900
Calls Budget Rise Indictment
These figures raise a sufficient in
dictment of the system itself and no
business house would tolerate it for a
moment the speaker continued. "Both
the legislature and the Governor are
harassed by ell sorts Of claims from
a.! sorts OF departments; log-rolling'
OF the worst kind is the result, and the
cost Of administration to the state is
far beyond what it should be OF what
the people can properly pay. This is
not the fault of any particular Gov
ernor or any particular individual. The
general plan you have proposed VIII
destroy the shelter Of the pork barrel
and it is the only thing that will de
stroy IT."
Mr.. Tanner pointed out that the plan
was strictly non partisan. as the Con-
stitutional Convention of 1915 was
largely controlled by Republicans The
Constitutional plan proposed seventeen
departments, at least thirteen of which,
rs said, were Identical in name and
function with those proposed by the
/ commission.
The speaker said that the commits
sion had improved on the convention
in making the Attorney General an
appointive instead OF an elective Of
licer. He advised that check be
placed on the power OF the Legislature
/ to Increase the number OF departments
He thought that it would be wise to
make the term Of Governor two instead
Of four years.
Acceptable. Says Professor Beard
H. deb. Parsons, of the Engineering
Council, said that the wastefulness and
inetficiency of the present system
would be eliminated largely bv the
reduction in the number of governing
/ bodies, and favored uniform state laws
! IN this respect.
"Public opinion is maturing, and
think The innovations proposed by the
comm Ission will be generally accep-
table" said Professor Charles A.
Beard, OF the Bureau Of Munici pal Re
search. He added that his organiza-
ton, after making a study of problems 3
Of government. for fifteen years, was
heartily IN favor of the scheme of re-
trenchment
Walter T. Arndt, secretary of the
Citizens Union, warned the commission
that opposition might be expected from
the same source as in 1915 to the
constitutional amendments. Hhe proph-
esied that the stock agreement OF car
like power would be brought to bear
against the granting of increased CON
troll to the Governor.
Victor H Ridder of the State Board
Of Charities, criticised the commits
sion's report for not dealing sufficient
~ with the work of the child wei
fare boards. The only other marked
objections in the whole session we're
registered by several departmental at
torneys. and a representative of the
State industrial Commission.
William Gordon Rice, of the State
Civil Service Commission; Adjutant
General Charles W Berry. Dr. Mat
thias Nichols. o. the State Department
of Health; Nelson II. Spencer and
Lawson Purdy, Of the CITY Club; Fred
A Higgins. OF the State Hospital Com
mission; Homer Folks, OF the State
Charities Aid Association. and D. H
! Robinson, OF the Department of Pub
lie Markets, were among the other
speakers.
Alfred E. Marling, chairman Of the
Committee on Retrenchment, presided
Among the other members Of the Re
construction Commission present were
Abram J. Elkus, chairman; Robert
Moses, chief of staff: John G. Agar
Howard F. Boyle. DR.. Henry Dwight
Chaplin, Mrs. William II. Good. Mrs
Harry Hastings. Thomas Y. Patterson
George Foster Peabody, Charles H
Sabin, Mortimer l. Schiff and Mrs