New-York tribune., 1920-11-30
to Cut
Millions From
State Bud get
Judge Favors Reduction TO
1920 Basis. Whicl, Means
Nearly $50, 100000 May
Re Slashcd i'm Expenses
Useless Boards Must Go
General Housecleaning on
Economical Lines VIII
&c Effected After Jan. /

Judge Nathan L. Millcr's idea with
reference to the fiscal policy OF the
state will be made known az an early
date in letter TO the state budget
makers. From what could be learned
yesterday, the bureau heads, who have
made requests which have tentatively
swollen the budget from $40, 900 900 to
about 1920, 900, 900, will read something
that will disconcert them
Some OF the leaders who have talked
with Judge Miller say that ne favors
cutting down the budget to the 1920
basis, which means that from 10000.
600 to S80,O00000 will have to come out
Of it.
Furthermore, Judge Miller, before he
assents to the presentation Of next
years budget, will make it clear TO the
bureau heads that if they do not catch
the spirit Of retrcnchment and reform
he will attend to the slashing himself.
Figures Are Assembled
The men in charge Of the budget are
Senator Henry N. Sage. chairman of
the Finance Committee of tho Senate
and II. Edmund Machold, chairman Of
the ways and means of the assembly.
These officials under the law, are
charged with the duty Of assembling
the requests from tho varions commits
slons and bureaus Of the state govern
mcnt. This they have done, and the
tentative figures are in the hands Of
Judge Miller, who. some years back
vas State Comptroller, and is familiar
with state finances.
There is strong probability that
With business slackening, the revenues
OF the state, which approximated Sl2O,-
GOO 600 in the last year, also Will
striMk. Judge Mller's counsclors cav
that he has theory which he is going
20 apply TO the budget. that with re-
duced business there should be reduced
pAyrollS IN every Department. There is
strong probability that Immediately
after the first of the year there will be
an overhawliNE and accounting to the
end that various boards and commits
sions which have not produced the
proper resuits VIII be abolished.
Among Judge Miller's callers were
Dock Commissioner Murray Hubert.
George W Aldridge, Of Rochester;
Representative Bertrand II. Smell.
chairman of the executive committee
OF the state committee; state Chair
man George A. Glynn. Colonel l.. B.
Gleason, Senator John Knight, Of
Wyoming County; William II. Coffey,
of Westchcstcr, and Excise Commits
sioner Ssson.
Miller Analyzcs Figures
The greater part Of the Governor
elects time was given to All analysis
Of the budget figures, city transporta- =
tion and port devc lopment.
There is growing probability that
there will be one Public Service Com
mission instead of two, as at present,
and that its powers will be enlarged.
Representative Smell. who spent two
hours with Judge Miller, said last
night:
81 am convinced that Judge Miller is
determined to bring about drastic re-
forms, with the abolition OF useless
bureaus and commissions and the re-
duction of payrols. Fortunately fol
the state he knows as much as any
one about its needs. He has talked
with hundreds of men and women since
election and many Of the business men
have assured him that the people ex-
pcct him to get away from the war
basis Of doing things and get the state
government down to hard-headed, busl-
nesslikc ways. believe he Will do
that very thing'