The New York herald., 1920-12-30
MILLER IS FOR CUT
IN TAX, NOT A BOOST
General Policy Of Governor
Elect Is to Decrease Ex-
penditures Of the State.

Governor-elect Miller has no intention
OF advocating an increase in the rate of
the State income tax, II was learned
yesterday, despite reports to the con-
trary His general policy Is to decrease
the expenditures of the State rather
thar 20 add to the tax burdens OF tine
people.
According to the rumor, the Repubii-
can leaders had in mind amending the
income tax law so as to provide sliding
scale and surtaxes, after the manner of
the Federal income tax. 1t may be that
some legislator plans to introduce such
a bill, but leaders know nothing about
1t and it is likely to receive little con-
sideration II introduced
Mark Graves. head of the State In
come Tax Bureau, recently conferred
with Judge Miller in Syracuse. but it
the tax transferred from the Comp
troliers office to the State Tax Depart
ment.
In line with the policy Of consolidating
departments wherever possible for the
sake of retrenchment, Judge Miller ii
was learned, is considering the COM
bination of the Division Of Agriculture
and the Division of Foods and Markets
in the Department of Farms and Mag-
kets. The head Of the department is
the Council of Farms and Markets. con-
sisting of one member from each OF the
nine judicial districts in the State. and
one at large. They are appointed by
the Legislature and serve without pay.
But the Commissioner OF Agriculture
and the Commissioner OF Foods and
Markets and the deputy of each are
salaried officers. Each has a consider
able paid staff. George Il. Hogue OF
Allegany county is Commissioner OF
Agriculture and DR.. Eugene II. Porter
of Broome county is Commissioner OF
Foods and Markets.
Judge Miller has told friends he
hopes the reorganized Department of
Farms and Markets will he able to
work out some scheme whereby the farm
produce of the Mohawk Valley may
be transported to New York by way of
the canal at reasonable rate and in
good condition. Such plan. he believes.
would tend materially to assist the
farmers i'm marketing their crops and at
the same time reduce the cost OF living
In New York city.
1t was learned last night that Judge
Miller had definitely decided TO put all
revenue collecting agencies OF the State
one OF the reforms advocated by Martin
SAKE, tax expert, and placed in the re-
port of the last charter revision COM
mission, which failed of adoption by the
people. Prior to 1915 there was n
State board Of tax commissioners. the
only functions of which were to super
wise the assessment Of local taxes to
assess the mortgage tax collected by the
county treasurers and to assess the
special franchise taxes against the vari-
Gus localities.
Gov.-elect Miller purposes adding TO
the duties of the department the collec-
tion OF the inheritance tax. the personal
income tax, now under the Comptroller.
the automobile tax and the incorpora-
tion tax, now under the Secretary of
State, and of other fees now handled
by various State departments. For in
stance, the State Insurance Department
collects special license fees from foreign
insurance companies doing business in
the Stale, and the State Conservation
Department receives money from hunt
Ing and camping licenses and the like.