New-York tribune., 1920-06-07
Smith Deplores
Careless n. Y.
Finance System
Legislature's Appropriations
This Year Total $l46,.
723 ,6O2 Under: Cumber-
some State Methods
Executive Budget Urged
Boards and Commissions
Are Found Too Numerous
and Efforts Duplicated

and Efforts Duplicated
ALBANY, June Ga happy-eo-
lucky, free-for-all. do-the-best-you-can
system" Is Governor Smiths charac-
terlzaticn Of the states methods with
regard to finance, in a statement he
issued tonight dealing with the appro-
pr1ation bills passed by the last Lexis-
lature which met with his approval.
The Governor sets forth that appro-
priation bills passed by the 1920 Leeis-
iature totalled s142,s52,o56; that bills
approved by the Governor totalled
$140, ,723 500, and that measures carrv-
ing $2,128,<54 were vetoed.
Last years total appropriations, the
statement adds, were $e5S4o,9SS, or
$44,SS2,619 under this years total.
Approximately SO per cent Of this
years increase, 1t Is pointed out, is
for increased salaries for school teach
ers, as provided for by the Lockwood
Donohue law.
Ihe balance" says the statement,
follows In line with the increased cost
OF everything else and also takes care
OF a great many activities that were
postponed previously because of war
conditions. Deducting the s22. 900 900
for teachers salaries, the increase in
the cost Of government is but yery
little above the normal yearly in
crease"
The Governor asserts he is con-
vlnced that the people of the state
expect an increase in the cost of the
government proportionate with the in
creases along every other line of en-
ceavor, bu: that they have no patience
with wasteful or useless expenditures"
Would Eliminate Offices
Declaring for an executive budget
and u reorganization of the state gov
large number of boards, Offices and
commissions to a small number of de-
rartments, as recommended by him to
the last Legislature, the Governor
says:
I'm order properly to curb state ex-
penditure Of public moneys it will be
necessary to overcome evils in our sys-
tenn of government which lie at the
roots. Our machinery is cumbersome;
we have altogether too many boards
and commissions; we have entirely too
much duplication Of effort; there is a
lack Of coordination that would not be
tolerated for a single moment by any
we'll organized business concern in the
world.
"A crying need of the state is for an
executive budget, drawn and prepared
by departmental heads under the
supervision of and responsible to the
Governor, instead of the present sys-
tenn of irresponsible management, Civ
ing rise, as 1t certainly must, to the
desire on the part Of departmental
heads and officers to get as much as
they can"
To meet the appropriations given
executive approval, the statement
points out, the State Comptroller esti-
mates that the total resources for the
fiscal year beginning July /, 1920, will
be $153 ,417,736. These figures, it Is
added, indicate that there will be a
surplus In the treasury at the end Of
the year of about $13,000,oO0 which,
in the Governors opinion, is not too
much for the state to have in reserve
for an emergency.
The statement is divided into three
groups, "departm entail" Constitutional"
and "construction." The Arst consists
Of state departments Of government
other than institutions, which include
hospitals, prisons, etc. The second
takes in the hospitals. custodial asy-
lums, reformatories, prisons and char
liable institutions, and the third in
cludes the State Highway Department.
The first group shows that the per-
sonal service. in 1919 cost the state
$16,4S1 ,042 and that this year it will
cost $19,686,608. The increase of $3,-
C7Q fofo Mt rI,,Aa
$850,000 for the organization Of the
bureau in the Comptroller's Office for
the collection of the income tax, and
the balance Of $2,423,564 represents in
creases in salaries made largely to
the lower paid employees Of the state
to meet the high cost Of living, and
also includes as permanent fixture
the salary bonus paid to state en-
ployees during the war period"
The largest item in the departmental
group is in the Department of Educa-
435, 900, which is the additional amount
to be distributed among the localities
to provide for the increase in salary
Of school teachers. With other minor
and necessary increases, the total net
increase in the group Is $25,997,715.
Included in the amount Is the purchase
of necessary property for the transac-
tion of the states business.
Projects in New York City
Appropriations in the departmental
group include:
Purchase Of building in New York
City for the Industrial Commission,
$545, 900.
Purchase Of land in New York City
for a new state arsenal, $25O,000.
For betterment and more land at
Palisades Interstate Park, $5O0,000.
Increases in personal service in the
institutional group are placed at $2,-
229, ,702. It also IL pointed out that
because Of the abnormal costs, food
increased $sea,000; coal, $119,575;
clothing, $2sO,000; new furniture,
1928, $50; seed and fertilizers for farms
and gardens connected with the state
institutions, s101,616; travelling ex-
penses, $189, 800. These increases, with
other minor and necessary increases,
the statement says, make a total net
increase In the Institutional group over
last year of $4,1S4,283.
For additional accommodations in
state hospitals these appropriations are
made:
Brooklyn State Hospital, $780, 900;
Central Islip State Hospital, $450, 900;
Kings Park State Hospital, 100000;