New-York tribune., 1921-01-06
Executive in First Mes
sage Seeks Abolition
of Four State Bureaus
and Cuts i'm All Others
Calls for Inquiry
Into Tax Methods
No New Jobs or Salary
Increases in 1921; No
CurtaiIment i'm Schools
From q Ston Corrcsnondcut

From a Stat Correspondent
Albany, Jan. 5.-"Cut ont waste
and extravaganza and live within the
income of the state"
This in brief, was the order Of Gov
ernor Miller to the lawmakers and to
the department. heads in his first mes
sage to the Legislature.
The Governor then pointed out to
the members of the Legislature and
the heads of the various state depart
fnents the way to carry out the order.
In order that he might have the en-
tire taxation methods of the state ex-
amlned by experts, so that an up-to-
date system might be introduced with
a view to keeping taxes to their lowest
possible level and at the same time
distributing the burden Of taxation
evenly, the Governor asked the Legis-
laturc to give him power to appoint
tax Investigating commission.
Single Headed Tax Board
This proposal, which financial experts
regard as one of the pig constructive
features in his message, will be placed
upon the statute books at the 1922 scs-
! sion of the legislature
In keeping with his policy of re-
trenchme ent and economy, the Governo {
asked the Legislature to create single
headed tax comm isson and board OF
estimate and control to have complete
charge of the making of future state
'.s-e : *nl iu1aceloilli!g continuous
ly. This board also would be charged
with effective savings in the purchase
of supplies and IN state printing, uf
which it would have control.
The Governor asks that the follown ;.
departme is b, abolish Excise, st tie
! Printing Board, the Military Training
+ Commission and the Board of Port
| Wardens.
He urges the incorporation Of the
narcotic drug department in the De-
partment of Health, the consolidation of
all tax collecting agencies, the obsorp-
tion Of the Superintendent Of Public
Works AID the Highways Commi sion
by the Office of State Engineer through
constitutional amendment, q single
headed commission. with centralized
possibility, for the Department OF
Agriculture, instead Of dual control
with divided responsibility, as at pres
ent, and singlc-headed Industrial
Commission in place of the present
ive-headed commission.
General Rules of Guidance
The Governor throughout his mes
sage laid strong emphasis on the need
of q thorough reorganization of the
state government. He lays down the
following general rules for the guild
ance Of ali, which, he adds, must be
adhered to if the task of putting the
1y,o ~ Il l,,,r,,
basis is to be accomplished:
Il. No new positions shall be created
Instead, trust we shall find many to
abolish
~. There should be no salary in
creascs. Large increases were made
last year, and the economic trend
should make further increases this
year unnecessary.
"3. The authorized construction
projects should be completed before
new ones are undertaken.
a. Appropriations for maintenance
should be based on the present trend
of prices, instead of the high prices
prevailing when the requests were
formulated.
"5. A careful study should be made
Of the available highway funds and
of the most busnesslike and cconoomi-
cal way Of utilizing them"
Governor Miller made it plain in his
demand for economy and retrenchment
that tfe state educational stem ant
the state charitable institutions arc not
to be handicapped in any way.
Essence of the Message
The essence of the Governors mes
sage was contained in the following
paragraph:
"Wc should strive to reduce anc
jic{ {r;L a..
of taxation, but, first of ALL we must
stop the tendency of recent years tt
Increase those burdens. Unnecessary
unwlse and burdensomc taxation, local
state and national, is in my Judgment
one OF the chief causes of present eco
nomic conditions, from which the Least
able to bear them will suffer most.
1--WE have suffered from imitation
some of 1T unnecessary and arttici ial
We are now suffering in part from {
tendency artifcialy to dehate whereas
restored by the gradual retirement O
debts. both public and private, from
savings.
"p'roduction, industry, economy ane
thrift are essential to the solution O.
our economic problems. The govern
ment must set the example and it mus
encourage private thrift by practicinl
the M - -igid economy.
"Wc we Sl4O, 100000 in round mum
bers which may he spent during tn,
cnmiug fiscal year without resort t,
Increased taxation. Our aim enould b.
to reduce expenditures below tha
amount, but in no event should appro
priation bills be passed which will re
qure the raising OF additional reye.
nue.
Governor Miller also recommended
the passage Of a state enforcement &C
to duplicate the Volstcad act, and thu,
mako local officials responsible for il
enforcement
The Governor informed the Legisla
ture that he would deal with othe
subjects requiring particular attention
in subsequent messages. These will, i
is understood. deal with direct pri
maries, daylight saving, reo1ganizatio,
OF tie Pub ic Service commissions ant
possibly boxing, Sunday movies an,
professional baseball.
fTEc fuU trrf OF C,orr1.i,0,. l{jIJer'