The New York herald., 1921-05-10
TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1921.
Eighteen Millions Saved in the
Cost Of State Government.

The feat OF State economizing by
Governor MILLER and the New York
Legislature as he sets forth the de-
tails Is very impressive. But the big
achievement In saving is not merely
that the appropriations this year were
ST1 ,63S, ,654 below the amount included
in the budget and additionally re-
quired by the soldier bonus bonds and
other terms. Departments always
want a great deal more than they
have any hope of getting. Public
spenders seldom fail to present swol-
len estimates so arranged that they
can be cut heavily by the appropriat-
ing power and yet will finally give
much more for spending than was
allowed the year before, as had been
the scandalous record In this State for
seven years.
II the Governor and the Legisla-
ture had succeeded only In carving
huge chunks out of the staggering
estimates for this year of more than
two hundred and seven millions or
dollars without coming under the
actual appropriations OF last year.
they would have failed utterly In
what they recognized was the car
dinal duty and the Imperative neces-
slty of the day--not just to stop the
increase Of squander which had been
running riot from the year the war
began In 1914, but to turn IL back
in its tracks. This very thing they
did. They did II so thoroughly that
they cut below the appropriations or
last year by more than nine millions.
And the way they did II, together
with the inherited difficulties they
had to surmount, Is the best evidence
ANYBODY could want of how much
more such men can do next year.
To Judge the extent of what was
done, first in stopping and then Ia
setting back the wild food of spend
ing which burst all bounds following
the war, one needs TO measure the
rate OF increase OF that squander.
1t was below S4SO00,O0o In 1914. 1t
was up 20 within n shade of $64,0Oo,-
600 In 1915. Then 1t went by leaps
and bounds to an average OF more
than SsO,OO0.O00 each for the two
years OF 1917 and 1918; TO s95,025,-
644 in 1910 and In 1920 to $145, 5,219,-
9o6.
But, as Governor MILLER says. this
more than $145,000.ooo appropriated
in 1920 does not tell the whole story
OF the astounding, shocking avalanche
OF squander unchecked until now. For
the Legislature this year had to take
care of many millions of dollars spent
by the State Government last year
above the one hundred and forty-fve
millions given IL to spend by the 1879
Legislature. The Legislature this year
was compelled to take up such def
cheney appropriations OF more than
xlO.OO0OO0 TO cover past spending
performances which really should be
charged up against last year. Last
year also there were deficiency appro.
priations, but they were nothing like
what the Legislature OF this year had
10 meet.
This year, In fact, the deficiency ap-
uroprlatIons were roughly $4.00o0ot
more than last year: 80 that Governor
MfLLEn figures the reduction In the &c.
tnal cost OF government for this year
as compared with the actual cost OF
government for last year was not
merely the nine and a half millions
between the 1921 appropriated total
snd the 1870 appropriated total. but
including the deficiency and other
emergency items, a full eighteen
millions
Having thus shown that the way 4
cconomixe is 20 economic even wher
you have 10 pay FOR dead horses
~ the tune Of millions Of dollars
here need BE- No doubt Of the ability
OF the same determined savers to dc
great dcai more next year " rhey
rx~x 10 tneir purpose. Governor
siiIsn. ~ Is 10 be remembered, has
given fair warning that the depart
nent head who oyerspends his ap
proprinted income this year may con
slider himself rs marked for dscaplta
tlon. Furthermore, he has made I
plain 70 oil Office holders that ever
when their expenditures are safel,
within the amounts allotted to then
they will DO expected Just the same
r. keep on saving as much more al
they can.
with policy like that now govern
Ing the business management OF thu