The New York herald., 1921-01-06
The Governing Principles.

At the outset we may profitably lay
down certain general rules. which must
be adhered to, il we are TO accomplish
our task.
1. No new positions should be cre-
ated instead / trust we shall find many
to abolish
2. There should be no salary in
creases. Large increases were made
last year and the economic trend should
make further increases this year un-
necessary.
Those two rules should eliminate the
requested increase for personal service.
3. The authorized construction prof.
ects should be completed before new
ones are undertaken.
That should eliminate the increases
requested for construction. Indeed. 1t
would be impossible for the State eco
nomically to expend in a single year
anything like as much for construction
as has been requested.
T. Appropriations for maintenance
should be based on the present trend
of prices instead of the high prices pre-
vailing when the requests were formu-
lated.
That should result in the elimination
Of that increase and In some reductions.
5. A careful study should be made OF
the available highway funds and of the
of utilizing them. There are already
available more funds than can possibly
be spent this year. 1t will be necessary
TO appropriate s4.727,117.15 to meet the
Federal aid apportionment OF like
amount, which will otherwise lapse on
July /. 1921. That will give an addi-
tional sum of s9.454.234.3O. With a
proper amendment of the statute, some
of those funds may be made available
for the reconstruction Of existing high
ways, which are now being reconstructed
out OF current revenues from appropria-
tions for maintenance and reconstruc-
ton. Maintenance proper and recon-
struction should be distinct. / under
stand that there are many highways
which will rapidly disintegrate IL not
soon reconstructed, and j recommend
that such amendment be made to the
highway law as will permit the use OF
those available funds, other than the
bond funds. for that purpose. That will
obviate an increase and make possible
reduction in the annual appropriation
for reconstruction and maintenance. In
deed, 1t will make 1t possible TO limit
that appropriation as II should be lin
tied to maintenance proper.
Deficiency Appropriations.
The foregoing disposes OF all the in
] CreaSeA TeuutsUtQ eACcpl Nldt lOT Oe-
nciencies. as to which special word
should be said.
The total requests for deficiencies
amount to s9.705.453.98. of which ST.
or, ,966.63 Is charged to the departments
and S2,627,487.35 Is institutional
There may be some excuse for institu-
tional deficiencies. especially under the
highly segregated appropriation plan.
But there appears to me TO be no excuse
whatever for actual operating depart
mental deficiencies. 1t Is the business
| of the head of a department to run Il
within the appropriation, but the prac-
/ tice appears TO be too common to use
UP the appreciation the first half of the
wear. expecting the Legislature TO supply
| the deficiency to run the department the
last part OF the year rather than close
! Il down. recommend that that expec-
tation be disappointed this year and II
that course should result in stopping
some activities. u may afford us a prac-
tical demonstration OF how we'll the State
can get along without them.
or course. the foregoing observations
do not apply 70 contingencies that could
not have been foreseen. such as judg-
ments and other contingencies. A de-
partment has no legal right to incur an
Indebtedness without an appropriation
and no moral right to use up It's appro-
priatlons the first part OF the year. thus
mortgaglng next years revenues to sup
ply the deficiency.
The Legislature should mot sutherfxs