New-York tribune., 1921-06-30
Ak Falls Upon
$500 Holders
Of State Jobs
Employees &c, Last Pay
Checks To-day as Places
Are Abolished Under Mil
ler's Economy Program
Means SIS, 900, Saving
Four Departments Dropped
and New Tax Collection
Machinery Set in Motion
Special Dispatch OF The Tribune


| ALBANY, June 29--More than $500
state employees will draw their last pay
check from the state tomorrow. Their
! jobs have been abolished under the
program of economy and retrenchment
adopted by the Legislature on the rec
ommendation of Governor Miller. The
saving effected by the abolition Of these
jobs will be close to $3,000,000 year,
it is estimated.
The blade of the Governors economy
scythe makes a clean sweep in some
state departments, which are entirely
eliminated, and leaves a number of
empty desks in other departments and
bureaus. There is not subdivision
of the state service in which the blue
pencil does not make itself felt.
Acts passed by the recent lawmak-
ing body, which legislated q number of
state departments out of existence, be-
came effective to-day. Those abolished
are the State Excise Department, the
State Narcotic Drug Control Commits
sion, the State Bureau of Elections
and State Military Training Commits
sion. The elimination of these depart
ments with their corps of employees
VIII result IN a saving of more than
Sl,00O,o00 year in personal service
coSt ana maintenance.
Changes in Administration
The continuation of the Excise De-
partment was made unnecessary be-
cause OF the enactment of the Mullan-
Gage law, which put New York State
IN the dry column; the work of the
malltary Training Commission and the
Bureau of Elections is abolished and
the functions of the Narcotic Drug
Eohtrol commission are taken over. by
the State Health Department..
July 1 will bring with it otber
changes in the method of state admin
lstration. 1t will set into motion the
new machinery devised by the Gov
e1nor and the Legislature for central
lzlng the states tax collecting func-
tons The automobile bureau, now
under the supervision of the Secretary
Of States office, will be placed under
tie jurisdiction of the new State Tax
Commission. Assemblyman Bert Lord.
OF wyoming County, one of the admin
istratlon leader in the House, will be
named head of the auto bureau at a
salary of $4,000 a year.
AT the same time the State Comptrol
ier's office will surrender it's supervi-
sion over the collection of the states
revenue from income and inheritance
taxes. Both OF these bureaus are to be
placed with the new tax commission
1t is not known if different method
of administration will be devised in
respect to the Inheritance Tax Bureau
but it is understood that none will be
made in the State Income Tax Bureau,
OF which James S. Y. Ivins has been
made director, succeeding Mark Graves.
now director of the State Board of
Estimate and Control.
Big Cuts in Tax Bureaus
One of the effects of the centraliza-
tion of the states tax collection agen-
cies will be a considerable reduction
in the clerical forces of various bu-
reaus. More than 100 minor positions
will be done away with in the new
tax department. The branch of state
service where the pruning knife has
done it's greatest work. however, is the
State Industrial Commission, where
about $50 employees will be eliminated,
Next comes the State Conservation
Commission with a reduction Of more
than 100, and so on throughout every
state departm ent, commission, board
and bureau.
Plansxfor the scientific survey to be
made of the entire state governmental
machinery this summer by the recently
created State Board of Estimate and
Control were discussed at a meeting
to-day of the members of the board.
Governor Miller, who formulated the
plan for the establishing of the board,
is its chairman, but the active work
is in charge of Director Mark Graves.
1t is believed that within the next few
weeks the corps of experts engaged 20
aid in gauging the efficiency of the
state departments will get to work and
the survey swing into its stride. Gov
ernor Miller is Of the belief that great
good can be accomplished by the sur-
vey in respect to increased economy
and that the inquiry will more than pay
for itself.