The New York herald., 1922-05-08
This States Expenses.
A Letter From Chairman Pell Of the
Democratic State Committee.

To The NEW York HERALD: I have
read your editorial article in which you
accused me of deliberately attempting
TO spread false information. So far as
my veracity Is concerned can call no
better witness than your own editorial
page OF May 6, 1920. exactly two years
ago. where you make the following per-
sonal reference to me:
Clear sighted as a patriot on this grave
national issue, and stout hearted as
public servant in the performance Of his
duty.
In the face Of this I cannot see how
you can question my personal Integrity.
Can you deny that 125 State en-
ployees in the Labor Department Estate
Insurance FUND.- were dropped, their
salaries saved. and afterward them
selves or substitutes employed TO do
exactly the same work, not on salary
but on feesc In this way the entire
sum paid by the State In salaries to
these men, amounting to $197.540. has
been saved. but at the same time those
who are doing their work are receiving
at least as much money from the tax
payers In another way.
Can you deny that the entire amount
OF money which in the past was spent
on the distribution OF automobile
licenses by the State has been saved
and the saving credited to the Gov
ernor's economies by the process OF COM
pelling the authorities of the various
counties TO do the same work, and in
this way to add TO the county taxes at
least the same amount that was de-
Quoted from the State? II this is not
tricky bookkeeping" I do not know
what is Any person can save money
from one account by the very simple
process Of charging 1t to another.
After all, economy in the administra-
tion OF public Office is Of Importance
only as II results In falling Off OF
taxes. We find that the State OF New
York has increased certain taxes. nota-
bly, automobile fees, and has in tho
present administration Instituted new
taxes. such as the moving picture GEN.
sorship fee and new tax on billiard
rooms. If there has been any genuine
economy TO the state why has IL been
necessary to Increase these taxes?
The direct tax has been reduced by
approximately s2.50o.0o0, but at the
same time the surplus has been reduced
by more than s22.0o0.0oo this year.
when Governor Smith left Office the
surplus was s44,113,077S5. Governor
Miller in his first year reduced this to
s22,ss0, 2o2.42. and by his own esti-
mates II will be entirely exhausted this
year. Is this economy?
In Governor Smiths term s241.060,-
s90.37 was appropriated. Governor
Miller has appropriated s2ss.131. .s25.os.
Governor Miller has appropriated
s47.O70.43471 more than did Smith. Is
this economy?
I feel very strongly, however, that the
real issue before the people of this State
Is personal liberty---the right OF the In
dividual TO live his own life as he sees
fit and to conduct his business as TO him
seems best so long as Il Is done with
fairness to his employees. to the public
and 10 his partners. We have had far
too much OF Government interference,
OF attempts by various organizations to
oblige the Government to regulate the
lives and businesses of citizens and to
interfere with the innocent activities and
measures of all of the people. Most of
these laws. as we we'll know. AFFECT only
the poor, and there can be nothing more
dangerous in democratic government
than to have large proportion of the
electorate Allied with the idea that the