The New York herald., 1922-10-12
LASHES AT SMITH
AS 'ALIBI AL A PROMISER

der my administration are IN excess OF
his two years, and they are. and again
I call the Sthte Comptroller as witness.
for he shows how those increases were
many times offset by the increased APP
propriations made necessary for fixed
charges, for contributions and for cap
ital expenditures, leaving q net decrease
in the actual cost of my two years OF
government or s11,000,000.
"And in order TO make even that show
ing he had to take his low year before
he had got well under way and before
the special groups had found out that
all they had TO do was knock at the
State Treasury for the doors to open.
Upon the official figures there is an
actual net reduction in the cost OF gov
ernment as distinct from the things that
cannot be affected by mere administra-
ton at one of s11. 900. 600"
Gov Miller said that Mr.. Smith had
pleaded guilty to extravaganza and had
offered two excuses. increased appro-
priations OF s21. 100000 for teachers
salaries and rising prices. Yet Mr..
Smiths appropriations the first year
were s95. 0OO. 900 and the teachers pay
increase couldn't account for half of
that as Mr.. Smith suggested. Some
other explanation was necessary. the
Governor thought though Mr.. Smith did
not give it.
Gov Miller continued. briefly. to COM
pare Mr. Smiths figures of last night
with his and to answer the ex-Governor's
attack:
Now" he said, "what are the facts
of the expenditures? The actual eX-
penditures of the government for the
year ending June 30. 1919. were S1S,3O0,Wo
For June 80, 1920, the first fiscal year
e.. til. tfr.t,c af+a
under his administration they were
1893 900 900. an increase OF 560OOO0
1.-The next year. the year ending June
30, 1921 for which appropriations were
made the last year of his admipistra-
ton they were $135, SOC, 900, and say
they would have been more If new
spirit had not been infused into the pub
lie administration on the first of jan
uary of that year. That is an increase
in actual expenditures, about which
there Is no possibility of juggling, in
two years of $57,300.0oo.
THE actual expenditures the next
years. that is, the first year OF this ad-
ministration, were $128 GOO, 900, a reduc-
ton of nine millions as compared with
his last year. He admits that we abol-
ished the direct tax, but he says we
took 1t out of surplus. and he says any
how it was an accident, because of
Now, let us see what was the actual
amount of the money taken from the
taxpayers pockets. l have been giving
heretofore approximate figures. l now
give the actual figures from the Of
fetal report. The taxes collected for
the year ending June 30. 1919. were
$79 800, 900: for the year ending June 30.
1920. they were sl15,50o.0O0; for the year
ending June 3O 1921, his last year, they
We're Sl47. 200, 900.
"The taxes collected last year to run
the government were S125. 100000, a re-
duction Of $22. 100000 in a single year.
Now, either we took that money out
OF surplus! as he says We did, or we
administered the government for that
much less money. He says we took It
out of surplus. Well, the surplus on
June 20, 1921. was A3G00O00 and on June
30. 1922. IL was 100000. We did take
out OF surplus 81. 10000. to give exact
figures. so that we administered the
State government in round numbers for
twenty millions OF dollars less than 1t
cost to administer the State govern
ment under his last year.
He says that whether IL cost little
more under him or n little less under
me is not important Twenty millions
OF dollars less in single year does not
appear to be unimportant and he began
his speech by making an observation
which is no better phrased than I have
been able to express the same thought
He says the burden of taxation on the
backs of the people to-day Is one of the
fundamental causes for the high cost OF
living. 1t is one of the things that Is
standing in the way of industrial prog
ress. 1t is standing in the way OF
financial betterment.
"Is Il matter OF some considerable
Importance to all of the people of this
State whether in o. single year twenty
millions OF dollars is taken from their
cost Of living by a reduction In that
amount of the cost of government?
I'VE effected that reduction by maxi
ing the machinery OF government work.
Mr.. Smith says that he couldn't make
it work when he was Governor, that
he can't make it work now.
"Do the people~of this State wish to
start over again the process of increas-
ing the cost of government as it worked
for two years under him while the ma
chinery of government was running
without a pilot?''
Gov. Miller rested here tonight and
will go on to st. Lawrence county to
epnak in Ordep eh,frnr to-nnorra., ,,;,~i..