New-York tribune., 1922-02-17
Miller Economy
|ProgsrarnUpheld
By investigators
Report of Board Of Estimate
Rcfutcs Criticism OH
Conduct Of Public Works
and institutional Care
Personnel Cuts Approved
Discrimination in Making
Reduction Has Prevented
Impairment Of Service
l.om q StoN oorresnondent

ALBANY, Feb. 16.-F Further rcfuta-
ticn oe charges made by Democratic
critics of Governor Mllcrs program
Of economy and rctrcnchmcnt, institu-
tionaI care and tho prosecution Of pub
lie works is contained in the FIRST an
nual report of tho Board of Estimate
and Control, submitted to tho Lcgsla-
turc to-day. After an exhaustive in
vcstigation tho board finds that state
institutions arc we'll managed and that
the public work Of the state is being
prosecuted cncrgctically, efficiently and
econOmicaly
No recommendation for legislation
arc submitted by the control board;
first, because it believes that many of
the improvements which still arc to be
made can be effected without lcgisla-
tion. and second. because there has
not yet been time to nnalyzc and digest
reports on conditions submitted by cX-
amincrs who investigated the various
state departments
Reductions in Personnel Upheld
Nearly every state department was
subjected to a close scrutiny by the
boards Investigators They found the
reductions in personnel made by the
WI Legislature, on rccommeNdatioM Of
Governor Miller. though drastic, were
so discriminating as to have caused no
impa irmcnt Of the service The board
does not believe that further marked
reductions can be made, however, nl-
though it qualities this observation by
saying that there viii "doubtless al
ways be opportunities to effect ccono-
mics and promote chicicncy.'
The board discovered some cond-
tIons which would warrant improve
ment. 1t complains OF overlapping de
partmcntal fuNctio and cites the Dc
partmcnt of Public " orks and that Of
tho state Engineer as the most notice
able instance. A constitutional amend
msnt which would remedy this situa-
tion is now before the legislatures
Fault is found with tho tendency to
deccntralizc administration in the lar
ger departments through creation of
burcaus that operate largely as dis
tlnct units. Standard office procedure
and the training of employees in Office
duties arc also listed as being below
expected Standards
Suggest More Study of Undertakings
The board adds That moro study
should he given to the relative import
ancc o. various undertakings and
functions 50 as to maintain a proper
balance between expenditures.
Speaking Of the productive efficiency
OF state employees, the report calls
attention TO the finding OF the State
Civil Service commission in 1916 that
state service is only about 66 per cent
efficient. While the control board
docs not approve or contradict these
figures. it says that the more general
adoption o. work standards and better
time recording would improve tho
qualitt and increase the quantity Of
the work done.
The report subs;antiatcs Governor
Millcr's assertion in his recent mes
sage that huge sums have been saved
b. eliminating unnecessary printing
and publications, by using less cxpcn-
slNc paper and by reducing the size of
type. Periodical department pnblica-
tons costing moro than $50 900 have
been discontinued.