The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-05

realize that those millions in this
State. the big majority. are home low
ing people. people who work for
Living. people who are trying to save
enough to prevent distress at that age
rhen they can 10 longer work. have
no time to think of the few-the few
who can take care OF themselves. That
is why we should have proper home
and housing conditions ard why the
State should be an incentive TO people
to build and own their homes. Can
you get people to build when taxes
become red flag? should say not.
What causes high taxes? The high
cost Of government. What causes high
rents2 High taxes. And there you
have it. The high cost of government
first, then high taxes and then high
rent. And the majority. the vast ma
jority, OF the people pay rent"
1t has been said that public life
hardens some men, punctures their
temperament and leaves them admin
istratively soulless. That may be, bu.
there was no doubt that the emotion
in the frame Of Gov. Miller was active
as he contiEned:
Just SO soon as we make the rent
payers see that they are the taxpay-
ers, then It will be possible to get
somewhere. But what happens?
When taxes are raised up go the rents.
and let me emphasize, disproportion.
ately higher than the taxes. the land
lord making sure he will get all that
Ia coming to him and then some more.
The people will not see that they pay
the cost OF government. They seem
to think that the millions needed to
defray public expenditures are made
in secret still somewhere In a cellar
in the Capitol. They are wrong. That
money comes from the pockets Of
those who pay rent.
"The more you pay fer rent the less
you have TO put on your table or on
your back, and people must cat and
must have something to wear. Earn
ings cannot all go for rent. Let the
State pay it. You have heard this
said again and again., but who and
what is the State? The people. the
rentpayers. ! mention them because
there are more OF them. Rent is a
commodity the same as bread and
butter and coal. You must have a
roof to cover your head, and you must
pay for it.
Every once III a while it is neces-
sary for some one to call a halt, and
it looks as If the political fates had
decided that it should fall to me to
put on the brakes and accept the re-
suit. Figures Should be convincing.
Yet at times it would appear as IL
even they failed to convey anything.
For instance, former Gov. Frank S.
Black once said: Show me a man who
has ever been elected or defeated on a
tax issue or OH an economy program
alone l am afraid the former Gov
eruor had some ground for his argu-
ment, but that Is neither here nor
there.
Economy Not Popular.
81 know that economy Is not popu-
lar. The very word economy to
some means deprivation or self-de-
niGl--something that takes away some
Of their pleasure. I know that it is
not popular, and know those who
are publicly applauding what l have
been trying to do but who would put
obstacles in the way-an old game OF
politics. 1t would have been easier for
me to drift with the tide Of extrava-
gance and get what glory and prestige
go with the title OF Governor, but had
] done so my conscience would have
pricl,ed me the rest OF my life as the
conscience Of any man would taunt
him when he knew in his heart he had
shirlSed his duty"
Apparently the Governor did not
feel that he had to be technically con-
secu.,ve. It has been reported that
he is a present day thinker politically,
and it would seem SO, for without
warning he said:
Some politicians, l ain afraid, some
CT those Of yesteryear have been
slipping backward, but they think
they have been gallopins forward.
They seem TO be stone deaf to present
day demands OF tie people. When all
IS said and done the people think for
themselves once in while, and the
number who do think is increasing.
To-day the people are thinking some
about extravaganza. It is brought
home to them definitely by industrial
tOIiultROtS. Dui AA6 lihS pSi Aoo VI eah
employment they have felt the pinch.
Politics chould be as clean as the
church. Politics, to me, is not some
thing new or strange. j had some
schooling III Cortland county, and
later as State Comptroller took what
you might say was a postgraduate
course. 1 have never considered poll
tics as something sordid. On the con-
trary, always have thought that
every man and woman should take
come part in politics, for politics Is
government. II more people would
bestir themseives 1t would be better
for all concerned, and we are al! con-
cerned.
Believes fn Fixed PRINCIPLES.
"Tlere was fear and trembling 4
year ago when the consolidation and
reorganization plan vas submitted ]
knew there would be. I was well
aware OF 1t because it pointed directly
to the elimination Of more than 1000
places IN the State service. There
were those who mustered the courage
to tell me that il would be political
suicide. They were sincere; tier
deductions OF course, were in keeping
with past political processes"
Theorists and reformers are not
topliners with Gov. Miller. .He is q
o,.,, bai;ax,ar ~, fysi ,,rinciuies nOy-