New-York tribune., 1922-04-17
State ON Sound
Business Basis.
Governor Saws
Reviews Work of Last Two
Legislatures and Cites
List of efficient and
Solid Accomplishments"
Praises Economy Effected
Shows What Was Done by
Substituting Actions for
Words in Passing Bills
Fron. a star Corresnondent

ALBANY. April 16-New York
state government has been placed on a
sound business basis ard the record of
the Legislatures Of 1921 and 1922 has
oeen one of solid efficient accomplish
ment, it is declared by Governor Ma
than l.. Miller in lengthy review. is
sued to-day, Of the work Of the Legis-
iature since he became the states Chief
Executive.
Pointing out that "the alarming in
crease in the cost OF the state govern
ment not only has been stopped, but
such cost has been materially reduced" +"
Governor Miller asserts that eff
cheney. order and economy have been
injected into the public administra-
tion.7
The Legislatures OF 1921 and 1872
substituted action for words the Gov
crnor concludes. in summing up his re-
Jew. CAS- the result. record of ac-
eomplishment, Of fulfllment of prom
ises, IS presented TO the people in
place Of list Of excuses for non-per-
fcrmance."
Chief Achievements
Some of the leading accomplish
ments cited by Governor Miller are as
follows:
The printing monopoly has been de-
stroyed
A central purchasing organization
has been established.
q plan has been provided for devcl-
opinR surplus canal waters under state
regulation.
Development of New York harbor has
been made possible by approval of the
Port Authority plan.
The transit act is making possible
the solution Of the New York City trac-
tion problem.
More real social welfare laws have
been enacted in the last two years
than have been proposed in all pre-
cedlng years by agitators and dema-
Gogues who have been giving lip service
to what they call social welfare"
Governors Review
The text of the Governors review
reads in part as follows:
"Io be rightly appraised the work
Of the last two sessions of the Legis-
lature must be considered in its en-
tirety and compared with that of prior
years. The first business was to stop
the alarming increase in the cost of
government. IN 1SiU the aDprOprIa-
tons were S42 1915 45086; in 1918 they
had grown to $S1, ,525,27f.31; in 1920
they jumped to $145,219s06 go.
The unchecked habit of spending
acquired such momentum that the
Leg Stature Of 1921 was confronted
with budget requests including the
supplemental ones of more than $685.
600 000. BY rigid adherence to stated
rules the Legislature made reduc-
4 -.
requests and net reduction from the
appropriations Of 1920 of $500 900
although it had to appropriate $10,000,-
900 for deficiencies.
"By adherence TO the same policy the
Legislature Of 1922 made a still
further net reduction Of 81 500, 900 and
provided for extraordinary and un-
usual requirements of roughly $10,-
100000. Thus in two successive years
the Legislature has reduced the cost
OF government while making ample
provision for all legitimate needs, in
cluding necessary and fixed increases
amounting to more than $4,000 900 a
year.
THAT notable achievement is en-
phasized by the fact that in both years
/ have signed the appropriation bills
exactly as they came to me.
Established Order and Economy
"The next task was to establish
- order, efficiency and economy in the
public administration by the adoption
Of measures which would give some
permanence to the application of sounc
methods in the conduct Of the public
business.
eve were told that that could no.
be done without complete reorganiza
tion of the state government by con
Stitutional amendment. However, tina
task has been accomplished in equally
signal fashion. Useless activities have
been eliminated and needed depart
mental reorganizations have been eff
fected or provided for. Similar at
tempts in the past failed, notably the
attempt to consolidate the tax assess.
ing and collecting agencies.
"Temporary eXpedients have been
adopted and unsuccessful attempts
made in the past to secure better bud
getary control, hut All the time the cost
of government kept mounting higher
Provision has now been made for &
permanent budget organization under
The Board OF Estimate and Control.
MANY attempts have been made in
Che past TO eliminate useless printing
The printing laws have now been re
vsed so as to secure real competition
under proper classification and specif-
NdtioHS +tiIeduN unnecessary pruning.
including the publication of the session
laws, has been eliminated to the
amount of $650,000 annually. Contracts
for public printing should hereafter
be let on strictly business and com
petitive basis.
Control Purchasing System
Unsuccessful attempts have been
made to establish a central system Of
purchasing. In 1918 central purchas-
ing comm ttec was established. with
powers which have been little used be
cause the plan was not suited to the
accompli ishment of results Marked I'M
provement has been made in the pur-
chasing methods OF two institutional
groups-the insane hospitals and the
charitable group, A central commit
tee now purchases about 2S per cent Of
the requirements of the former and az
per cent of those of the latter. Aside
from that there are as many purchas-
ing agents as there are institution
and departments and as many different
varieties OF the same commodity are
being purchased if there are that many
IN the market.
The state is still buying the bulk
OF its requirements at retail! in the
sense that it does not take advantage
Of quantity purchasing as it could do