New-York tribune., 1922-10-11
Smith Assails
Miller Claim,
OF Economy

X
icaasiausd from psse cn@
economy in the administration of the
state government so long as that gov
eminent consisted, as it still consists
to-day tthariks to Governor Millera, OF
over 100 inconsistent and overlapping
aeparsments and agencies, with wide
aistfabution of responsibility. and no
concentration of power and duty on
any official. At the same time they
realszed that the appropriation Of
money through the medium of leg-
islative budget placed the resources OF
Inc state at the mercy of the distribu-
tor Of political pap.
Remedies for these conditions were
contained n the proposed constitu
uoh OF 1918. which failed of passage
"hen took office | determined tc
carry into effect this salutary ane
absolutely necessary revision of state
government. accordingly appointed
commission, non-partisan in every
respect, to study the subject and re-
port comprehensive and scientific
plan.
After months of study this COM
mission made a report to me. it
recommended the passage of consti-
totional amendments and legislation
which would require The consolidation
OF more than $50 departments and
agencies of the site into eighteen
we'll co-ordinated departments, and
prevent future legislatures from ever
disturbing that coordination; which
would make the Comptroller of the
state wholly an auditing officer; which
would centralize responsibility on the
Governor by making such officers as
State Engineer ard others merely ad-
mlnistrative officers, appointive by the
Governor and responsible to him, he
IN turn being responsible directly to
the people; which would create an
executive budget that would forever
do away with the Legislative log
rolling in the process of appropria-
tons, and preserve to the Governor
the right to veto any item and any
improper part of any item and which
would require the presentation by the
Governor, with full opportunities for
public examination, of'a carefully pre-
pared budget with strict limitations
upon the right of the Legislature to
make eleventh-hour unconsdered ad-
dltions to this budget and to control
the budget after it went into effect.
"Report Won Approval"
"The report of this commission won
instant approval. 1t was carefully ex-
amined by special committee of the
City of New York, Of which Charles
Evans Hughes was chairman and Ogden
l.. Mills was vice chairman, and Judge
Hughes's committee reported in sub
stance that this plan would work a
revolutionary betterment in the ad-
ministration of state government. 1t
was indorsed by chambers of COM
Pnto l,rhc 4raS do l.
cations, and it numbered among its
enthusiastic supporters such Republi-
cans as George w. Wickersham, Elihu
Root, Erskine c. Rogers and William
Nj. Calder The amendment of the
constitution was deemed by all as the
absolute essence of this plan. The
reason for this was twofold:
First. That it was impossible to cen-
ter responsibility and effect consolida-
tion in the first instance without con-
stitutional amendment; and,
Second. That it was impossible to
prevent future legislatures from de-
stroying the symmetry of this reclas-
/ sifcation unless such destruction were
presented by constitutional amend.
ment.
"When opposition appeared ] called
| to my support leading Republicans OF
| the state. Opposition was localized in
the Republican politicians who saw ir
! the scientific reorganization of the
state government the death blow Of
their opportunities for log-rolling
( petty honest graft and insidious dis
trbution of the states moneys to those
enjoying political influence.
"Under. the pressure of the over
whelming public opinion created b.
Democratic and Republican proponents
of this reform, this opposition wa
swept aside The Republican Legisla
ture, unanimously in my last year o
office passed the joint resolution in
stituting constitutional amendment
covering a large part of this program
| All forward looking men believed AM
hoped that Governor Miller would con
tinue to range himself in support o
these proposals. He had a Legislatur
of his own party, admittedly entirel,
subservient to his will. He had but t.
raise his finger to win the fight TO
basic reform.
"At the crucial moment Governo
Miller failed to justify the hopes o
the better citizenry Of this state. Gov
ernor Miller absolutely destroyed tha
beneficent plan which was the resul
Of our labors.
Seeking an Alibi"
"Second. Governor Miller seeks a
alibi.
Governor Miller must have know
that, this proved charge, that he ha
brought this salutary movement to ds
struction, would carry with it the cor
demnation of all right-thinking mel
He thereupon started to make certai
inconsequential changes in the stat
government and to set up highl
vociferous claim that he was accom-
: plishing economies without any funds
mental change at all. In the first plac
let us see just what changes he mad
I'VE still lack an, executive bulge
although the Governor has create
what he calls Board of Estimate an
Control, consisting of the Comptrolle
and other state officers, which
charged with the duty of preparing
budget. This board, incidentally, he
never functioned as to budget maxim
and presented no budget to the 49,
Legislature. 1t still leaves the poss
bility of lump sum appropriations ar
the actual control Of expenditures sui
ject to legislative log rolling.
THE other changes he made were:
He abolished the State Tax Depar
ment in way which legislated out {
office all the Democratic Tax Commi
sloners and gave him power. to appoil
Republicans in their place. This repr,
sented some real consolidation of acti'
tiles under one head, but incidental
distributed the function of automobi
licensing, enormously increasing the e.
pense to taxpayers and the confusio
he carried into effect recommend
tion which had been made by me !.
abolish several unimportant depar
ments like the Military Training Cor