The New York herald., 1922-07-27
Governor Makes Up $4,000
Expense Executive Depart
ment Incurred.
WOULD SET A PRECEDENT
Could Not Oppose Deficiency
Funds if He Himself
Broke Rule.

Special Dispatch to THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Albany. July 70. !
Gov. Miller will enjoy little Of his
$4,000 salary from the State this year.
He has paid back into the State Treas
ury out Of his own pocket $4,000 to
make up expenses incurred by the
Executive department in excess Of the
appropriation. n
The Governor told Of paying the de-
ficiency when asked to-day about the
assertion of Robert Moses, secretary
Of the New York State Association,
that in the face of the Governors
economy claims his own Office had ex-
ceeded it's appropriation. The Gov
ernor said that after assuming the loss
he had not intended to say anything
about the incident, but that II Mr..
Moses wanted to find something to
criticize he was entirely welcome to
plain statement Of facts"
When w. Ward Smith of New York
resigned last spring as the Governors
secretary 1t was whispered about that
there was clash between him and the
Governor because Of bills he had in
CURED. No official confirmation was
given at the time and the Governor made
public an exchange OF letters indicating
that the two parted on the best Of terms.
Gov. Miller said that the $4,000 which
he turned back to the State covered some
expenditures from the preceding admin
istration.
How great was that amount?" ne was
asked.
Small" he replied 'there were some
trifling things. They went in with the
others. They were unpaid bills and I
paid them.''
Paid Balance Himself.
Gov. Miller said when his attention
was called to the Moses statement he
thought II beneath notice, but that 1t did
serT'e one purpose.
Moses" he said. And shows how hard
put to II he is to find something to criti-
cize. What he says is partly true. It Is
true my former secretary did incur bills
for certain purposes In excess Of the ap-
preparation for those purposes Some Of
them he paid himself. and when 1t was
brought to my attention I refunded to
him what he had paid and paid the bal
ance myself.
"It is true that at that time the ap-
propriations for these particular pur-
poses were exhausted and there was no
appropriation for similar expenses for
the remainder of the fiscal year. The
Legislature was then in session and
could have asked for a deficiency appro-
prtation.
"Mr. Moses, who evidently Is unable
to comprehend the point Of view Of a
public official who believes In adhering
to some rule and order even though It
involves a personal sacrifice. has as
sumed and in his statement says these
deficiencies were provided for from other
funds to be made up next year out Of
the lump sum appropriations.
III he is the expert that he poses to
be he ought to know that such thing
Is absolutely prohibited by the finance
law and that the Comptroller Is not per-
mitted to audit bills to be paid from an
appropriation other than for the purpose
for which the expenditure is made.
Now, didn't ask for a deficiency APP
propriation. I did pay the balance Of
the bills for the balance of the fiscal
year myself rather than to do so.
wanted to He Constituent.
II did that because / had set my face
against deficiency appropriations and
had to observe the rule that / had
established IL expected others to do SO.
1 could not violate 1t myself and then
make explanations.
THE people who accomplish things
in this world are usually those who per-
form instead Of explain. And for the
morale of the service, in view of the
rule that established. ! paid those ex-
penses myself. Now II is also true that
some of these expenses that paid when
the matter was first brought TO my at
tention we're unnecessary. In the sense
that they could have been avoided
Others were unavoidable and really
could not have been anticipated when
the appropriations were made.
For example, there was very great
increase In the expenses OF the medical
examiners who examine into the sanity
OF condemned men. due to the fact that
the number of such cases has been in
creasing, and due to the fact that we
have had a number who required re-
peated examinations and continued OBJ
servatIon. And we also inaugurated a
plan. after the appropriations were
made. Of having the minutes of all those
examinations taken by a stenographer
so as to preserve them. And that cost
additional money. That is only one In
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