New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-04-16
Miller, in Killing Parole
Measure Aimed to Free
Labor Gar, Says Crimes
Can't Go in One Glass
Salary Grabs Get
Executives Knife
Mental Deficiency Legisla-
ton Fails to Guard Per.
sonal Liberty, He Holds
From a Stuf Correspondent

HnE1N april lo.--GovernOr Miller r
to-day-the last on which he could act
on legislation before him-signed three
bills and vetoed 1913. This makes tho
tota number of measures vetoed bv +bo
Governor 151, and 672 new laws. The
Legislature passed $40 bills, of which
three were recalled and forty-four dis
approved by cities. Last year 952 bills
were passed. OF this number 7l6 be-
came law, 1i3 were killed by the Gov
ernor and fifty eight were not accented
by the cities and five were returned on
motion of the introducers.
OF the 12S measures vetoed to-day
l2o were included in the omnibus veto.
lhese measures, for the most part,
we're special legislation, some of a
highly questionable sort, such as the
boylan bill, enabling legislators of ten
years service. regardless of their edu-
cational qualifications, to become attor-
neys at law after passing the bar ex~
animation. Following tradition. no com
ment was made on any of the measures
llsted IN the omnibus veto.
Salary Grabs Are Killed
large number of salary grab bills,
passed in the closing hours of the
Legislature, and other log rolling
measures met their death in the omni-
bus veto. Chief among them was the
Burllngame bill, adding $1,000 to the
salaries of each of the members of the
bipartisan Board of Elections in New
York City. The two bills vetoed to-day
which were accompanied by special
memoranda were the so-callcd Brindell
parole bill and the knight mental def
cheney measure. Of this last act, which
its opponents declared would make DOS
sible the railroading of sane persons
to asylums, the Governor said it did
not properly safeguard the liberty of
the individual. He expressed sympathy
with the purpose Of its sponsors-to
provide custodial care for mental de-
fectives.
This MEASURE" said the Governor
"is the result Of the experience and
the study of the State Commission for
Mental Detectives and of others who
have devoted earnest thought to the
problem. 1t is nquestionably de-
clded Improvement in many important
respects upon the present law How
ever, it conta ms some important pro-
visions of doubtful import and of un-
certain operation. In some respects
it follows the insanity law, but insan-
ity and mental deficiency present en-
tirely different problems, both with re-
spect to custodial care and treatment.
One is primarily a medical problem,
the other psychological.
Liberty Not Safeguarded.
"The most doubtful provision Of this
measure is the one providing for the
temporary commitment for observation
of a person who is apparently a men
be made in the boroughs of Manhat-
tan and the Bronx to the trustees of
Bellevue, in the boroughs of Kings,
Queens and Richmond to the Commits
sioner of Public Welfare, elsewhere in
the state to the local health officer, the
expense of maintenance during the pc
riod of temporary commitment to be
a local charge. The act apparently
omits to provide the local health of
tcer with the necessary means to pro-
vide temporary maintenance or with
the power to apply for permanent
commitment in case the apparent de-
fective is found to be in fact de-
fective.
81 have no doubt but that the pres
ent provisions of law for the commit
ment of mental detectives are made
quate. but the power to deprive an in
dividual of his liberty for an indefi-
mite period on finding by magis-
trate that he is apparently a mental
defective should certainly be most
carefully guarded, if it is to be con-
ferred at all.
Advises Further Consideration
"The mental deficiency problem ia
still unsolved in this state. 1t has re-
ceived the attention demanded by its
Importance only within recent years.
1t is estimated that there are 10000
mental detectives in the state who
ought to have custodial care. At pres
ent the capacity of the state institu-
tons is limited to about 5000. This
act would undoubtedly increase the
commitments to state institutions, al
though the capacity is now overtaxed.
I think the state must provide the Gus
todial care required to the relief of
the localities the same as has been
done in the case Of the insane, but 1t
will take time to secure the additional
capacity required. Meanwhile, the
subject should receive further study
"While | approve of most of the pro-
visions of this act and believe that on
upon the present law, I still think that
it may be improved by further study
and that a years delay will not be SO
serious as the enactment of measure
Continued on page thres)