Civil Service Commission, Administration Division

On page 58, lines 9 and 10.

one employee, one thousand two hundred dollars; " This is not required.

This should be omitted, as it includes the item above disapproved.

Commission of Gas and Electricity

On pages 71 and 72.

"For the salaries :

of the commissioners, twenty-four thousand dollars ($24,000);

secretary, three thousand dollars ($3,000);

chief clerk of records, two thousand five hundred. dollars ($2,500);

gas and electric expert, five thousand dollars ($5,000);

chief inspector of gas, one thousand eight hundred dollars ($1,800);

first assistant inspector of gas, one thousand dollars ($1,000);

second assistant inspector of gas, one thousand dollars ($1,000);

assistant inspector of electricity, one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200);

accountant and bookkeeper, one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500);

of the employees according to grade:

eighth grade, one employee, one thousand eight hundred dollars ($1,800);

fifth grade, two employees, nine hundred dollars each

($1,800);

third grade, one employee, six hundred dollars ($600); second grade, one employee, four hundred eighty dollars

($480);

For necessary traveling expenses and disbursements of the commissioners, their officers, clerks, inspectors, experts and other employees pursuant to chapter seven hundred thirtyseven, laws of nineteen hundred five, six thousand dollars ($6,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary.

For furniture, books, blanks, printing, stationery, postage and transportation of letters, official documents and other matter sent by express or freight, including boxes or covering for same and other necessary and incidental office expenses including supplies and equipment for gas testing and laboratory, three thousand dollars ($3,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary."

This commission has been abolished.

On page 89.

State Commission of Prisons

"of the president of the state commission of prisons, two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500);

This position is no longer a salaried one.

Railroad Commissioners

On pages 102, 103 and 104.

66 For the salaries :

of five commissioners, eight thousand each ($40,000);
the secretary, six thousand dollars ($6,000);
assistant secretary, four thousand dollars ($4,000);
steam railroad inspector, three thousand dollars.
($3,000);

electrical expert, four thousand dollars ($4,000);
locomotive boiler inspector, three thousand dollars
($3,000);

accountant, three thousand dollars ($3,000);

examiner, two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500); general railroad inspector, three thousand dollars ($3,000);

railroad inspector for New York office, two thousand dollars ($2,000);

of the employees according to grade:

seventh grade, nine employees, one thousand five hundred dollars each ($13,500);

sixth grade, two employees, one thousand two hundred dollars each ($2,400);

second grade, one employee, four hundred twenty dollars ($420).

For the actual and necessary traveling expenses of the commissioners, secretary, assistant secretary, inspectors, accountants, electrical and other experts, stenographers and clerks in the performance of their official duty; the temporary service of engineers, accountants, experts and clerks pursuant to section one hundred fifty-three of the Railroad Law; and for furniture, books, blanks, printing, stationery, messages, postage and transportation of letters, official documents and other matter sent by express or freight, including boxes or covering for same, and other necessary and incidental office expenses, including rent and expenses of the New York office, fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), or so much thereof as may be

necessary.

"The amounts above mentioned shall be refunded to the treasury by the several corporations owning or operating railroads in this state, in such manner and proportion as is prescribed by law.

Grade Crossings

"To carry into effect the provisions of chapter seven hundred fifty-four, laws of eighteen hundred ninety-seven, and the acts amendatory thereof, for the employment of expert and clerical service necessary to supervise the work performed under said law, and to prepare plans, maps, and specifications therefor, and for other actual and necessary expenses: For the salaries:

of the superintendent of the grade crossing bureau, three thousand dollars ($3,000);

inspector of grade crossings, one thousand eight hundred dollars ($1,800); and for the actual and necessary traveling expenses of the commissioners, secretary, assistant secretary, superintendent,

inspectors, accountants, experts, stenographers and clerks, in the performance of their official duty in relation to grade crossing work and books, blanks, printing and supplies, one thousand seven hundred dollars ($1,700), or so much thereof as may be necessary."

This commission has been abolished and its powers and duties have been devolved upon the Public Service Commissions for which appropriation has been made.

STATEMENT of items of appropriation objected to and not approved, contained in Assembly bill No. 2916, entitled

“An act making appropriations for certain expenses of government and supplying deficiencies in former appropriations."

NOT APPROVED.

The following items contained in Assembly bill No. 2916, entitled "An act making appropriations for certain expenses of government and supplying deficiencies in former appropriations," are hereby objected to and not approved for the reasons hereinafter stated.

First. On page 23: "For the necessary expenses of three summer institutes to be held at Chautauqua, Thousand Island Park and Cliff Haven, five thousand dollars ($5,000)."

If any appropriation were to be made for this purpose, this is not enough. It is too late to organize these institutes for this season. Nor does it appear that the expenditure can longer be justified.

d

Second. On page 25: "For reimbursing William H. Crawford, of the town of Stockholm, county of Saint Lawrence, for expenses incurred by him from October thirteenth, nineteen. hundred four, to July twelfth, nine hundred five, in caring for cattle quarantined by order of the commissioner of agriculture, eight hundred sixty-two dollars and fifty cents ($862.50), or so much thereof as may be necessary."

There are probably numerous cases of this sort. Whether provision should be made to meet them is a question of State policy which should be defined before appropriations are made in special instances.

Third. On page 26: "For the expenses incurred by delegates to farmers' national congress, five hundred dollars ($500), or so much thereof as may be necessary."

It is the practice to appoint delegates to various important conventions, but in other cases the appointment is without expense to the State. This practice should be uniform.

Fourth. On page 26: For distribution to growers of sugar beets during the season of nineteen hundred seven, as provided by article five of the agricultural law and acts amendatory thereof, fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), or so much thereof as may be necessary."

In 1897 the Legislature provided for bounties to be paid under specified conditions (including the condition that the grower should receive a net price of $5 per ton) to persons, firms or corporations engaged in the manufacture of sugar from beets grown in this State. Pursuant to this provision large annual appropriations were made. In 1905 the law was amended so as to provide for payment to the growers of sugar beets or their assignees, and it was further provided that the grower might assign the amount to which he was entitled to the manufacturer with whom he had a contract to supply beets at a net price of $5 per ton. Appropriations have since been made accordingly.

I believe that the provision for the payment of bounties either to manufacturers of sugar or to growers of beets is unconstitutional. The payments should not be continued, and the law in question should be repealed.