STATE OF NEW YORK ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL For the Year Ending December 31, 1923 CARL SHERMAN, Attorney General ALBANY J. B. LYON COMPANY, PRINTERS STATE OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL ALBANY To the Legislature of the State of New York: In conformity with the requirements of Section 66 of the Executive Law, I have the honor to submit herewith the annual report of the Attorney-General for the year ending December 31, 1923. CARL SHERMAN, [3] Attorney-General. REPORT OF ATTORNEY-GENERAL While there has been no appreciable increase in the personnel of the Attorney-General's office during the past year, recent years have seen a large growth in the activity of the Department. The Department is now one of the great agencies of the State and constitutes one of the largest law offices of the country. It has become the established policy of the State that the Attorney-General's office should be the counsel to all State departments. Since the adoption of this policy, the personnel of the Department has necessarily increased from time to time, and in order that your Honorable Body may have a proper conception of the duties that are entrusted to the large force of deputies in the Department, I have requested each of my bureau heads and departmental assignment counsel to submit a brief statement of the nature and accomplishment of the assignment. I incorporate such statements herein as a part of this report, because I believe examination thereof most clearly demonstrates the services rendered in advice, opinion, investigation and litigation. You will therefore note that on the Attorney-General himself devolves to a great extent the executive duty of supervising the work and determining policy, although I have fortunately been able in some instances to personally appear on argument in the Supreme Court of the United States and in the Court of Appeals, as well as upon trial. BUREAUS ABOLISHED Immediately after assuming office on January 1, 1923, I directed that the so-called Election Bureau be abolished. This bureau was created after the amendment in 1922 of section 66 of the Executive Law, which lodged in the Attorney-General certain powers of investigation and prosecution in election matters and consisted of ten employees who were paid for a full year period of service. In addition thereto, hundreds of special investigators and special deputies were employed at election. I not only abolished permanent positions, but it was unnecessary to make any special appointments for the 1923 election. I experienced no difficulty in handling election matters with my regular office force. By reason of the abolishment of this bureau and the non-employment of special election help, I was able to return to the State Treasury $36,298.63 that had been appropriated for such purposes. [5] |