Herbert H. Lehman became the Chief Executive of the State of New York yesterday, and the first Jew to hold the post of Governor with a full appreciation of the responsibility which it entails, as he revealed in his inaugural address.
The inaugural ceremonies which took place at noon in the Assembly Hall were attended by a distinguished group which included President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt and former Governor Alfred E. Smith, both of whom delivered addresses.
The oath of office was administered by Secretary of State Flynn.
Present at the ceremonies were Mrs. Lehman, the Governor’s wife and their three children, and the Governor’s three brothers, Philip, Arthur and Judge Irving Lehman.
Governor Lehman in his inaugural address declared:
“For any new Governor a day of inauguration must be a solemn one. The assumption of responsibility for guiding the destinies of thirteen millions of people is never lightly to be undertaken. But in these harassing days the burden is so much greater, the obligations so much more serious, the problems, the uncertainties, the dangers so much more numerous and varied than in ordinary years, that the consciousness of my responsibility weighs heavily upon me.
“There is no problem more serious, no responsibility more compelling, than that of the caring for the thousands of our citizens who are without work or means to provide even the minimum maintenance of a normal family life. These destitute unemployed fellow-citizens facing overwhelming disaster now number more than a million and a quarter. Hundreds of thousands more may be in need of relief before the Winter has passed.
“This State cannot and will not forget its duty to its unemployed.
“The governmental units and private citizens of this State have joined together to do their utmost; but the problem has now reached the point where aid from the Federal Government is needed in our war against destitution and want. The federal relief bill so defines the conditions under which federal credit may be made available to the States for unemployment relief that up to the present it has been difficult for New York State to apply for aid. The time has come, however, when it is absolutely essential that such application to the Federal Government be made by our State.
“The financial stability of the State has been maintained in spite of the drain of present conditions, largely by our determination to keep our budget at all times balanced. To attempt to do otherwise, indeed, would be to fly in the face of Constitutional mandate. Each year must provide a balance of income and expenditure. A deficit of one year must be made up the next year. This has been done. This must be done.
“We owe a definite duty to see to it that the tax burdens are made as light as possible. Wherever operating costs can legitimately be cut, they must be.
“Much is to be desired, too, in the structure of city government generally in this State. The City of New York is not alone in this respect.
“What are the important objectives for which we strive? What are the principal results which we seek in this movement toward the improvement of local rural and city government? Certain fundamentals lie at the basis of reform. They are:
“1. The consolidation of the various agencies and functions of local government.
“2. The reduction of all operating expenses made necessary by these items.
“3. The rearrangement of local financial agencies in order definitely to fix budgetary responsibility.
“4. The precise and complete fixation of administrative and executive responsibility.
“These form the goal for which we should work. We have talked about these reforms in this State for the last ten years. Discussion has become more definite about them in the last four years. Let us now proceed to get action.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
