§ 148. Salaries and expenses. 1. The chairman and members of the board shall devote their entire time to the duties of their office and shall not practice in their respective professions or callings. The reasonable and necessary expenses of the board and the reasonable and necessary traveling and other expenses of the chairman and members of the board, the secretary and other officers and employees of the board, while actually engaged in the performance of their duties, outside of the city of Albany, or if any such officer or employee be in charge of or actually employed at an office of the board outside of the city of Albany, the reasonable and necessary traveling and other expenses outside of the place in which such office is located, shall be paid from the state treasury upon the audit and warrant of the comptroller, upon vouchers approved by the chairman or vice-chairman or secretary of the board.

2. For the purpose of extending the benefits of workmen's compensation and improving administration and expediting the adjudication of claims, the chairman is hereby authorized, within the limits of the appropriation available therefor, to initiate studies and surveys, to observe operations in other states, to conduct research, and to make investigations in the entire field of workmen's compensation, within and without the state of New York. The chairman is also hereby authorized to accept a gift, grant, or contribution of funds to be used in his discretion to carry out the purposes of this subdivision and shall in the annual report of the board set forth the progress of the same.