Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-07
Governor Markham Manages
to Keep Inside.
That Is From a Republican
Point Of View.
He Had to Carve Numerically to Get
1t Down to That.
The General Appropriation Bill Severely
Cut-Several state Institu-
tiOns Left.
Associated Press Dispatches.

SACRAMENTO, April 6. - Governor
Markham said in an interview today
that the greatest difficulty under which
he labored in considering the appropri-
alton bills was the fact that he was not
permitted under the constitution to
scale down items OF appropriation in the
general appropriation bill; he must
either approve or disapprove each item
as whole. Were he permitted by the
constitution to exercise his Judgment
and discretion in. regard to each item,
he thinks he could have brought the
total of the items for all the appropria-
tions for the forty-third and forty-fourth
fiscal years within the 50-cent limit
without disappearing any appropriation
for the completion or erection of new
buildings for various public institutions,
which appropriations, in many
cases, he thinks are more meri.
torious than the excessive
amounts allowed in many items of
the appropriation bill. The appropria-
tions for the State Agricultural society
for very large number of district agri-
cultural associations, for the mining
bureau, viticultural commission and
various others, not necessary to enum-
crate, are beyond what he deemed the
necessities of each demand as the total
amount appropriated on the various
departments OF agriculture, horticulture,
ETC., aggregates the enormous sum of
$3.50, 900
1t is almost within the limit of prob
ability that had the senate finance COM
mittee not increased so largely many
items of the general appropriation bill
as it passed the assembly, from which
increase they refused at all times to re-
cede, the governor would not have been
compelled to disapproveso many special
appropriations.
The governor does not consider that
the appropriations made for deficiencies
in various Offices created by the prede-
cessors OF the incumbents, and the ap-
preparation for various claims which
have accrued against tho state inspast
years, and which have been approved
by him as Just claims, as part of the
running expenses of the state govern
ment for the forty-third and forty-fourth
fiscal years, but insists that he should
be, and is, governed by the Republican
platform on which he was elected and
the pledges made by his party and him
self on the subject.
In arriving at his conclusions in this
matter, he says the cash in the treasury
at the present time, or the amount the
COMPTROLLER estimates will be in the
treasury on the lst of July, 1891, cuts no
figure whatever in the matter, and has
not been used by him in his calcula-
tions; nor does the governor consider
himself bound altogether by the tax
levy bill; for it provides for an allow
ance of 9la per cent for de-
ficiencies and collections, while the
controllers books show that ~ per
cent. would have been the proper allow
ance, as that is the average for the
years 1886, 1887, 1883 and 1889.
The governor claims that the plain,
simple fact that las controlled his action
in the entire matter is that the amount
appropriated Tor the purpose Of carrying
on the state government for the forty
third and forty-fourth fiscal years
should not exceed 30 cents on 800 of as
sessable property, which fact has COM
pelled him to disapprove many items,
which otherwise would have received
his sanction.
The following statement of aprropria-
tions and resources was given to a cor