The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-14
CONDITION OF THB STATES FINANCES.
Statement Showing the Absurdity Of the Ridiculous
Claims of Popalists

Olympia, Oct z - Special. ys<n.
charges are made frurn tt-ne to time 70 tas
exact that the finances Of sae sesse are n
q bad way. that the administration nas
been guilty. 81 Md extravsganee. ard that
II any oTse src-l6 choose 20 20 snse courc
and invoke The fntsrpro= Ken Of an szN1ac-
ton Re could tie up the whole state gov
ernrrenr. because the constitutional fsn-ls
OF Indebtedness has been aoag ago sx-
cse1s6
Before giving the artual ecnss ton Of ,Ae
state. II may De well 20 point cea. Row very
Anrsfed The powers OF the administration
are 50 TAR as re.zs%s 10 restricting The ex-
rers9.fure. When she legislature has voted
ar amount FOR . certain purpose. al that
the state officers have 10 do IS 10 sae that
the ncney Is properly sxperael for the
purpose fer which II was appropriated II
they should refuse &c issue warrants 10
me commissioners authorized 70 expend
the money they would De subject 10
z1andana=. and there are instances n
which these have been granted In this
state under circumstances which fully
bear on; this proposition
All that the governor can Do with tha
appropriations = TO approve or veto them.
He cannot reduce those which he thinks
are sxtrav&gsue- The legislature may ep-
proprsate very much more than he thinks
ought 20 De expended for any given sery-
Ice. but the governor can only choose be-
tween refusing 20 permit any appropria-
ton 20 be ma1e. and consequently Tying
up the particular service for want OF
funds and letting the amount 60 that the
legislature has voted When IL has once
been voted the warrants must be issued
in the regular course OF business.
Another point 20 % raxnemc ered Is that
much OF the money appropriated By The
legislature il expended by commissions
scattered all over the state These bodies
are to some extent independent Of execu-
tive control II II - orough, TO the knowl-
edge OF the governor that they are doing
VIVA. they ought not 10 10, he may cali
upon them for an explanation. and II their
reply - unsatisfactory. he may dismiss
the commissioners. or such Of them as he
thinks best. and appoint others in their
stead. ou: II would be practically impos-
eso.s for the governor - exercise a per-
sonai supervision OF every item Of ex-
rsniiure By the numerous admissions
and point OFT how q dollar can be saved
here and TWO dollars there. and so OF, and
the law does not contemplate that he shall
do So The commissioners are lef, 20 ex-
e-clse their discretion in these details,
subject 10 the supervision Of rhe state
auditor. and 1, is for the legislature. when
making the appropriations. 10 take into
account the cos; OF maintaining the sew
eral departments Of the public service and
tax The amounts accordingly.
Gov. AcGraw sought 70 make an I'm
portant change In this system He sought
20 have the members OF the state execu-
tive department constituted 4 commission.
and 20 have the full responsibility for all
public expenditures vested in them as far
as the constitution win permit This
would have been an excellent change; b1;
the legislators we're not ready for 1t. The
Offices ana patronage which the system %
government by commission carries with II
are esteemed too highly by the commits
sioners and tho localities where the insti-
tutions are located 10 be readily sarren-
dered Yet the proposed change would
be In accordance with the correct principle
OF state government. which should place
the full responsibility for public exrendi-