Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-11-27
THE STATES FINANCES.

certain matters in connection with
the deficit now existing. The Gov
ernor points out that the General
Assembly, at its session in 1906
and the special session of 1907
made appropriations to become
payable out of the General fund
of 1908, III consequence Of which
the new administration, upon as
Stunning the reins of government,
found an empty treasury and a
considerable deficit facing it.
1t became necessary, therefore,
for the State to adopt one of three
policies suggested, viz:
TO suspend payment of the
States obligations until such time
us the money should be i'll hand
to meet the warrants;
To borrow large sums to meet
current expenses, and thereby to
incur heavy interest debt; or
To take from the treasury mon
ey belonging to the various special
funds and apply it to meeting the
immediate needs of government;
the money to be replaced when
the funds shall begin to come into
the treasury Mt the beginning, Of
the year.
The latter plan was adopted
1t was II somewhat hazardous
undertaking, but it seemed to b.
the best thing TO do under the
circumstances, and in that man.
ner the financial stringency will.
it is hoped, be tided over. To have
pursued either of the other poll.
cies suggested would have been
worse, for had the State ceased
tn issue warrants the whole ma
chinery CT the government would
have been para yzed; and had II
borrowed money to meet it's cur
rent obligations, the burden would
have increased, the evil day being
postponed, merely, instead of be-
ing obviated.
When the General Assembly OF
1906 reduced the rate of State
taxation from six To five mills
and, at the same time, made
heavy appropriations payable Oui
of the revenues of 1908, it made
trouble almost inevitable. The
improvidence illustrated by the
profligate French court, and en-
pressed by the quotation, "After
us the deluge'" is too often the
policy of outgoing administra-
tions, and we are reaping now the
results of such wantonness i'm adj
ministration. However, it is only
fair to say that the present situa.
tinn is not due entirely to the
fnnto l,nu.
The General Assembly which
came into control in 1908 must
bear its share of the responsible
ity, also. 1t was advised of the
deplorable condition of the State
treasury ut the beginning of its
work. 1t knew that unless dill.
gent economy should be enforce
administration would be brought
face to face with most embar-
RAISING deficit; it was pledgded to
the most rigid economy and to
the accumulation of II sinking
fund with which to liquidate
gradually the bonded debt of the
State. All these things should
have made it most careful in its
The General Assembly was hon.
est; there can be no doubt on that
score. But the majority of its
members being new men, it seemed
difficult for them to understand
vitality the inevitable relationship
between income and outgo; they
had not studied the problems of
State finance, and seemed to con-
slider bills that came before them
calling for appropriations, from
the standpoint merely of the mer-
its Of the respective measures,
leaving out of consideration ell
tirely the question of the ability
OF the State to meet the proposed
new obligations. As a result of
such policy, the new appropria-
ton bill was larger than it should
have been, even had there been
mn deficit ALREADY avist;nr o,l