Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-05
The States F;inaneia1 Condition
Augusta Herald.


Th0 efforts OF Governor Brown to show
that the state is in a bad condition finan-
cially can only be condemned by all good
people. who are not political partisans
and care more for the welfare of the
state than they do for who nils the gov
ernor's chair or any other public Of
fee. While these efforts are well under
stood at home to be only a political play.
people outside OF the state may not un-
derstand this. and hence the fact that
the governor so strenuously insists that
the state Is virtually on the verge of
bankruptcy cannot result otherwise than
to have an Injurious effect. Prospective
investors or settlers will be slow IN con-
sidering a state which is dangerously
near state of bankruptcy.
The governor employed a firm OF ex-
pert accountants to go over the states
finances. for the purpose. he claimed, OF
learning exactly their true condition.
These experts reported to him. In effect,
that there would be money enough in the
treasury to meet all the states obliga-
tons. But that wasn't the sort OF re-
port he wanted, and he sent them back
to bring in another report, which they
did, showing an enormous deficit. The
first report the governor received as pri-
vate information and did not give to the
public, and the second was trumpeted
from the house tops.
The charge as 10 this double report has
been repeatedly made in the public press
and the governor asked to deny It II in
correct, but instead OF denying this dam
&C. v,r l. l.
said that he might worry about II il he
thought the people of Georgia were fools.
While figures do not ie,' It is some
times facetiously said that liars can fig
ure." In other words, a mass of figures
may be so presented, without actually
classifying any of them, that they can be
made to show almost anything. Espe-
cially does this apply to government fig
ures, in which appropriations sometimes
cover a term of years, and the income
and expenditures never begin and end
coincidently. Hence, while the state has
sufficient money In hand and In sight
to meet every claim, It is an easy matter
to show that there is not money enough
in the treasury to pay now every claim
that is due or will become due at some
future time.
To offset the damage that may be done
the state by the governors effort to
make political capital by showing that
the state is bankrupt there Is the state
ment of State Treasurer Brown, made at
ter the governors published report of the
experts he had employed, that IF all the
taxes are paid in by January 1 there will
be $2,0OO,Oo0 in the treasury above the
states debts" meaning by the latter OF
course the obligations then due. In other
words, II a balance be struck at the end
of the year, there will be 100000 in the
state treasury available for the state gov
eminent next year. This shows that the
states financial condition is all right.
and II they don't remain so the fault will
be with the present administration, for
the legislature meets in the middle OF
the year.
1t is unfortunate that men in public
office will play politics, but surely men
in high office should not play politics in
a way to do great injury to the state by
impairing its reputation.