The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-10-20
IS NOW UP TO LEGISLATURE
IT'S THAT BODY'S JOB TO PAY
UP THE BIG DEFICIT.
Auditors Report Puts End to Claim
That the State Is $4,000
600 to the Good.

ATLANTA.-The recent report as
10 Georgia's treasury conditions, sub
mitted by firm of accountants spe-
9ially employed for the purpose by
Governor Brown, showing that the
state faces a deficit of $728, 566.5O
on January 1 next, rather tends to
bear out the claims Of those who
have asserted in the newspapers thai
the state was not far from a million
dollars behind.
AS it turns out, the amount which
the state is lacking to balance ac-
counts is only about three-quarters
of a million; but there is vast diff
ference between that and being ST.
100000 to the good, as State Treas
nrer J. Pope Brown sought to show
in a recent speech made at Carroll
ton.
Legislatures Fault.
The condition of the state treas
ury has been made a question OF pol
itics for some months now, the ques-
ton being, apparently, as to what
administration it was that is most
responsible for this condition. 1t has
been a case of argument between the
Hoke Smithites and the anti-Hoke
Smithites, with the result that the
official audit appears to favor the
position of the latter in so far as
actual treasury conditions are con-
cerned.
The truth of the matter is, howev
er, that the governor, whoever he
was, had mighty little to do with it.
Of course he has to be on guard and
watch the situation and inform the
legislature as to conditions. But af-
ter all the Legislature must be the
Judge of how much money the state
is going to spend, as we'll as to the
methods in which it shall be spent.
The fact stands out boldly and
cannot be gotten around that the de-
felt is there, and there to stay until
the legislature makes some provision
for getting rid Of it,
Alonzo Richardson & Co., the ex-
pert public accountants who made
the investigation of the states fl
nances and reported to Governor
Brown, are the same who were EN-
ployed by former Governor Smith to
check the accounts of the treasury
department after Captain Park died,
and when Mr.. Pope Brown was ap-
pointed treasurer.
Despite the claims from some of
them that the treasury was in splen-
did condition none of the partisans
of the former administration have
so far questioned the statement of
the special auditor; they have only
sought to construe it. But they can
not get around the fact OF the deficit
Gov. Browns Suggestions.
The legislature has been appropri-
ating from year to year more than
the states income; it has added to
the common school fund in the last
two years a total of 100000, with
out cutting off anywhere else. And
this and other increases have been in
far greater ratio than the increase
in income.
The muddle is one into which the
legislature has placed the state by
its failure to strike an even balance
between income and outgo, and if the
states finances are to be put back
on a business basis it rests with the
Legislature to put it there.
Gov. Brown has renewed his sug-
gestion of a 100000 bond issue for
the purpose of taking care of the
payments to school teachers, and this
method with a little curtailment in
appropriations would restore the
equilibrium.
There are many, however, who OPP
pose a bond issue, even though it is
proposed to use the proceeds only as
a loan fund to tide over the period
between obligation and the receipt
of tax money, and the fight on it
may prevent the adoption of this
plan, inasmuch as it would require
a two-thirds vote to amend the con-
stitutiOn
Must Choose Between Alternatives.
But apparently there are only
three ways of doing it-by the bond
issue, by increasing taxation or by
cutting down expenses. Inasmuch
as the cutting of expenses would in
volve reductions in the school and
pension funds that plan is practically
ont of the question. so if rests with