The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-07-28

on hand today In this Office not a dol
lar of unaudited claims. Not a sin
gle warrant Is today outtsandingdhat
can be found. and enough money and
other valuable assets in the sinking
fund TO more than pay the $1OOO,-
900 of bonded Indebtedness of this
state Respectfully submitted. Sam
uel II. Stone, Auditor, Public Ac-
counts"
Now how does that statement. un-
refuted and unrefutable. compare
with the statement made by the edi-
tor OF the State Journal referred to
above? We beg pardon for going in
to ancient history. but we think we
are justified In making a few compar-
sisons.
During the eight years of admin
istration of Governors Brown and
Bradley, the auditors reports show
there was paid into the state treasury
from all sources. s34.S61.1O7. At
the expiration of Governor Bradley's
administration, according to Auditor
Stones report, there was enough
money to pay all the debts against
the state
During the eight years of Governor
Beckham's administration there was
paid into the state treasury from all
sources. s41,559,515. In other
words, during the eight years of the
last Democratic administration the
taxpayers of this state went down
into their pockets to the extent of
nearly seven million of dollars. more
money than they had been called up
on TO give up in the eight years prev
ious to that.
where IL Went.
One million only of this amount
was paid on the new capitol. To bring
the matter a little closer home, dur
ing the four years of Governor Brad
ley's administration from all sources
S1S,645,672. During the last four
years Of Governor Beckham's admin
istration there was paid into the state
treasury from all sources, s22,151,-
557, and this does not include the
S1,323,O0O secured from the federal
government. which, II was asserted,
would build the new capitol
The point we wish to make is this:
The members of the former admins
tration and their friends, are pointing
with great pride to the record they
n,ada In faLfp., ,ora 90 A. -.oto
finances. But they have neglected to
point out that In order to do this.
they called upon the taxpayers of the
state for an average OF nearly a mil
lion dollars a year more than any of
their predecessors had ever used.
What Beckham Left.
Many Of the Democratic journals
have said so often that the last ad-
left In the treasury over
81 900 900 without any outstanding
debts. that they are actually begin
ming to believe the truth of this state
ment II Is true that there was in
the treasury when the present admin
istration took charge of the state af-
fairs, about s1.10O.0O0. but II is not
true that all outstanding claims had
been paid. There were due on unpaid
claims amounting to over $500, 600.
and these fell due before the close
of the month with additional claims
OF over 100000.
so that from the sixth day Of jan
uary when the Republicans took
charge to the end of the month there
was paid in round numbers $3.50.
600. all OF which was either unpaid
bills left over from the former ad-
ministnation, or bills falling due in
that month.
To estimate the states financial
condition al the end of any calendar
year is very much like figuring out
how much a man Is worth II he has
a pocket full of money and owes ev-
erybody. Practically all of the funds
are paid into the treasury by the
sheriffs during the closing days of
the year. 80 that there is or should
be always substantial balance on
hand at the close OF the calendar year.
The balance on hand at the close
Of last year was $1.2OO.OOO. There
will be practically the same amount
of money in the treasury at the close
of the present year. Estimate of the
conditions of the state finances
should always be made at the close
of the fiscal year. and an examination
of the auditors reports will show
that for many years bac there has
been an actual deficit in the general
expenditure fund, and, owing to the
large appropriations of the last gem
eral assembly. that deficit in the very
nature of things cannot be reduced.
The trouble is that the general ex-
penses OF the state government have
been growing very rapidly for many
years. while the superintendent of the
states funds have remained the
same. Our predecessors frequently
resorted to the practice of borrowing
from the sinking fund or the school
fund to cover up these fiscal year de-
ficits. In the year 1907 they borrow
ed half million dollars from the
sinking fund to cover a deficit which
totaled $476 600. This trouble can
L n ~ A.