The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-02-03
CRUCE SENDS BUDGET

! are now registered in the treasurer
office outstanding warrants that have
not been called for payment amount
| ing to $2,320,620.66. These warrants
will have to be paid out of the gen
eral revenues of the state, and in
making appropriations for the future
they should be taken into the calcu-
lation.
| feel that it is needless for me to
urge upon you the Importance or
economy in the administration of the
affairs of this states government.
With an annual income of less than
SO 900 900, it takes no financier to see
what must be the end if appropria-
tions are annually to run $4,00O,OOO
and $5.000,000. | feel that the appro-
priations of this state should be kept
within the income of the state.
In making appropriations, | would
urge you to first consider the actual
needs of the departments and institu-
tons of this state and provide for
them The question of buildings is of
secondary importance.
After you have made the necessary
appropriations, if there be funds
available out of which public buildings
can be erected, then l would urge
that you make appropriations for the
buildings that are most needed in the
state.
You will find upon investigation
that there is asked for the mainten-
ance of the preparatory schools, nor
NAL schools, deaf and mute schools,
mining school, the agricultural schools
state university and girls industrial
school, for the biennium, the sum to-
tai of $2,231,29O. To provide this
sum would require a tax upon the
present taxable value of the state OF
more than one mill each year.
would not advocate policy that
would destroy the efficiency of any
that the legislature should insist that
the same sort of economy be prac-
ticed in the administration of its edu-
cational affairs as should be practiced
in every other department OF govern
ment. and where retrenchments can
be had in these institutions without
impairing their usefulness, they
should be made. The legislature alone
can check extravaganza in our state
institutions by Withholding extrava-
giant appropriations
Way to Correct It.
A sure way to correct this evil and
10 save the legislature constant an
noyance. is to put our schools under
a single board of education and stop
the rivalry that exists between the
various state educational institutions.
I am fully convinced, from my inves'
tigation of conditions in the higher
educational institutions of this state
that they can be just as efficiently run
as they are at this time, If they are
properly correlated and supervised,
upon an appropriation twenty-five per
cent less than what is now required 70
run these institutions.
| would also call your attention 10
% .--.svv1 ~ n---ti-~ NOW hritd-
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/ 60
Only the most pointed necessity for
building will justify the legislature In
appropriating money at this time for
such purpose. There Is now unpaid
of appropriations heretofore made for
the erection OF buildings in the state
s44S,S75.7S without any fund whatever
in the treasury to meet any part oil
] this amount The contractors are
clamoring for their rnSney. The credit
OF the state is being seriously I'M
paired. and it is certainly bad busi-
ness policy to appropriate hundreds OF
thousands of dollars more for build
ings in this state without any reason
able show of having the money 10
pay for these buildings when they
are completed On several occasions
the work on buildings now in course
o. construction has been suspended
for lack of funds with which to pay
estimates as they were rendered I'M
der existing contracts.
] More Reasonable Bids.
The contractor who makes a con-
tract with Oklahoma - the light OF
past experience. will certainly not