The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1911-04-20


coupons would not be honored. These
had already been paid by the New York
banks which handle the states money
The interest due April ], is $36, 900, and
all except So 1000 has already been paid
in the usual way.
This ,decison is intended to tie up
the appropriations for the charitable
institutions and for the governors ex-
pense account, and some minor items.
The majority of the funding board
state that the tie-up does not include
judges salaries, or those Of state Off
cials and clerks where the expense is
fixed. The controller and treasurer
say that they will pay out no more
warrants of the kinds named unless
they have assurance an appropriation
bill will be passed by the legislature.
When Gov. Hooper was interviewed
as TO the action of the comptroller and
state treasurer in threatening to cut off
payments on interest on the state debt
anu appropriations for charitable insti-
tutions and state officials, ,he laughingly
remarked: ...
"It looks like the comptroller and
treasurer are filibutering, dosen't it?n
"Did you oppose their action on the
funding board?' he was asked.
Well, it was this way: About noon
they came to my office to hold meet
ing of the funding board in regard TO
the matter. l knew what was
coming. / could smell politics all
over the proposition.
"They pointed ont to me the pro-
vision in the appropriation bill of 1893,
specifying the interest insallments
which should be paid. The last was
January, 1911, and the payment OF
April l, 1911, was not included call
ed their attention to the date of this act
May l, 19O9-and asked Mr.. Dibrell
if he did not pay the enterest due April
l, 1899 before the appropriation bill
was passed. He said he did I ask him
if he had not already paid nearly all
of the interest due April |, 1911. He
admitted he had paid all bat about two
or three thousand out of a total of
thirty-six thousand dollars. He said
however that he had always made these
payments on the assumption that the
appro )riation bill would pass.
II then stated that / was willing to
assume now that the appropriation bill
would pass The comptroller replied
that il was misdemeander to pay
without authority of an appropriation
bill. then suggested that if it were a
misdemeanor for him to pay the re-
manning $1,000 of the interest, it must
have been felony 10 pay the thiry-
four thousand dollars already paid.
"All that occurred at this conference
took place between II and o'clock.
Nobody was present but the funding
board, and yet the entire proceedings
were heraldad abroad i'm the 2 O'Clock
editions Of all the afternoon papers in
the state. did not give the matter to
the papers. .-.
"The purpose of all this is extremely
transparent. Payments Of interest
and to state institutions are TO be de-
MED in order that the blame may be
placed upon the shoulders of absent
members of the legislature.
"As TO the unpaid balance of the
April interest, j will pay that my
self TO the bondholder, in order to pre-
vent any possible injury to the states
credit either by the filibuster of the
legislature or the comptroller.
"As TO the state constitutions for which
appropriations have been made ben-
nially fromptime immemorial without
objection, and in regard 10 an appro-
priation for which there can be no
doubt, if the comptroller and treasurer
. desire 10 deny them necessary funds,