The Springdale news., 1913-01-24
SPECIAL TAX FOR STATES EDUCATIONAL INsTI- TUTIONS.

Governor Robinson. in a message delivered to the legislature Monday, discussed the financial condition of the state, and suggested reforms. Bearing on those questions he said:
 The general revenue fund, eon- sidering all outstanding claims, is in debt approximately $75o,oo0. This sum probably will include all deficiencies fairly ehargeable against preceding administrations The existence of this deficit Is due in part to the fact that, while the general revenue rate has been re- gently reduced from 214 mills to 24 mills, shortly thereafter wefe created large number of new in stitutions, including the four agrf- cultural schools, the State Normal, the Reform School and the Tuber- culosis Sanitorium Tie general revenue fund has been thus mater ially reduced, while the charge up on it has been greatly increased. This fund has been running behind year after year The policy which has heretofore prevailed of antiei= pating revenues should be repudi- ated. We must provide Tor the payment of this deficit and bring the general revenue fund back 10 q cash basis. The simplest plan is to authorize a bond issue under carefully considered safeguards and restrictions This can be se ae- complished as to distribute the bur den over a peried Of several Wears. The only other plan is 10 % inz crease the general revenue fund that within a period of tears sufficient surplus above current ex= penditures may be created 10 ab- sorb it. This would be but mod ification of the present plan, and under it the deficit might still in crease rather than be diminished if
  ed and limited
 It is primarily important that ex penditures be limited and economy be praeticed in every department of our state government. When the present deficit in the general revenue fund has been provided for, the equally important duty Of reforming the prevailing method of appropriating public money with little regard for our ability te Day the bills will demand attention
 Urges Budget Commission
 Except in cases of emergency. ap= propriations should be limited 10 the revenues. To accomplish this the practice We now pursue of mak= ing one appropriation without re- gard to others necessary to be made must be abandoned and every ex- penditure considered with regard to others necessary to be author.z- ed, 90 that the total will not ex= ceed the fund out of which the aP- propriations are to be paid. This can be accomplished in part during the present session by the creation of a special committee on the bud get, charged with the duty Of esti- mating and recommending the pro portion in which the general reye- nue fund shall be distributed among the several demands against 1t This commission should be given such power as will enable the exec utive hereafter in suggesting ap- propriations and the Legislature in making them 10 proceed intelli= gently and within the limit of the revenues available.
 While the present deficit in the general revenue fund can be gradu- ally discharged and the current ex- penses paid by economizing and by an increase in the general revenue rate, still no increase Tn the total tax rate for state purposes is nee essary or justifiable if a proper re adjustment of the rates is made,
 The University of Arkansas, the agricultural schools and the State Normal. can be placed on special tax rate of. say l mill, or nine senths of l mill, the Capitol rate suspended, the general revenue rate fixed at 1.35 mills, all other rates continued as at present, and the total rates continued as at present, and the total rate for all state pur- poses will equal that now being col lected. Present rates:
 lis. State general re enue rate. IA Sinking fund rate k