The Prescott daily news., 1913-01-21

their importance
 4. TO avoid complications it Is desirable mat IT possible, you conclude all sub !eets which demand legislation within 6e 61e snort period of sixty days. In or uef to accomplish this. there must he concert of action between the governor ana the General Assembly, As an evil dehce of the willingness of Vour gov eIhor to facilitate this course, this mes sage IS condensed both as to the sub JectS presented and the manner in which they are discussed
 Statewide Prohibition and rAe Inttia-
 tive.
 Statewide prohibition having been voted on under the initiative in Septem- Der 1912, this important subject need not VeX your deliberations Repose is sometimes as necessary as is agitation at others. When the whole body of electors have fairly expressed their oofi@lon concerning any policy their yer 9ict should be accepted as conclusive TOT reasonable time and while condi- tons remain unchanged
 Revenue Legislation.
 The most important subjects demand ing consideration relate to the financial condition of the state and necessary re- IoFms In our revenue system.
 Dehcit in the General Revenue Fund me general revenue fund, considering all outstanding claims, is in debt approx lmataly seven hundred and fifty thousand uoliars This sum will probably in- clude all deficiencies fairly chargeable against preceding administrations
 The existence of this deficit is due in part to the fact that while the gen eral revenue rate has been recently re- ouced from two and one-fourth mills to one and and three-fourth mills. shortly tnereafter were created large number or new institutions including the four agricultural schools, the state normal the reform school and the tuberculosis sanltarium. The general revenue fund t,oa tnp pta11 T. the charge upon it has been greatly fn- creased This fund has been running behind year after year The policy which has heretofore prevailed of an pclpatlng revenues should be repu- diated. It is amateur politics, not wise StateSmanShip We must provide for the payment of this deficit and bring the general revenue fund back to a cash baSlS. The first question to be answer ed IS: How best can this be done?
 Authorize Loan.
 The simplest plan is to authorize bond issue under carefully considered safeguards and restrictions. This can be so accomplished as to distribute the burden over a period of several years Bond issues when avoidable are not to be approved. The public, however. are well informed as to present conditions This deficit is in no sense chargeable upon the administration which is now just beginning. Ii is our duty, however to provide for it. The only other plans is
 
 that wthin period of years sufl- cient surplus above current expendi- lures may be created to absorb it. This would be but modification of the present plan, and under it the deficit might still increase rather than be di- unfinished if expenditures be not care fully watched and limited.
 It is primarily important that ex- penditures be limited and economy be practiced 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 meth cd of appropriating public moneys with little regard for our ability to pay the bills will demand attention.
 Budget Reform.
 Except in cases of emergency. ap- propriations should be limited to the revenues To accomplish this the prac- tice we now pursue of making one ap- propriation without regard to others necessary to be made must be aban- doned and every expenditure consider ed with regard to others necessary to be authorized. so that the total will not exceed the fund out of which the appro- accomplished in part during the pres ent session by the creation of spe- cial committee on the budget, charged with the duty of estimating and recom- mending the proportion in which the general revenue fund shall be distrib- uted among the several demands against it. A budget commission, con- sisting of three state officers and the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives, should be au- thorized with such powers as will en- able the executive hereafter in suggest ing appropriations and the Legislature in making them to proceed intelligent ly and within the limit of the revenues available
 Whether the deficit in the general revenue fund is the result of eXtraVa- eance or merely incident to the groWtb of the states institutions wisdom re quires that it be settled on basis which will impose a lesson of economy and proportion.
 Not Necessary to Increase Total Tax
 Rate.
 While the present deficit in the gen eral revenue fund can be gradually dis charged and the current expenses paid by economizing and by an increase in the general revenue rate, still no in- crease is necessary or juStihable if proper readIustment of the rate is made.
 The University of Arkansas. the ag- ricultural schools and the state normal can be placed on a special tax rate of say one mill. or nine-tenths of one mill the capitol rate suspended the general revenue rate fixed at one and thirty-fve hundredths mills. all other rates continued as at present and the total rate for all state purposes will equal that now being collected.
 Present rates: State general revenue rate, 1 3-4 mills; sinking fund rate. r. mill; state school rate, 3 mills; Confed- crate pension rate 1 12 mills; state