The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20

urer show that when my predecessor en-
tered upon the discharge of his duties on
January 16, 1907 there was a balance in
the treasury of s1,S14 453.37. During the
four years preceding my administration
there had been an excess of disburse-
ments over receipts of 81, 443, 714.0s. show
ing an average annual excess of disburse-
ments over receipts of $500, ,92S.50. The to-
tai receipts for these four years, to-wit.
the years 1907. 1908, 1909 and 1910, having
been s1s.790, ,14o.5O. and the disbursements
for the same period having been S20.23S,
S5453, or being an excess of disbursements
over receipts for the four years of ST.
44371403.
Paid From Balance
This deficit had been paid from the
balance on hand when my predecessor
entered upon the discharge of his duties.
When I entered upon the office of gov
ernor, therefore, there had been an an
nua1 excess of disbursements over re-
ceipts, as above stated, of $3.50 $3.50. In
addition to this deficit the legislature
which convened in January, 1911, by addi-
tional appropriations, increased the OBJ
legations of the state by S65O,o00 These
were appropriations to which in common
parlance, no strings were tied, and had
to be paid out of the revenues of the
state. OF this amount at least $50o,0O0
constituted a fixed and continuous annual
charge upon the revenues of the state,
all of the $650,000 being practically con-
tinuous appropriations except the con-
struction of the new wing to the capi-
tol and the purchase of the governors
mansion.
I'm addition to this amount the legisla-
ture also made appropriations amounting
to S1,029, 900, the payment of which was
contingent upon the approval of the gov
ernor. OF these appropriations which were
made contingent upon the approval of
the governor, | have released about $780,
OOo such as $4,000 for Confederate vet
Grams, rural school Libraries and appro-
priations for the cause of education.
Deduced This Deficit
"At the end of the last fiscal year, to-
wit: October /, 1912, had reduced this
deficit to sips 1883, as shown by the
port of the auditor and Special Examiner
Wikerson on file in my office. IL the
receipts this year are what we expect,
I hope at the end of the present fiscal
year to make the receipts equal the dis
bursements.
when 1 entered upon the discharge OF
my duties, I carefully prepared, in con-
junction with the attorney general, and
the auditor and my legal advisor reve
nue. bill which I believed would equalize
taxes in Alabama and furnish sufficient
revenue to meet the deficit and the in
creased appropriations. This revenue bill
did not increase taxes, but sought prin-
cipally to reach escapes in personal prop
erty and to equalize more justly and wise
ly the assessments of the larger corpora
tions in the state. This bill the legisa-
ture refused to pass, but on the last day
of the session in which the bill could
pass enacted a revenue bill which was
not in any respect as good a bill as the
revenue bin then in existence and did
not conform to the one had prepared. l
approved this bill principally because 1t
did provide franchise tax for the for
eign corporations in lieu of the franchise
tax contained in the former revenue bill
which had been declared unconstitutional.