Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-10-15
WOULD CHANGE PLAN
Of STATE BUSINESS
Suggest Appropriations Be
Made for Fiscal Year, and
Reports the Same

AS final solution Of the difficulties
and exasperating situations arising out
Of the present system of making ap-
propriations for the maintenance Of the
various departments and institutions Of
the state and the requiring Of reports
Of the heads of the departments for the
biennial period closing September 30
on even years, Secretary of State 0leott
and other state officials suggest
change in the system to conform to the
federal government system of making
annual appropriations to cover the fis-
cal year ending June 30 and requiring
annual reports Of the state officials
covering the same fiscal period
There are numerous arguments ad.
vanced in favor Of the change suggested
but the most important Of them are
that, under the fiscal year system Of
making appropriations and annual re-.
port periods, the financial troubles Of
the state departments and institutions,
which frequently occur under the bien.
NAL period system through various
causes but most generally due to defects
in legislation and oversight, would be
eliminated, and in changing the close
Of the report period from September
30 to June 80 Of each year the officials
would have more time in which to close
up their books and make their reports
to the legislature in plenty Of time be.
fore that body eonyenes.
In order to put the fiscal period sys.
tenn into effect from the standpoint of
departmental and institutional main.
tenance it would be necessary for the
next legislature to make appropriations
to cover a period Of 30 months, which
would provide for the maintenance Of
the different departments until june
30, 1917 instead Of the usual biennial
period Of "a months closing January /
Of the odd years. This would require q
seemingly heavy appropriation for The
approaching session, since an extra six
months would have 20 be provided for
but after that the rocedure would be
the same as II has Aten in the past and
the system would be selfregulating II
the future,
Since the appropriation measures
passed by the legislature would not be-
come Of effect until July Of the year
OF enactment there would be plenty Of
time in which to subject them to q
thorough examination for defects OF
'iokers' and TO correct the errors al
the June election, as provided for BY
the initiative and referendum amend
meut to the constitution and IL wou.
also give plenty Of time to refer sucl
measures to vote OF the people II
cnse Of dissatisfaction over an overt Of
apparently extrayagant act Of the leg
islaturc, without subiecting any Of IN,
state departments to Inconvenience o.
delay In their respective duties by ren
son Of being deprived Of the necessar,
means Of subsistence.
Under the present system Of datinl
appropriation measures TO cover tn
biennial period beginning January ! o
the odd years all Of the departmental
work Is carried ON after anuary Of tn
odd years until the legislature make
provision for their maintenance upon
purely prospective and altogether un
certain basis and, In case q defect |
found in the appropriation moasur
after the adjournment of the legislator
there Is no cure for the evil at han
short Of n special session Of the lcgislG
ture or special election In the Jun
following. Both Of these correctly
means are exceedingly expensive an
altogether undesirable from the stant
point Of the taxpayer who is called upo
TO foot the bills. Then, too, there
the interest TO pay In the case Of IN
/, necessity Of endorsing warrants "nt
paid for lack Of funds" where Nh
means of maintenance upon a cash bas
fails for any reason.