The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-26
Boards and Departs
ments Independent
Of Legislature.
EXPENDITURES
NOT PASSED UPON
Weaver Points Out How Funds
Derived From Taxpayers Are
Utilized Without Authority
From Assembly = Wants
People to Know Where
Every Dollar Goes.

from the taxpayers OF this State evory
year. is utilized by departments ana
boards OF the State az they SEQ ne.
without any regulation or control by
the General Assembly. and without any
item Of tho expenditures appearing Ia
the annual appropriation bill. accord.
ing to the statement made to the House
Of Delegates yesterday by Aubrey ca
Weaver, OF Warren County, chairman
OF tho House Finance Committee.
These boards, said Mr. Weaver, Ok sat.
aries as they please, regulate their own
expenses, and spend money to suit
themselves. entirely without authority
from the General Assembly. SO long as
they do not exceed the total receipts
from the special taxes levied for their
beneht. IL some Instances. any ball
ance ut tho end of the year reverts to
tho general fund, thus taking away
any incentive to be economical, while
in other cases the fund continues, re-
gardless OF Its size or of the needs OF
the department rs a special deposit for
its use and benefit.
What Departments Spend.
Mr.. Weaver read from a statement on
Auditor of Public Accounts c. Lee
Moore TO show that the State Depart
mcnt of Agriculture and Immigration
received last year from the special fer
tilizer tax S77.514.46, which it expend-
ed absolutely without any supervision
or control of tho General Assembly,
and as an Item entirely in addition to
the amounts provided for that depart
ment in tho appropriation act; that tho
state Dairy and Food Department re-
ccived last year from special tax on
-four mills SlS,423.1S; tho Bureau of
Insurance se4,496.45. from a special tax
on insurance companies, and the
Bureau of Banking Sl9.2O5 from a tax
on banks. In addition. the State
Library. the Military Board and other
departments of the State have funds
derived directly from special levies or
taxes, over which tho General Assem-
bly, has no supervision, and which may
be expended as these boards see fit.
Wants Honest Statement of Approprin~
tiOns.
Mr. Weaver made it clear that his
committee would seek to inaugurate "a
system by which the reports would
show every dollar paid to the State In
taxes, and by which the general appro-
priation bill as adopted by the Gem
cral Assembly would show every dollar
authorized to be expended from tho
public purse for any purpose whntso-
ever. He rerted instances whero
boards having special funds at their
disposal had come before the 1egisla-
tive Appropriations Committees and
asked allowances When turned down,
because their projects We're considered
unnecessary or eXtravagant by those
set to guard the public funds, these
boards had laughed in their sleeves at
the General Assembly, snapped their
fingers at the Committees on Appro-
priations. and proceeded to carry OUT
their projects from their own funds
derived from SDRcin1 Ia
ly to them.
BnnI, BiiI Under discussions.
Mr. Wcavcr's remarks came up on
discussion OF tho Montague bank bill,
which was before the House OF Dele
gates yesterday for several hours with
out final action. The House amended
the bill by reducing the proposed sal-
airy OF the Commissioner Of Banking:
from $4,000 to $4,000. the sum now paid
to this official under the title OF ChlcE
Bank Examiner. The change In name,
1t wus stated, was to avoid constitu-
tional objections to raising an officials
salary during his term Amendments
Offered by Mr. Pennington. of Lee, re-
ducing the assessment on banks of
small capital were pending when the
House adjourned. There is strong OPP
position to the bill from those who fear
II is q measure in the interests OF tho
larger national banks. as against small
tai. y motion to lay the bill with all
amendments on the table was defeated
by the narrow margin OF A to IS. and
among the motions still before the
House is one TO pass by until March
IA. which would mean tho death OF the
bill for this session.
Game BilI shows Strength.
The Senate spent tho day In discuss
sion OF the White Hart game hill. A
test vote showed unexpected strength
for the measure. a motion to abolish
bill believe would have cut from the
measure Its very heart. was defeated
26 to 6. Motions to cut the salary OF
the Game Commissioner to a nominal
amount. and to allow him to have his
office. at home. instead OF at the seat
of government, were also defeated, the
vote being taken as an indication ON
the part OF tho Senate to pass real
game law without weakening amend
ments which would destroy its whole
purpose.
The Confederate pension bill will
have the right OF way in ths House
following the Montague bank bill. The
bill makes q. general increase OF about
amendments still further adding to
the pensions in certain cases, openiug
the gates to pensions for women who
married Confederate soldiers maIt.S
wears after the war and raising tho
limit ot property ownership, are pend
ing. State Auditor Moore has been i
asked. to give an. estimate OF what the
will be to the state.
The House passed yesterday and sent
to the Governor a Senate bill appros
diers' section of Hollywood cornetcry
under tho perpetual care OF the p6meS3s
terry company, contract OF record "a 4