Morris tribune., 1914-02-20
HOW APPROPRIATIONS ARE MADE

HOW APPROPRIATIONS ARE MADE
John S. Pardee secretary of the Efficiency Commits
sion sends out letter how the legislature makes
propriaons 1t shows how mistaken the person is who
fails realize the pressure which is constantly brought
bear upon successive legislatures spend money and that
the increase in state expenditures by simple
extravaganza.
The letter says
Getting an appropriation bill through the legislature
is one of the most difficult feats of the lawmaking
body. 1t is getting harder and harder all the time.
Because there and things to be taken
of Important members of the appropriation committees
onesded long before the close of the session by
people seizg them the corridors and motel obbes and
on the street and pulling them three directions
once.
Early in the session of the principal estimates
laid before them The board of CONTROL the university
and other big budgets in order right time The
departments send in requsitions of them way
behind time Private associations urging this that
Artists, beekeepers darymen and the
rest of the alphabet-incudng the women. bless em-
press on the committee the of this, and the
other they bad people the legislature
could be vrtuous and tell them go away. But they
are not bad people they good people and the egs
lature must listenXto ttem.
of the together and work in close touch BY
the end of the it is pretty we'll agreed between
them what they will report to the two houses. By
threats spersuason compromise and trading they have
worked out in which every member of the
two committees got what he satisfied he
can't get it.
The experience of the last about the it
usually The date of adjournment fixed April
"a With week yet run. the bills introduced
April 15 emergency by request of the gov
ernor three big the Institutions
the educational system which is nearly half of the
total and take of everything else Oh, yes,
except what came later.
All three were read once. rules suspended, read a
second tme which cans the clerk mumbed few words
which nobody listened and they made special
April 49, days later. That gave opportunity
for members examine the bills and go fall the
bers of the committee to tell them what they wouldnt
stand for And if they made it strong enough the
mittee raised the bars. So when the bills up four
days later the chairman of the committee moved to
of the three bills four amendments to the second
and to the third seven all of which agreed to with
out dissent Some member wasn't satisfied and introduced
two amendments to the third measure. They tried
out by roll-call and lost.
Without further ado the bills put final pass
age and adopted without dissenting voice.
Something like the thing done in the senate
at the time and the day the bills came
back the house from the with single change
The house consented it, the bill repassed and
that
Except that few items amounting to $1,000, ,OoC
came in the last minute April %, the next the last
day. the bill introduced by request of the governor
for supplementary list Before that several separate
levies sprinkled in. One levy for armories
Another levy for state forests third item
for state historical building.
Comes the next to the last day. Rules suspend
ed second reading rules suspended, put final passage
zim -zim-zim. ayes ziz-zz-zz-nays none-adopted
And that is how that done.
The committee method being the only way appro
priaton bill be prepared it is of Importance have
predigested much possible the committees
deal ntelligenty with the requests that to it.
HousevworI<