The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-04-17

money from the banks OF some other
source. to meet the Temporary deficit
II he chose to do so, but IN the light
of further facts on this point We are
forced now TO recede from this posi-
ton. The law provides that the gov
ernor MAY borrow money to meet a
Temporary deficit" The governor has
taken the position, and rightly 80, that
there is not temporary deficit" in
the state treasury, but a permanent
one. In a statement Just issued ~by
the state accountant, Mr.. Dover, it Is
shown that it would require a loan
of $750.000 to tide the ship of state
over till June, when new funds will
be coming in. Then, too, there is
another reason why the governor is
right in this position, and the law pro-
vides that no money shall be borrowed
which cannot be repaid within
eighteen months. making It clear that
the law makers intended that the gov
ernor shall not borrow except in cases
OF temporary stringency. The COVER
nor says that II these loans should
be negotiated the state cannot repay
them within the eighteen months
limit, and knowing this to be true he
would certainly be over-stepping his
authority II he borrowed this money.
The Times, and all other critics, OF
the governor. including the juggler of
the Coal Combine, ignore the fact that
over 100000 of the appropriations
made by the legislature of 1913, and
the $S58,000 appropriated by the last
legislature and vetoed by the governor,
enter nowhere in their consideration
OF this question. They simply take
the small matters of ordinary run
ming expenses, such as salaries, and
claim to see q way that they can be
met by using the blank funds Illegally.
as SO many Democratic governors
have done in the past.
The Times further enormously as
serts, under its article, labelled
TRUTH" that If the White bills had
been passed they would have provided
sufficient revenue to meet all the
vetoed appropriations, amounting to
over 100000, and in another breath
1t asserts, while still ioundering un-
der the caption of Truth" that these
measures would have been sufficient
only to meet the Fairmont Normal
appropriation and the University ap-
preparation, amounting to $2S5,000.
That we may be understood, and not
accused of following the path of
NV
we quote two exact paragraphs Of its
article, as follows:
Had the two White bills passed,
the University and Fairmont Normal
appropriations, vetoed by the governor,
could have been met and paid"
In the next breath, still cropping in
darkness and with the bright banner
of Truth" raised over it's head, this
same identical newspaper, without
CULVER of the lip or the batting of an
eyelash, says:
If the White bills had been enacted
into laws, there would have been suf-
ficient revenue to FULLY meet ALL
the appropriations, INCLUDING THE
VETOED ONES"
Senator White claimed these bills
would produce 100000 in revenue,
100000 from increased tax on foreign
corporations and like sum on local
corporations. So it will be seen that
The Times leads itself into the palpa-
Bile error of stating that the 100000
in vetoed appropriations can be paid
with the 100000, which would have
been provided by the White bills, GER
tainly an easy way out If The Times
reasoning is correct.
But The Times does not stop there.
II asserts that the White bills would
have provided revenue to meet ALL
appropriations, including the vetoed
ones. Does it mean to assert that it
intends this 100000 to pay also the
$S2s.934.s9 unexpended appropriations
of previous legislatures? II that can
be done. as far as we are concerned,
we are ready now to turn the whole
matter over to The Times and its
optimistic consorts and let them do 1t.
The truth Is, there Is no temporary
deficit as the law contemplates that
would justify the borrowing of money
by the state, but the deficit is of long
standing. The records of the state
show that there was deficit In the
treasury on June 80, 1913, OF $685.
1927; on June 80, 1914, a deficit of