The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-04-11
Figures Taken from Records
Justify Legislature in MOI
Levying More Money.


EFARLESTON. Apr 1O Or Fri
4 day. March 81. there was addressed
to the Hon. "a. IN. Lilly, attorney gem
4 eral OF West Virginia, joint let
ter and statement from Auditor
Darst and Treasurer Long. replying
to a request from hiuifto be supplied
with information concerning the pres
N ent state OF the treasury the ball
ance IN the state FUND. including
blank appropriations: how hlank APP
preparations are and have in tho past
been handled. and so on. Mr.. Lilly's
letter OF inquiry followed former
letter by Messrs. D9rst and Long.
asking that an opinion be rendered
them az to their authority 70 convert
y funds in the treasury placed there
under the more or less confusing as
signment as blank appropriations.
to general state uses.
The joint letter and statement Of
i Messrs. Darst and Long, of date Of
March 81, is illuminating in many OF
! It's disclosures, and is of high inn
y portance at this time, inasmuch as
the state treasury has been made to
appear bankrupt and payment of
state claims has been suspended.
One important matter that is uD
for determination is whether or not
funds now in the treasury credited
under the elastic title Of blank APP
preparations" must be held available
Il only for specific purposes. or can be
used in the general discharge Of the
claims against the Nate. If it should
be ruled that they can be used in
the geenral transaction of state bus
mess. than there is
No Condition Of Bankruptcy.
fF "a III mn March
~ z can be lifted and there will be
ample money in the treasury to carry
on business until the revenue for the
next fiscal year begins to flow in.
AZ But this is not. of course. the only
avenue open for the relief OF the
treasury It is within the power of
the governor to borrow money, eth
er from other funds in the state
treasury. from the workmen's COM
pensation fund or from banks, to
meet any casual deficit that may oc-
cur.
This latter course. Messrs. Darst
and Long show, has been followed
many times. from the formation Of
the state down to the present time.
It appears to have been the general
rule that for time, at least. every
year. the state fund has been at low
ebb, and the practice has been either
to borrow money directly from more
stable and permanently established
funds. or, losing cognizance of the
confusing blank appropriations
check upon their credits, treating
them as inseparable to other monies
lin the state fund, which, in fact, they
appear to be.
1T is shown IN the Darst-LonE
statement that 1.-THE balance in the
state fund has. number Of times
in the past. been less than the amount
to the credit of the blank appropria
tions carried in it, proving that i'll
has been an unattached practice to
use whatever money may be in the
state fund for whatever necessity
may arise for draft upon it. And
further, that No claimant against
these special funds has suffered be-
cause of such action. for the reason
that there have always been and now
are sufficient funds retained to meet
proper. acquisitions made on these
blank appropriations"
It Is shown that in the administers
ton of Auditor r. a. Bennett. 1871
I'D, $6O,52S.34 was borrowed at one
time from the general school fund
and at another time another sum. the
amount OF which is not stated. was
borrowed for current uses of the
treasury. During the biennial per
Tod of 1916 S46.0O0.0D was bor-
srowed from the schoolfund. and s24.-
O0O. 90 from banks.
Some Past Instances.
is shown that in 1S77. during
the administration of Auditor JOS
aphs vs. illsFsthc governor borrowed
SIS fnpA ffpni banks TO meet tom
nora AZ of the treasury And
Re reppft of Auditor Miller for
"a STgsS0 1T was shown that not only
was the treasury exhausted. but that
almost the entire amount borrowed
was likewise gone. Again. in 1881
and 1882, Wo sums were borrowed
amounting to $19h.000 90. and the
statement shows that for that bien-
ntal period all the blank appropria-
lions had been exhausted to pay the
current expense of the state. Dur