Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-09-15


become fixed of applying for State aid for
all sorts of local purposes which should
have been provided for by counties and
municipalities. and delegations combined
to carry their measures through under the
mistaken idea that, as the counties and
cities made no direct levies for the object
they were relieved from the resulting taxa
ton. This condition was taken advantage
of by designing men who possessed politi-
cal influence. to secure support for meas
ures in which they had special interest.
These men would threaten the defeat of
local bills unless their authors agreed to
vote for the bills which the politicians de-
sired to have passed, and the fear of I'M
popularity at home, in case the local
measure failed. was usually strong enough
to influence delegations to accept the con-
ditions. This log-rolling process went on
in the face of warnings from the fiscal
officers of the State and the press. and
each party, when in control. acted with
the same disregard Of consequences. But
in fairness it should be said that much Of
the extravagance of later years that pro-
duced the deficit of 1915 and 1916 was in
response to popular demand for facilities
and to the constantly increasing number
of schemes for "uplift," whose promoters
swarmed in the State House appealing for
money. Furthermore, in forming our juda-
ment of the Legislature. it would be unfair
to overlook the fact that. while warnings
had been sounded comprehensive state
ments of fiscal affairs. such as would be
really informing, were not furnished to the
members, and they were Obliged to act,
generally in the closing days of the session.
upon reports of committees which con-
tanned no comment, or upon the hasty ex-
plantations of Overworked chairmen. These
evidence in the last session of the Legis-
lature. 1t was necessary to make provis-
ion for a large deficit. and to meet the
increased expenditure which this and other
causes occasioned. new sources of revenue
had to be found and the measure of taxa
ton worked out and adjusted to produce
the best and fairest results. Il was i'm
possible TO formulate the appropriation
bills until the approximate revenue was
ascertained, and il was not until the very
last day Of the session that the more i'm
portant appropriation bills were introduced
and passed under suspension of the rules.
Too many dangers Turk in such stu
alton to permit its recurrence in the legis-
lative experience Of the State. The remedy
lies in rule which will be binding upon
the General Assembly and which euaran-
tees investigation Of the public needs and
resources. and forethought in the effort to
promote the public welfare. before the Leg
islature is called upon to act The advan-
tage Of this to the responsible legislator and
to the whole body Of citizens is so obvious
that argument to prove it would seem to
be waste OF time. The legislator, | am
sure. would welcome it, and the citizen
would rejoice to know in advance what
was proposed and be in position to make
his views known to his representatives.
A distinct advance in administrative re-
form will be made when the fiscal scheme
Of the ensuing two years is laid bare in
the early days Of the session of the Legs-
lature. and subjected to the scrutiny of
the press and the people-somethine that
has been missed in all these years-and
the citizens are brought into intelligent
and intimate touch with affairs of State
that affect them in thousand ways.
The object Of the budget system is to
abolish the abuses above referred to and
others that might be named. and establish
in their place an orderly. systematic, de-
tailed statement Of the financial condition
Of the State. accompanied by recommen-
dations. in the form Of bills. for the appro-
priations for the ensuing two fiscal years
and for raising the revenues to pay them.
This could have been accomplished by a
statute. but after a full discussion and seri-
Gus consideration, the commission reached
the conclusion that the purpose would be
more effectively carried out by constitu-
tiOnal amendment. A statute would have
been binding so long as it remained unre
pealed. but ii is within the range of posi-
bility-in some conditions. Of probability
that the influences friendly to the old and
easy going methods might be strong enough
to effect the repeal Of the law before its
merits could be tested by time. or to 50
modify h as to destroy its value. A con-
stitutional provision. however. would have
the merit Of stability; and the approval
Of the people. expressed at a general cleo
ton. would have the effect Of stimulating
those charged with the preparation Of the
budget to unusual care in their work, and
those responsible for its adoption to un
usual care in analyzing and acting upon It..
The admirable article by Judge Pearce.
in The Sun Of September s. sets forth the
reasons which influenced the commission
in committing the preparation Of the
budget to the Governor, and discusses with
force and precision the objections to that
provision. lie also disposes OF the conten-
ton that the amendment is "un- Ameri-
can" and deprives the Legislature Of pow.
ers and prerogatives which properly belong
TO IL. Probably discussion Of those items
= from different standpoint would be worth
while and II may be undertaken at lateI
date. But the present purpose is to indi-