Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-05
(centinusd from Page one)

situations whose work partakes of the
character of public service.
The high cost of all materials and
supplies creates a special emergency
in connection with this problem. An
examination of the requests for appro-
priations filed with the State Auditor
by State departments and charitable
and benevolent institutions shows that
the total asked for during 1917 and
1918 exceeds by more than 100000
the total appropriations for all pur-
poses for the years 1915 and 1915.
urge you to meet this extraordi
nary situation by careful and pains
taking scrutiny of all sources of reve-
nue. and all proposed appropriations
before any expenditures are finally
authorized. Ordinary business sense
plainly dictates such a course. Yet in
the experience of our Maine Legisla-
lures such knowledge in advance OF
final decision on resolves appropriating
money is not only never obtained but
is impossible under our customary
procedure. Private and special re-
solves are introduced on the same
footing with those providing for ne
cessary public expenditures. Each is
heard by the appropriate legislative
committee and each reaches the Gov
ernor for approval without review even
by one central committee of the
Legislature and in the haphazard Or
der OF final passage.
The average member Of the Legisla-
ture desires to consider all proposed
appropriations carefully. He finds,
however. that during the first weeks OF
the session very few such matters are
heard before committees and little
other business is actually done, while
the rush and hurry later in the session
prevent anything like adequate COM
prehension of the entire financial PRO-
gram, either by the members of the
Legislature or by the general public.
The legislators themselves fail to ac-
uuire a due sense of the relative i'm
portance of each proposed appropria-
ton in the general financial program,
and the public cannot definitely fix the
responsibility for any particular eX-
penditure.
1t is only because of the average
high character of the membership of
our Legislatures that we in Maine
have escaped the full consequences of
extravaganza and waste which this
A similar method prevails in most
states and in the National govern
ment. America is, however, the only
great democracy in the world that
permits the appropriation of public
funds by such inefficient and irrespon-
sible methods.
The remedy is found in the executive
budget used in Gree Britain for more
hyndrnI 1t now
favored In some states in this coun-
try, has actually been adopted in one
state and has been advocated for the
National Government by at least one
recent President during his term OF OF
fee.
The budget plan is the presentation
of a complete financial program by
the responsible executive before any
expenditures have been authorized by
the Legislature. Such presentation
must include a summary of available
revenue and a detailed schedule OF
exnendtures Members are thus en-
abled to Judge for themselves the
comparative Importance of all pro-
posed appropriations. BY this system,
n member favoring an increase IN any
particular appropriation beyond the
DuuSCI eStlIllilt lIsu'ot oS>NP ~ -
responsibility for advocating this add
ed expenditure. 1t is also evident 10
every member and to the general pub
lie that an increase in any particular
expenditure beyond the amount sug-
gested in the budget must be offset by
a. corresponding decrease in some 9TH
err item.
prudent tailor before grasping his
shears marks out his patterns careIully
upon the available cloth so the exc
cutive presenting a budget to the lesls-
lative assembly points out clearly now
much revenue may be expected anu
suggests a corresponding schedule OIL
expenditures. Just as the tailor may
shift any pattern before he uses the
shears, so the Legislature may change
the size of any particular appropriation
but in that case must be responsible 10
the people for such deviation from the
budget proposal.
Mindful Of the special financial emer-
gency which now confrontS us. ana be-
Neving earnestly that a change from
our customary method of making APP
preparations is advisable, l ask you 10
ioin with me in an effort to establish
real budget system. No new leglsla-
ton is necessary at present. pro-
pose a series of informal public hear
ings conducted jointly by the Governor
and Council and the appropriate legls-
lative committee. The representatives
of each department or institution ask
ing an appropriation can be invited in
turn to present their requirements in
such detail as may seem advisable. Al
ter about three weeks of such discus
sion and conference, l hope to present
a detailed budget for your considera-
ton. You will then go about the work
of making appropriations and will give
to the budget suggestions such weight
as in each instance you may think
proper. The time spent in preliminary
hearings will have caused no delay. for
under our customary method of formal
committee hearings practically no bus
mess is done during the first four
weeks of the average session Each of
YOU will have had the opportunity to
hear every detail Of the financial pro-
gram discussed. a privilege no one
member Of any previous Legislature
ever enjoyed. BY constant attendance
during January, you will have acquired
early in the session that mutual ac-
quaintance which is a necessary basis
for useful public service. Through
<baso v,rolr,ipapy hear rings much of