The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-03
STEWART ASKS ECONOMY
Recommends Means in Ad-
dress Before Joint SEES
sion State Legislators.
Continued From Page one.)

been carried In the school funds until
.taxpaying time in the fall and then the
tax money, augmented by the other in
come Of the state, has generally been
sufficient to take up the warrants and
start the state off even for another
year. This custom has been pursued
for many years. 1t has always been
more or leos disturbed by the con.
stantly increasing demand for appro-
priations and the corresponding dis
position on the part OF the legislative
assembly to make appropriations re-
eardless OF the estimated income for
the forthcoming appropriation period.
over.Appropriations.
-Four years ago when this admin
istration took over the affairs of gov
eminent and the 18th session began its
work, there was in the state treasury
the sum Of $243,10039. Warrants had
to be taken over by the school fund
soon after the adjournment of the SEES
sion. That assembly made appropri-
atoms that were at least 5000, 900 in ex-
cess OF the estimated income of the
state for that period. BY strict econ
omy and care on the part of the state
board of examiners, even in the face of
unusual expenditures in the Butte trou-
bic. the state treasury showed bal
ancc Of $56,645.1s on January /, 1915.
Then came the legislative session
OF that year. and all estimates were
shattered. At the beginning Of the
session the state auditor estimated
that the probable necessary exrendi-
lures for the forthcoming two years
would outrun the income by about
$4,000
I'm his estimate the auditor approx
mated the expenses of the 14th legis-
lative assembly at $4,000, whereas
such expenses actually aggregated
$155,423!30 It> is interesting to note
in this connection the steady increase
in the cost of the legislative sessions.
The session Of 1909 cost $737o9.o2; that
of 1911 cost s105.2249G: that of 1918,
$130,972.4O: and the 1915 session the
above mentioned sum of $155.4o33o 4
part of this increase is undoubtedly
necessary and proper. but some of it
must seem to be unnecessary and
should be obviated. Your attention is
respectfully directed to this matter.
THE state auditor did not include I'm
his pre- session estimate the very con-
siderable appropriations made for the.
Panama Pacific exposition exhibits,
the maintenance Of the compensation
department. the new farm loan depart
ment. or the money paid for stock
slaughtered by reason of foot-and-
mouth disease, Neither did he take
into considerat ior the fact that the leg
islative assembly provided larger sums
for certain specified purposes than he
had deemed necessary.
$4,000 Deficit.
1T is sufficient for me to advise YOU
here that in my opinion the legisla-
tive appropriations aggregated at the
very least n half million dollars more
than the estimated income My esti-
mate given in a statement conveyed to
the secretary of state with the gen.
eral appropriation bills placed the pos
sible deficit at $529.23s.96, while a sub
sequent estimate b. the state auditor
placed the amount at about 100000.
With that burden Of excess appropr-
otionn the state board Of examiners be-