The Tomahawk., 1917-02-08
REDUCTIONS OF MORE THAN
SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS IN
BUDGET RECOMMENDED
BY GOVERNOR.
SUGGESTS CHANGE IN LAW
REFERRING TO ESTIMATES
Contends That Date in Present Meas
ure for Submitting Estimates Does
Not Give Executive Sufficient
Time to Make Up Budget
Inteliigently.

InteIIigently.
St. Paul, Jan. 81. Reductions
amounting to more than seven million
dollars in the budget estimates of
state institutions, departments and
boards are recommended in a special
message transmitted to the legislature
with the printed budget, containing
the original estimates.
The Governors address in full is as
follows:
Gentlemen of the Senate and House of
Representatives:
Pursuant to Chapter 1856, Session
Laws of 1915, am herewith trans
hitting to you the estimates Of the ap-
preparations asked for by the various
state departments, boards, institutions
and activities for the period from
August 1, 1917, to July 81, 1919, to-
gether with my revision Of the same.
A Suggested Change in the Present
Law.
The present law provides that the
estimates shall be submitted to the
Governor not later than December first
preceding the session Of the Legisla-
true and that the Governor shall as
semble the estimates and in consulta-
ton with the chief executive officers,
not later than December thirty first,
make final revision thereof, causing
the budget to be printed and submitted
to the Legislature not later than Feb
ruary first. Several departments were
unable to submit estimates on the date
specified making it impossible to COM
plete the required accounting work I'M
til December twenty-ninth, on which
day a conference of the chief executive
officers of the state was held at the
office of the Governor. At this and
subsequent conferences, said officers
were unanimously Of the opinion that
the giving of hearings upon the es-
Inmates to those interested therein
and the ascertaining of all the facts
in connection Herewith would be i'm
possible in the short time allotted to
them for this work. I therefore re-
commend that the date for submitting
| the estimates be changed from Deem
Der first to August fifteenth. This
would allow each department two
weeks after the end of the fiscal year
for the preparation of it's estimate
| and give the Governor reasonable
length of time before the session for
an examination into each and every
item requested. Under the conditions
| which exist this year it has been i'm
possible for me to go into such detail
| and make such investigation as I had
hoped would be possible, but I wish
| to submit for your consideration the
| following recommendations and the re-
vision of the estimates as hereto ap-
| pended.
Total Appropriations Requested.
If the reductions herein recommend
ed are not made, the appropriations
| to the various Department. and insti-
buttons for the year ending July 81,
1918, would total approximately $12,
| S64,901 and for the year ending July
81, 1919, $14,13S,2S1, making the total
for the biennium the sum of $27,0O3,
1872 The original estimates of expen-
| ditures as submitted by various Off
Gals to the Governor for the two
year period ending July 81, 1919 are
therefore $9,307,930 higher than the
appropriations for the current bien-
| mum, but if the eliminations herein
after suggested are adopted by the
Legislature there will scarcely be any
increase in the tax rate for the next
biennium, as the state auditors es-
Inmates, herewith submitted to you,
show that receipts for the next two
fiscal years will be somewhat higher
than for the present biennium. The
receipts from railroad taxes and other
indirect sources for 1918 are estimated
at SS,423, 100 and for 1919 at $685., 200.
Emergency Fund.
In the enrolling of appropriation
bills, errors are sometimes discovered
after the Legislature adjourns where
by items are omitted with no one au-
thoriZed to correct mistakes. There
are also times when the Legislature
is not in session that emergencies
arise which necessitate special appro-
priations. Heretofore certain sums
have been appropriated to various de-
partments for such emergency pur-
poses. 1t is my opinion that all of
such appropriations should be placed
in one fund urder the control of the
officers of the state to be expended
only for such purposes and in such
amounts as may be agreed upon by
them.
Board of Control Should Be Pur-
chasing Agent.
ho IL IF Cnnfro1 cbou15 con-