The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-01-12
URDAHL TALKS BACK
REPLIES TO LYONS CHARGE OF
STEALING HIS BUDGET
THUNDER"

Pierre, Jan. 12.-Senator Urdahl,
of Lake county, has given out the fol
lowing statement in reply TO the
charges OF Representative Lyon, of
Minnehaha, that he (Urdahl) and
Representative Benson, of Moody,
have stolen his ideas regarding a
budget system for the state.
Yes, | have read a Special to the
Argus-Leader' accusing Benson, of
Moody, and myself of having stolen
the budget thunder" of Mr.. Lyon,
of Minnehaha. If this were true ii
would have been,a mean trick to do
and his precaution in bringing his
best friend to Pierre to guard his
clothes was we'll taken. My idea on
the subject, however, is this, hat be-
fore a person can be stolen from, such
person must have something to lose.
Early in the summer | took up
the study Of a state budget system
and secured considerable literature
and several copies of budget laws
from states that had already adopted
a state budget system. After a care
full study and comparison of budget
laws, | concluded that the only work
able budget scheme suitable for our
state and condition, is the budget sys-
tenn adopted by North Dakota in
1915. My views on this subject were
quite fully set out in an interview in
the Madison Daily Leader for Deem
Der 80, 1916.
However, / had no intention OF
introducing a bill or the subject in
case Mr.. Lyon, of Minnehaha had an
acceptable budget scheme to give us.
A day or so after the legislature con
vened, Mr.. Lyon was interviewed on
the subject by at least two senators
and one newspaper reporter. and as
far as they were able to find out, Mr..
Lyon had neither a bill nor a definite
plan to offer. For this reason | o
the matter up with Benson, of Moody,
and jointly weN drew the bill intro
duced by us in the house and senate
and which bill is practically a copy OF
the North Dakota law. The only idea
if any, suggested by Mr.. Lyon on a
state budget system, is that of the
governor preparing a state budget for
the legislature. In several states the
state auditor is required TO perform
the task of preparing a state budget.
On the whole it was proved very UNI
satisfactory to leave the responsible
ity with one single person.
THE North Dakota scheme consists
of a board of five members. includ-
ing the governor, the state auditor,
the attorney general and the chair
man of the two appropriations com
mittee of the various legislatures. In
our bin we substituted the state
treasurer for the attorney general.
Each and all of these members have
special opportunities of knowing the
4 resources and also the needs of the
various departments and state insti-
buttons and they should constitute a
well balanced, inexpensive, safe and
effective budget board, whose duty ii
will be to make suggestions to the
next legislature as 10 appropriations
for the various state functions, de-
partments and institutions. | sim
eerely hope that this system will be
adopted.
considerable has been said about
the savings which the budget system
viii accomplish, and also that log
rolling will be a thing of the past.
GNtH AOAitN diE III pa , -
There still will be log rolling both
before the board and the legislature,
though possibly not TO the same ex-
tent as under our present system. |
believe that a simple budget system
as suggested in the North Dakota law
and included in our bill will have a
tendency towards more equitable dis
tribution of state money.
But it is impossible to conceive OF
a single state institution. or of any
number of departments, if any, to be
maintained with less funds than here
tofore appropriated. On the other
hand, | believe several of our state
functions may p%rofitably be enlarged
which. however, in most cases will
mean increased expenditures and in
creased taxes.
I'm Justice TO Mr.. Benson, / also
wish to say that Mr.. Benson already
two years ago suggested the feasible
ity of a budget system. That Mr..
LYON was of the North Da-
kota law. and of any and every bud
get legislation within the United
States, is proven by his circular let
ters and newspaper articles, when he
suggested that we will be the first
state in the union to enact a budget
law. If he has a budget scheme
more suitable for our condition than
that which is now before our legis-
%lature, let him prepare and introduce
his bill and we will permit ours TO
die a natural death