The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-02-23
Special Message on Budget System.

! members of the legislature still have
to come to an agreement as to how
Michigan is going to acquire budget
| system for its financial affairs.
With the senate holding the De-
Land-Roberts budget bill in commit
tee and the house holding in another
committee Rep. Foote'S bill for q
budget commission to study the sub
| ject, Gov. Sleeper has come out in
favor OF a thorough study of the
| budget problem and the passage of
law creating such system, based
on the report of investigators. He has
sent in special message to both
houses urging that commission OF
| inquiry be named.
Many OF the legislators are of the
opinion that they are Just as compe-
tent now to pass bill providing
budget as they would be after hearing
from an investigating commission on
the subject.
The governor has obtained from
Auditor General Fuller, who handles
most of the states financial matters,
statement which backs up the gov
ernor's position and has incorporated
it in his message to the legislature
on the subject. In his statement, Mr..
Fuller says:
IL am in favor of adopting any poll
cy or system that would in any way
reduce the cost of the government
OF the state and not impair or inter
fere with the proper performance of
the several necessary functions of gov
eminent, and it may be that the bud
get system will reduce the amount eX-
pended each year, but as budget
system would materially change the
present system of maintaining the
state institutions, departments, boards
and commissions, it will be necessary
to amend or repeal several of the eX-
listing laws before budget system
will be operative.
1.-THE budget system would neces-
sarily include a provision that funds
be drawn from the state treasury and
should remain in the treasury until
such time as they were needed for
the payment of claims. A clause in
the law to the effect that funds should
remain in the treasury until needed
would not be sufficient without spe-
officially comforting upon some official
the authority to determine the neces-
sity for drawing the funds. If the
funds were drawn from the treasury
as the law now provides, the object
of the budget system would be de.
to amend or repeal the present. account.
ing laws of the state.
Michigan has outgrown the system
OF appropriating money which was
adopted in the infancy of the state
and which has been continued. 1t Is
not a businesslike proposition to de-
post state funds in the treasures OF
the state institutions. There should
be but one state treasury and the
! funds of the state should remain in
the treasury until it is necessary to
pay claims against the state, and 1t
would be advisable to adopt bud
get system in order that the present
method of expanding state funds may
be placed on a business basis. But
before the budget system becomes
part Of our fiscal policy ! would sug-
gest that the system in force in other
states be investigated and the opera
ton of same be noted so that the de-
fects, if any, may be avoided in the
law that may be adopted in Michigan.
81 believe that a committee should
be appointed to make thorough ex-
animation of the budget system IN
force in other states and to report
to the legislature at this or next SEES
sion; and it would also be advisable
to have a committee examine the pres
ent laws with q view to removing
the legal obstacles from the path Of
the budget system that may be adopt
ed"
These views are thoroughly Endorsed
by the governor in his remarks APP
pended to the letter of the auditor
general. the message of the governor
concluding:
81 therefore recommend that legis-
lation be passed by the legislature
for the appointment of commissions
to be composed of men of high stand
ing and ability, and who are not MEM
bers of the legislature to examine
thoroughly into the matters ] have
herein indicated and to report if prac-
ticable during the present session of
the legislature, and If not, previous
to the next session of the legisla'
ture"