The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-10-31

Legis atuf4, for il; t;provides for only
about so per cent of the biennial ex-.
penditures. II may. under the consti-
tuition. include only appropriations for
the executive. legislative and judicial
branches. of the state government
The state institutions and semi-public
state activities must be provided for
in special bills. Furthermore. an act
creating department may provide
funds for its maintenance. and when
once such a bill becomes law. the
appropriations therein provided for
are no longer subject to the veto
power of the governor, and can be
altered only by the passage of new
bill. Under these circumstances the
number OF appropriation bills and bills
carrying appropriation clauses is as
founding. In 1917 nearly two-thirds
of the 500odd bills introduced in the
Senate carried appropriation clauses
of one type or other. Such condi-
ton cannot but lead to confusion i'll
the control of finances and makes
comprehensive fiscal program impos-
sible Bills for appropriations should
be presented zen bloc" as it were.
Only by this means, under the present
the public obtain clear perspective
of the fiscal program. The state con-
stitution prevents the inclusion of all
appropriations in single bill, but this
does not prevent the houses of the
Legislature from considering all ap
priation bills in their relation to one
another and to the condition of the. rev
enues at the same time in committee
of the whole, thus enabling the law
making body as well as the public to
secure birds-eye view of the fiscal
program.
The classification OF appropriations
into five groups. namely. for the ordi-
nary expenses of the executive, legis-
lative and judicial departments; for
penal, correctional and charitable in
stitutioEs; for educational institutions,
for other officers. boards. bureaus,
ETC.. and for all other purposes. which
take precedent in order stated in the
matter of payment of appropriations
in full. is from purely fiscal point OF
view, one of the most vicious acts
on the statute books. Funds must be
or hand or in sight sufficient to NEE:
the appropriations of the first class IN
full before the second class is pro
vided for and so on down. This act
was originally passed in the hope that
over-appropriation might not impede
the necessary governmental activities.
Funds have usually been more than
sufficient to pay the first class appro-
priations in full but not so with the
others. Over-appropriation for first
class purposes has not been uncom.
mon, and as no adequate provisions
for the transfer of balances exist, such
funds are tied up until the close OF the
fiscal year when they revert to the
general fund. They are, therefore,
not available for payment of appro-
priations in the lower classes. The
institutions have been the
worst sufferers under this statute. at
times receiving actually less than 60
per cent of the funds appropriated.
Because of this. these institutions
have been seriously hampered in for
any consistent plan of oper-
alton and expansion, and at times
have even been forced to borrow in
order to keep from closing II is lit
tie 10 be wondered at that these in
stitutions. as wei as at least one state
department. have continually begged
for increases of their special tax lev
les. They merely sought depend
able source of revenue Special tax
lev.es. although they are in them
selves Objectionable in that they make
for rigidity rather than for fiexibility.
are nevertheless, under the existing
the best method Of fiDanc-
ing these institutions
OF 'slush" funds there are a so sew
eral. The game and fish fund. into
which go the receipts of the game
and fish department. aggregating
some $4,000 per annum, is the most
important of this type OF funds car
ried by the state. This money is
subject to distribution without special
appropriation. The method OF dis
tribution usually employed is to in
crease the number of game wardens
with the opening of each biennial po-
litical hunting season. Such funds