The Arizona copper camp., 1919-02-08
.DEP[ORAB[E CONDITION Of
STATES FINANCES IS SHOWN IN
SPECIAL MESSAGE Of GOVERNOR


that no money is available for the
maintenance of these institutions
during the remainder of the fiscal yeaI
which ends June 80 next, was made
known this week when Governor
Thomas E. Campbell, in a special
message to the legislature, set forth
actual conditions affecting the fin
ances of this state. Funds exhausted,
pay rolls held up for lack of money,
and overdraft of nearly half million
dollars-these are some of the things
the governors message sets forth as
a result. of his investigation into the
methods by which the affairs of the
state were conducted under the Hunt
administration.
Under the previous administration,
the commission of state institutions,
acting on the authority of an opinion
by Attorney General Wiley Jones,
proceeded with the understanding
that it had full authority to go ahead
and pay all deficits of state institu-
tions, and to do this, the gov
ernor says, "the commission of state
institutions transferred money
from one fund to another in reckless
disregard of the safeguards which the
legislature aimed to throw around the
several institutional funds of the
state"
The governors message to the leg
islature follows:
"Sirs:
''In my message to your honorable
body January Is, 1919, called atten-
ton to the confusion existing in the
states finances and also to the con-
dition of the various state institu-
tional funds. That the situation was
serious l was then aware, even after
a cursory investigation, but how Sc
rious / was not fully aware, until at
my request detailed statement was
furnished me several days since by
the Commission of State Institutions.
This statement shows that nearly all
state institutions had, on the 31st
day of December, 1918, either used
their entire maintenance appropria-
tions for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1919, or had not sufficient funds
to carry them through the balance of
the fiscal year, and that various pay
rolls were being held up by reason OF
lack of funds. In other words, all
the money available for institutional
activities of various kinds appropriate
ed by the Third State Legislature for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1919.
was expended to date of December
81, 1918, leaving a period of six
months without any funds available
at this time to maintain these insti-
tutions. In addition to this condition
of affairs there now exists deficit
of $44,251.60. AS stated in the Com
mission of State Institutions report.
emergency appropriations totaling
$458,287.28 are absolutely necessary
to tide them through the fiscal year.
"a little history relative to the
present financial crisis will prove not
only Informative but illuminative. Un-
der an opinion Of the attorney gen.
eral, rendered January 20, 1918, that
official advised the Commission of
State Institutions that it was empow-
cred under the law creating that body.
in event funds appropriated by the
general appropriation bill for the
maintenance of various institutions
were depleted, to meet the expenses
of any state institution up to June
80, 1919, and thus avoid the use of
state certificates of Indebtedness. This
opinion l am incorporating in full for
your consideration.
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL
Phoenix, January 20, 1918.
Commission of State Institutions,
Phoenix Arizona.
Gentlemen:
4 have before me your letter of
the 25th inst informing me that
the funds appropriated by the
general appropriation bill for the
maintenance of the state indus
trial schools are exhausted, and
its payroll is being withheld from
payment at present on that ac-
count. You also inform me that
the amounts appropriated by the
general appropriation bill for the
Pioneers Home and State Prison
will also run short, as indicated
by the expenses incurred in the
support of said institutions since
July 1, last.
In such emergency as now con-
fronts us, I would refer your
honorable body to section % Of
the act creating the Commission