The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-04
MILLIONS SAVED
 BY OHIO BUDGET


 dollars are being saved in Ohio through the budget system inaugura- ted in, that State under the leader ship of Governor James M. Cox, Democratic nominee for President.
 The budget represents the public purse. That was the theory on which Ohio set to work and in consequence the first appropriation bill in 1914 meant saving to taxpayers of $946,623.' Since then the economies have increased annually
 These facts are told in that part of the Democratic Campaign Textbook, soon to be issued from the national headquarters in Grand Central Palace New York City, devoted to Governor CoX's record IS Governor of the third richest state in the Union. They are regarded as of especial interest at this time because the Governor is com mitted to the cause of a national budget and to the cause of a national administration at Washington.
 The recountal of the Governors achievements in public life takes up a goodly part of the Textbook. MT. Cox served in Congress as a member of the committee on appropria tions and his first-hand experience with the unscientific methods\of handling pub
 
 pioneers for the adoption of a prac- tica1 budget system.
 As Governor one of his first recorn- mendations to the Ohio General As sembly in 1913, in his first term, was for State budget system, placing the States financial affairs so far as pos sible on business basis and taking the distribution of the public's money out of the dominance of 1og-rOlling
 
 by him was adopted. It has been in operation ever since and from the be- ginning has proved it's worth as money-saver.
 Archaic System Modernized
 Prior to the adoption of the budget Ohio's fiscal system had grown arch aic. Legislative appropriations were made to the department in lump sums or in the form of granting all receipts and balances, some of the depart ments being maintained by fees from interests regulated by them. Of the department having receipts of their own, many had their own bank de- posits and checking accounts. and their fuuds never passed through the State Treasury or through the hands of the State Auditor.
 Other departments fared well or ill at the hands of the legislature ac- cording to the persuasive eloquence, or lack of it, of the representa- tive who pleaded for funds before the finance committee.
 With the adoption of the budget all this was changed. The State Treas ury now is the depository of all the receipts of departments and funds are paid out in specific sums, for specific purposes within specific departments, @ hIy Sl a
 The Budget Department consists of a Commissioner appointed by the Gov ernor, an assistant and a clerk. The budget is prepared by the Commis- sioner for submission to the Govern or from estimates of funds needed filed by the several departments. The Commissi oner investigates all items ascertains the reasons for any in- creases asked, fixes the sum he deems proper, estimates the States revenues during the biennium. and prunes the budget to fit the total of the estimat- ed revenue.
 The budget is then submitted to the Governor, whose right it is to make changes of his own after advising with department heads. The budge as finally approved by the Governor is then presented to the Legislature and by it referred to the finance com mittee of the two houses. These com mittees and, in turn, the Legislature have full authority to make any al terations, increases or decreases the1 see fit, but the budget commissionel as the agent of the Governor sits ir at all sessions of the committees ant is prepared at all times to defend thu allowance made in the budget for z department.
 Budget System Saving Millions
 The first budgetary appropriation bill reduced appropria tions aggregat ing s9,709.2ss to sS,762,664
 While this system has been saving the State increasingly great sums this does not mean, of course, that the State expenditures are now less thar in 1913. As a matter of fact the, have increased as governmental ac tivitites have enlarged. but the savins has been effected in the sense tha the scientific and ordered expendi lures of State monies have beer greatly less than they would hav' been under the old loose system. State expenditures are classified b, the Ohio budget into two divisions CD Operating expenses, and CD Capi tai outlay Cor permanent improve ments). Operating expenses are sub ! divided into personal service an6 maintenance. Personal service in tur1 1 is divided into salaries and wages ! and maintenance into supplies, ma | terials, equipment, contract or opel 1 order service, and fixed charges an | contributions. A Board of Control. composed o | the Governor, the State Auditor, tn l Attorney General. and the chairmal 1 of the two legislative finance com | mittees provides elasticity of fund 1 within departments. Funds for an new need developing within depart ments may be provided by a four | fifths vote of the Board. If 1t Is no possible to do this by the transfer 0 needed funds from one classificatio , to another within the department, re | lief may be granted by the Emergen | CIV Board which has at its dlsposa an emergency fund for contingencies