Evening journal., 1920-05-06

ship Of the State in all intellectual and
moral causes"
A report presented by former Gov
ernor Charles h. Miller, as chairman
OF the finance committee, recon-
mended adoption OF State budget
system. and Mr.. Richards was intro
duced 10 speak on The subject
Mr.. Richards handled his topic
without gloves. lie sharply criticised
The custom OF refunding the lndeDt-
edness of the State instead Of paying
on bonds when due, declaring mat
regardless Of what the States credit
standing may be, IL Is dishonest for
the state 10 fail TO scruplOusly com
ply with the sinking Fund Obllga-
lions Of It's outstanding bonds.
Mr.. Richardson further declared
that in his judgment complete cen
trallzatiOn OF executive power under
the Governor with right vested In him
TO appoint all administrative officers
would be great Improvement"
State accounts are extremely "prlma-
tive" he added, and 10 doubtless would
be startling 10 know that the business
Of the state, now approaching S2,OOO,-
600 a year, "is conducted with an ac-
I
single entry set OF books In which Is
shown nothing except cash received
and cash expended
Nobody knows how many tax
dodgers there arc in the state, ne
declared, so loose was the collection
system. There also is a total abb
sence OF payroll records Mr.. Rich
ards continued:
"rhe State suffers great waste Of
| public funds from lack Of informa-
tion by the legislature and by the
public at large as 10 the States flnan.
clal affairs and from the archaic
financial methods which are the result
OF patchwork of laws accumu'
lated throughout generations wlth0u
any attempt since the erection OF tll
State al real organization in th'
financial department
MY personal view Is that man,
changes should be made in our run
damenlai law One thing however
can be done that will go very fa
toward correcting the present evil
and that is the adoption of a bulge
system. under which the States ilnan
cial affairs must be operated.
'UpOn the basis of population Del
aWares proportion OF The natlOna
Indebtedness Is about Sj5, ,000OOG Bas
ing Delaware's proportion Of this In
debiedness upon her comparative pay
ment OF federal taxes, dt will b
, found that the portion Of the, na
tlonal d bt that Delaware Will b
called upon to pay is a good man
=. times s5j,00000O.
Z eve Delqwareans should realize IN
fact nhal our people have got 10 pa
not only the State indebtedness Di
2 the proportion Of the national II
! debt dness which Is represented b
= Delaware's taxable property, OF tax
Z bic incomes. available for the paymei
OF the debt ll Is undoubtedly ta
y that the public debt. including stat
= county, municipal and national, IN
y the people OF Delaware have got
= pay, aggregates a huge sum. We ha'
y no right, therefore, to permit sll
7 sbOd methods 10 continue. IL Is u
duty of active business men In u
State. especially bankers. TO arou
= themselves and TO arouse the peop
Z 10 demand not only that State, coun
a and municipal finances be econoin
/, cally and efficiently managed, d.
also that government finances
l. managed In the same way.
a Before this budget is presented
n the General Assembly II should ..
n ] nlnIINIfu III CNAAlA h'NfNlNi
~ State OF general daily circulation a.
~ i'm such publication the govern
~ should ok o time when he VIII he
M rltblicly any citizn, or citizens,
W. The State who desire 10 discuss
in proposed budget or any part the
" .When the budget is submitted
u the LEGISLATURE. that body should
81, reouired 10 b gin Immediately
~ publlciv To consider the governo
re SThe governor should have the ri
ln and N should be his duty TO m
u with the Legislature and the yari'
'io committees thereof to explain, {
1n cuss and defend his budget and
~. various items.
Ks '.The Legislature should not be ?
nn79 milied 90 pass any approptl@llon y
10y until the bufest ls acied upon
ne Inc IeSlslanie should not be I
e; mitted 10 add TO the proposed bud
!, Int only to reduce and strike it'
he after acting on the budget
MOI until then, the Legislature sho
on hs allowed to pass appropriation l
lei for expenditures not included IN,
lg- In addition to. those covered by
air budget II, however, the budget
air finally adopted by the Legislal
The would show that the estimet,d n
; a nue for ahe period financed does
ad- leave a sufilclent balance TO pro
en- Tor the appropriations made by
for Legislature by special bills In a
uld diiion 10 ihe budget, such bills sh
al NOT become law unless The Lesisla
oks should levy a special tax therein
aw, Inc purpose OF providing the \
be for the appropriations made iher
. OF when / tell you that fourty-
,uld out or tho forty-eight states or
. i'm Union have adopted budget sy
ont for the management OF their fnai
~ affairs. you will realize that \ Is
her some new experiment that Is 4
ror, suggested for Delaware. On the
,,on hand ] am simply urging that
lans ~ help TO move the State OF Dela
BUS
g: e: .s:; QUICK RELIEF From