The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-10
MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 1921.
MYSTERIOUS SURPLUS.

Governor Clement in his retiring mes
sage said that the state auditor had fur
niShcd him figures showing that on Dec.
/. 1920. the state had So. 324. 600 cash on
hand and suggested to the legislature the
expenditure of $1.250,0O0 from this sur
plus. The statement that there was
such Il surplus was something of a sur
prise and led to an investigation of the
figures of state officers to ascertain where
it had been acquired.
One state official. supposed to know
how the state finances stand, referred
us to the report of the budget commit
tee saying that showed where the sur
plus was accumulated. Part 1 of that
report gives the general revenue received
by the state for the fiscal year 1920 as
$2.17S. 1903. Part II of that report
gives the annual expense of various de
partmcnts, institutions, etc, as Sob
3O4.1S. That indicates an excess of ex-
lpCnditures oyer revenue of $171. 1880.
This of course is at the close of the fis-
cal year 1920. which is June 30, 1920.
The retiring governors message says
the auditors figures show that the ex-
cess of receipts over expenditures for
the period of July 1 to December l was
7 1888 900 and that the cash on hand at
that date was S2,324,O00, the surplus he
claimed at that time. Deducting the
! Sill. 1885 shortage reported by the
budget committee on June 80. 1920, from
the 1893, 900 surplus reported by the
governor on December l, 1920. there is
an apparent surplus of $1S7,S06.45 in
stead of the $2,324,OOO claimed by the
governor.
The state official above referred to said
| that there were outstanding orders that
would use up a considerable portion of
this cash on hand, therefore it is not
available for purposes recommended by
the governor.
Referring to the comparative state
mcnt of revenue and expenses issued by
! the state auditor one finds the total rev
enuc for the fiscal year 1920 is given as
So 679. 1902 and the expenses as 49,
| Dol 42T.23. indicating a surplus of S424,-
IS47.79. The comparative statement OF
accepts and disbursements of accounts
. Hat are no expense to the state for the
| same period shows receipts of SS2S,
| G7I.43 and disbursements of $S37,-
Pol SO, an excess of disbursements over
receipts of $S,5T7.40. Deduct this ex'
cess of disbursements ($S,577 400 from
the excess of receipts over expenses III
the regular statement (S424, S47.79) and
there is a net surplus of $416,210. 30
Adding to this surplus the excess of re
ceipts over expenditures for the period
of July /. 1920, to December l, 1920
| 1889, 00O), as reported by the governor
indicates a surplus on the latter date OF
! S775,270.39 Instead of s., 324 ,0OC
claimed by Governor Clement.
| This confusion in official figures indi.
Gates an uncertainty about the reported
surplus that should make the legislature
cautious about appropriatiHg any mil
lion and a quarter dollars for new cx
penditures. Until this confusion i,
cleared the advice of Governor Hart
ness to guard well our resources anC
let us be free from the charge of spend
ing one single dollar needleSslF or Of
forgetting for one moment that each dol
lar has been taken from our homes di
rectly or indirectly" seems the wiser anC
safer.