The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-04-22
WAS THERE EXTRAVAGANZA 2

WAS THERE EXTRAVAGANCE?
A digest of the appropriations by
the Legislature, published in the
Nashville Tennessean, places the to-
tai at $653,000 more than that of the
session two years ago. This increase
| is considered all the more notable
when it is shown that the bill two
years ago included an emergency
fund of 100000 placed at the dis
posal of the Governor to be used in
the Inauguration of the new tax
plans and for other purposes. Some
of the biggest items of increase are:
The department of agriculture more
than $4,000; board of health more
than $4,000; fire prevention nearly
$38,000; Confederate pensions about
$275, 900; insane asylums, $137,300;
commission I or blind, $4,000;
school for blind, s35,3O0; deaf and
dumb school, S24,200; agricultural
school for boys, $4,000; deficiencies
and emergencies nearly $4,000; bo-
nus for members about 100000. This
list does not cover all increases, of
course, but covers the principal
items. These appropriations are in
tended to provide for period of two
years.
Senator Frank Fuller, of Memphis,
| chairman of the Senate finance, ways
and means committee, undertakes to
defend the Legislature against the
charge of extravaganza. In the course
of his statement he make several
general suggestions, which are inter
arts ,.o h,,f Jc I,ns,
sideration here. However, he justi-
fies most of the increases as being
either necessary or already provided
for by law. Respecting the items SO
radically reduced by the House, and
later restored, Senator Fuller insists
that since they covered expenses pro-
vided for by specific legislation, they
would be paid whether the money
was appropriated by the Legislature
or not. This, however, is mooted
point. Senator Fuller is lawyer,
but usage seems to be against his
construction. A fair construction
would discontinue payments when
the limit of an appropriation was
reached. The rule of the federal
government, we believe, is to consider
functions abolished when congress
refuses to make appropriations for
them.
On several points, however, Sena
tor Fuller is manifestly correct. With
the following statements, here will be
general agreement:
"The extravaganza of the Legisla-
ture was not in the general run of
miscellaneous appropriation bills, but
in the special acts that were passed.
The amendment to the university act,
taking it from under the sliding
scale law and increasing the universi-
ty revenue from 100000 to $1,000
900 annually; $1,000,000 is more
money than the university needs at
this time. The university should
have been required to stay under the
sliding scale law, with special levy
that would have given them all neces-
sary funds on which to operate. Ger
tainly $500, 900 or $500, 900 annually
should have been enough.
1.-THE amendment to the rural
school law, fixing the tax levy for
same, will give the rural school fund
over $1,500,000 annually, which
means an additional tax over the
past two years of 100000. In other
words, the joint increase for the uni
versity and the rural school fund
amounts to $1.200,000 annually.
'Of the total direct tax levy for
State purposes at the present time
over rs per cent. goes for operating
the schools and other educational in
stitutions, leaving less than 25 per
cent. on which to maintain the State
departments, pay Confederate pen
sions, pay court costs, maintain the
judiciary and maintain the penal and
charitable institutions. This is not
enough money for these purposes,
and, as stated above, the State is sure
to be in sore distress before the end
of Gov. Taylor's term"
The Senator is particularly apt in
what he says of the tax for the Uni
versity of Tennessee. He lives in a
city where certain branches of the
university are located. This great in
stitution ought to be literally sup
ported, but in the expansion of its
activities so as to utilize efficiently
an additional sum of 100000 in one
year, it will be difficult to avoid
waste.
All in all, the State tax rate for
next year will show a considerable
increase. Just how much it is now
to say. An estimate of
from 35 to 40 cents, however, ap-
pears conservative. The rate last
year was 26 cents.-Chattanoo |
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