The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-29


sage in which he stated that it would
4 require a 40 cents tax to meet the ex-
| penses. of the biennial period. but he
/ recommended. on account of the uneX-
1 pended balances that might be in the
treasury, a 80 cents tax. stating. how
ever, that it would create a deficit of
100000
1t is common knowledge that the gov
ernOr of the state has it in his power
practically to dictate the sum total of
the appropriations and the tax required
| to meet them during the biennial period
| of his incumbency of the Office.
In some states. like New York, sep
arate items of any appropriation can be
vetoed by the governor after the legis-
lature adjOurnS, but in our state a gov
ernOr's influence is potential enough so
| that a veto of an appropriation bill re-
ported by the ways and means commit
| tee is unknown. and it is unimaginable
| that Governor Clement could be COM
| PEELED TO approve of any measure that
| he considered would reflect unfavOrably
against his administration while gov
ernOr. 1t seems that Governor Glenn
ent's message was all that was neces-
| sary to secure a vote for 40 cents tax
which created over a million of surplus
which is now in the state treasury.
The Clement Plan.
Second: You inquire if. that part
of Governor Clements message which is
under the heading of finances is a fair
statement of the financial condition of
the state treasury
| cannot say what Governor Clement
had in mind in summarizing the cash
balance at different periods named in
his message. He had no warrant, how
ever, for the statement in his message
under the heading of Finances which
led the people to believe that the treaus-
urer would have July 1, 1921. $3.50,
600 in the treasury a. liquid assets,
when he SHOULD have known the facts,
and it is incomprehensible to think he
full knowledge that 81 .463, 2S9.95 of the
above amount was unexpended balances
of appropriations already made.
Where he says. Il believe it would be
of more benefit to the state if at least
S2.C00000 of this money were in the
lack of investigation as to the true fl
nancial condition of the treasury. The
state treaSurer'S report shows cash on
hand July 1. 1920, S1,965. 1926. This
is not a surplus but a cash balance.
The treasurer's financial statement
July l, 1920. page II, shows $676.- |
20J.3S as a balance to the credit of ap- !
preparations that date as follows:
Highway bridge fund $500. $ 55,340.61 ,
Highway machinery and
equipment .......... 1l.SiS.13 |
Soldiers Home .... 1,J94.01 !
States prison, refOrma-
tory for women .. 24,59S.61 /,
States prison and House
of Correction ..... 6.:I33.SS
Sprinkling system 5000. 14,97409
School for feeble minded 27,6O399
ing ... - .,' 8.096.8o
Highways federal work 41,494.S0
Highways federal work /,
in addition to that
shown in the treasur-
-er's financial statement 600.00000
Making a further total of I
uncxpended balances of s 7S7,0S457
Add the treasurer's bal
ance as shown by re-
port July l. 1920 as re-
fcrred to above 49,. GT6, 2O5. 3S
Total unexpended bal
ances ..............$1. 1853 ,2S9.95 !
\ greater part of this amount must be
out OF the treasury by this time. To IL
luStrate: In the cash balance shown is
the automobile maintenance fund. $5Ol-
1857. AS is we'll known this fund ac-
cumulatcs during the year and is paid
out the latter part of the fall but June
50. at the close of the fiscal year it is in
the cash balance. /
Not a surplus.
1t is in no way surplus but merely
Il cash balance of unexpcnded apprOpri- :
atoms. Deducting the 81 ,463 .2S995. the
uncXpendcd balance OF appropriations
already made. from $2.590,000, Governor
Clements statement in his message of
cash on hand July l, 1921. leaves a bal
lance of S1.126,71O0J. close approx '
nation to the budget committees show /
ing of surplus available. |
Governor Clement in his valedictOry
to the people of Vermont appeared in
double role. a sort of Jekyl and Hyde
AS governor. in his final message. after
recommending to the legislature the ex-
pcnditure of S1.2J0.000 for different OBJ
jectS. closes as follows:
"-All of these improvements to our
state property are needed and could be
made out of this surplus now on hand
and at the same time we can go for the
next biennium without any state tax at !,
all"
Now as chairman of the budget COM
mlttee, after recommending special APP
pronriations of S764.91S in place of the '
81 100000, which he recommended as
governor. being $4S5.0S2 less than recon-
mended in his message and applying the
surplus Of S1,1O0,00. the treasury shows :,
cents tax. as shown by the following
statement taken from the budget com
mttees report, of which Mr.. Clement
is chairman:
Deficit to be provided for. of appro-
priations are made as recommended, ST.,
53O. 52S.'
Adding the S4S5.OS2 to the 81 80
52S we have S2015.610. which would
be the amount of the deficit July /. 1923,
provided the legislature accepts Mr..
Clements advice as governor. instead of
the budget committee of which he is
chairman which on the present grand
list would be a 20 cents tax for the BIZ
ennum.
Third: You further inquire in regard
TO the economy and efficiency reflected
by the recommendations of the budget
ann a believer in the budget system
Ii comes to US from over the seas but
there they have experts of great expert
encc from long service and thoroughly |
trained. They are also compelled BY /
to see that the budget submit
ted does in no way create an unfavorable
upon the electorate of the
country in which it is used. The per-
sonnet to prepare our budget does not
ifsaIf ba host colaot;op