The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-05-20
THE AUToCRAT OF THE BUDGET

In his address at st. Louis, attempt
ing to answer the resolutions adopted
by the State Conference of Demo-
Gratis, held on the 18th of April, Gov
ernor Hyde declared that the budget
commissioner created by the budget
bill, was merely advisory, in the
matter of making estimates, although
he declared the same officer to be
supervisory" in his relation to state
purchases and to the sale of surplus
products. The Governor argued that
the powers given the budget commits
sioner amount to nothing more than
the powers now vested in the State
tax commission.
Of course, if the Governor were cor
rect in this statement, then there is
neither rhyme nor reason in the bud
get bill. If the state tax commission
is now called upon to do the things
that the budget commissioner might
do, there is no need for this new de-
partment, which is to cost at least
five times as much as the tax COM
mission. Obviously, this is true, but
this is not all of the story, as the
Governor must know. The budget
bill creates a commissioner, who not
only has the power to supervise the
preparation of departmental esti-
mates, and to offer authoritative ad-
vice to the legislature upon appro-
priations, but, through his bureau of
purchases, this commissioner has
Supervisory control of all supplies of
every kind and character, by and for
the state" This provision is so broad,
and the powers conferred by the
bills general terms are so extensive,
that the budget commissioner becomes
the most puissant official in the
state.
In the first place, he makes up the
estimates for appropriations for the
different bureaus. Next, he controls
the work of formulating the original
assessments of real and personal
property, and complies the data upon
which the findings of the State Board
of Equalization are to be based. To
all practical intents and purposes, the
commissioner of budget becomes a
member of the State Board of Equali-
cation, for the bill says that the de-
partment "shall cooperate with the
State Board of Equalization in the
exercise and enforcement of its lawful
authority and powers" Then, the
budget commissioner controls all pur-
chases of every conceivable kind or
character; all contracts made by any
+ department, board, commission, bu-
reau, branch, institution or office, in
GLIDING contracts for buildings, i'm
provements and repairs. He may in
validate every contract, or any con-
tract. Moreover, he has the right
under Section 18, to examine into "the
conduct and management, the &C.
counts and receipts and expenditures"
not only of the officers and the
Boards of the State, but of any private
corporation receiving appropriation!
from the State" And he is answer
able to no one. He is an autocrat, su-
preme; directing taxation, assess.
ments and the distribution of reve.
nues.
This becomes a vital matter at this
particular juncture, when Missourians
are spending millions for schools and
roads, If the 100000 900 Bond Issue
finally is made effective, the budget
commissioner would control every
board and official, which had any
thing to do with the expenditure o.
this $60,000,000. If the State High
way Board, should a State plan b.
adopted, or any county board, if the
funds should be distributed among the
counties, laid out scheme of high
ways, and contracted within Lawful
limits for the building of these roads
the budget commissioner could step in
set aside any contract, reject any pur'
chase, nullify any act of any board Oh
official, having to do with the dis
bursement of the $60,000,000, and nj