Arizona republican., 1922-03-15
FINANCIAL
CODE WILL
SAVE STATE
LARGE SUM
Enactment Of General APP
preparations Measure
Will Reduce Expenses
By Nearly 81, 300, 900

BY the enactment Of the financial
code and the general appropriation
bill introduced yesterday the state
Will be saved between them $1,000, 900.
There is cut from the proposed ex-
penses Of the government for 1929
1891, 900. A half million Of saving is
contemplated in the financial code
and IL IL is adopted this saving will
accumulate from year to year.
The code makes no changes in any
Of the salaries but provides for econ
omies here and there in methods of
administration: that is Il provides
for a general Tightening up of very
loose financial system, il that which
Arizona has had in the past may be
called a system.
1t repeals 179 statutory or contin-
uing appropriations and takes out Of
the power OF officials and boards to
commit the state TO a dollar Of in
debtedness beyond that prescribed in
general appropriation bills.
1t provides that all expenses of
whatever kind Of all state agencies
shall be paid out Of the general fund
All receipts and fees of all state
agencies shall be paid into the gem
eral fund and there is abolished the
use Of indirect revenues by state
preparation act specifying a specific
amount
And in case a specific amount is
appropriated for the use of any
agency it is to remain a part of the
general fund until it has been ex-
pended. That is, IL cannot be con-
sidered to be the money OF the agency
until ii has actually come into the
possession of 1t by the allowance of
properly certified claims. That is, it
is not contemplated that because a
specific fund has been appropriated
the agency is at liberty unnecessarily
to exhaust it.
Many Provisions
There is a Standardization Of ap-
preparation accounts and the naming
of limitations; provision for the re-
version to the general fund Of all un-
expended balances on July ] OF this
year and thereafter at the end Of the
fiscal year next after the adjourn
ment OF any legislature enacting a
general appropriation bill, excepting
from this provision only roads, build
ings and the university. The authori-
zation OF employment and payment of
wages, salaries. compensation costs
and expenses in the state statutes
shall not constitute an appropriation,
and no payment may be made except
as provided in the general appropria-
tion bin.
The act defines and enumerates
the offices boards and commissions
of which, by the way, there are 81.
1t provides for distribution OF all
revenues to the credit and use Of the
agencies, limiting them to the special
objects and purposes Of each appro-
priation. It prohibits all activities
which shall create debts or deficits
in excess of appropriations and pro-
videS penalties for the violation OF
act Of violation is a misdemeanor.
The bill comprises GO typewriter
pages of which Is are given to the
title alone.
The funds are segregated as fol-
lows: Permanent school fund: uni
versity land fund; legislative. execu-
tive and judicial public land fund;
penitentiary land fund; asylum for
the insane land fund. school and
asylum for the deaf, dumb and blind
land fund; state charitable, penal and
reformatory institutions land fund;
school of mines land fund: normal
schools land fund; military institutes
land fund; county bonds land fund;
redemption fund; University OF Ari-
zona redemption fund: st. Louis ex-
position redemption fund; interest
fund and state game protection fund.
The objects and purposes for which
appropriations are made are classi-
fled and standardized by items as
follows: Salaries and wages; opera
ton; travel; capital investment; re-
pairs and replacement; contingencies.
Check Expenditures
AS further check against reckless
expenditure no agency Of the state
government shall eXpend more than
an average of one-fourth of it's total
appropriation for salaries, operation
and travel in any fiscal quarter eX-
cept upon the prior and written ap-
proval of the governor and the au-
ditor jointly.
The bill was introduced into the
senate by Mr.. Elliott and into the
house by Mr.. Cobbe. In the senate
under a suspension Of the rules the
bill went directly to the committee
of the whole. Immediately after this
disposition of the measures the gen
Continued on Page Two)