The St. Mary banner., 1922-06-24
BUDGET FOR STATE
FOR NEXT 2 YEARS
Expenses of State Govern
ment for 1928 Will
Be $17,515,696.47.

for 1922-1923 will be s17,515, ,696.47. and
the same amount of 1923-1924, or to-
tai of $35, ,031, 1892 "a for the next bien-
NAL period, according to the provisions
of the general appropriation bill, intro
duced in the house of representatives
Friday by A. M. S. Smith of Vermil-
lion, chairman of the appropriations
committee.
One of the important items in the
bill Of special interest to New Orleans
is the provision for the maintenance
and support of the Charity Hospital.
The committee allowed the institution
$4,000 for 1922-1S23 and the same
sum for 1924, or total of 81, ,140, 900
for two years.
After presenting the bill in the house
Chairman Smith gave out the follow
ing statement:
1.-THE bill submitted by the appro-
priations committee through its chair
man represents the results of careful
study upon the part of this committee
since the first week of this session Of
the legislature.
"The committee followed largely the
recommendations of the state tax COM
mission, as this commission had gone
carefully into the needs of the various
state institutions and was more or less
familiar with their requirements. The
budget provided by this commission
has been of great help to our commit
tee.
"Our committee has tried to take
care of all of the states institutions
rs we'll as it could with the indicated
revenue and has recommended appro-
! priations almost equivalent to this rev.
enue. The states assessment is de-
clinging, due to deflations in land val
ues and merchandise, and this decline
causes like decrease in the revenues
of ths state, while at the same time
the demands of the states institutions
are increasing. No appropriations have
been recommended for new buildings,
as all of the institutions received large
appropriations in 1920 and 1921 out of
the severance tax for building pur-
poses and are carrying out large build
ing programs.
mo increases In salaries with two
single exceptions have been. recon-
mended and these are small and the
committee thought just.
Unless there is very large de-
crease in assessments for the year of
1922 the indicated revenues for the
general fund of the state will approx
mate $3,750,000, of which amount the
committee has recommended appro-
priations in the general bill aggregat-
ing $3,632, 1882, which leaves a small |
margin, unless the licenses business |
tax is increased"
Last Tuesday was the last day for |
the introduction of bills without the
consent Of majority of the members
OF the house in which q measure is Of
fered.
The result was that flood of meas
ures poured into the legislative mill
Monday and Tuesday, particularly in
the house. where over 100 bills were in
troduced within those two days.
When the week closed 399 bills had |
been introduced in the house and 121
In the senate, or q total of $40 meas
ures In both houses since the beginning
OF the session. Among the most i'm
portant bills introduced in the house
were:
Lafleur's bill to prohibit gambling in
futures In agricultural products. Aim
Cd ut the New Orleans Cotton Ex-
change.
Hamley's bill to authorize levee
boards to borrow money from the fed
eral government for the purpose Of
completing the levee system.
Barrettis bill to provide for the map
and block system In making realty as
sessments.
Munson's bill to reapportion the
members Of the Atchafalaya levee
board.
Marmande's and Scheus bills to re-
duce the size Of the legislature.
Prophit's bill for per cent sever
ance tax on natural products in lieu
OF certain other taxes, similar to the .
Oklahoma law.
Schells bills to abolish pensions for
retired judges and to reapportion u. ,
dicial districts. f
Chappuis' bill to require the recusa-
tion Of judges in certain political cases.
Dreyfus' bill to provide for business :,
and occupation license taxes.
Smiths general appropriation bill
for the expenses Of the state govern. :
msnt s