The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-09-15
Hon, John J. Cornwall IN tho
Hampshire Review.

The wheeling 1ntelligencer charges
that tho state budget system Is rail-
ure. made 80 by the fact that appropFia-
t,on items are log-rolled by the mem
hers of the state board Of puohc "orH"'
who constitute the budget comm ssioh'
and that the budget, or appropriation
bill being thus unduly swollen H'ahe"
The budget amendment to the state con-
stitution n failure.
Inasmuch as this attack by The IN
telliyenccr may and probably VIII open
nm n fight to repeal the budget ameho-
mont II Is we'll worth while to review
the history OF Il and see whelhei
IS failure, ne charged. Inc Wr'tei'
having been In intimate touch win VIC
matter from its !ncipiency ana h"si'e
flrst-hand knowledge. Is in a posie'o"
10 state some. at least, OF the lacts'
Following Mr.. Cornwelrs election as
governor In the fall OF 1915. and pur-
suant TO bring about. insofar "a he was
able, economy and efficiency In the stare
government, he drafted the budget
amendment to the state constitution.
modelled AS II was after the Maryland
law which was framed by DR. Goodno"'
nm authority on such matters. This was
placed in tho hands OF James w. weir,
a member OF the legislature OF 1917 ana
later secretary to the governor. MI'
Weir offered II nt the regular session
NJ 1917. hut the Republican state ad-
ministration being hostile, II was
nromptlv killed. When Governor Corn
we'll called the special session or the
legislature in May. 1917, to pass an
appropriation bill. mono having neen
passed at the regular session ana 10
rass some war measures. he lncluaea
the budget amendment In his cali Inc
house Of delegates WAS bemocrhtlc'
while the senate was Republican: win
some difficulty the bill, submitting the
amendment In the way 1t wa" drawn
was passed through tho house. Inc
sonata however, amended It. giving the
power Of making up the budget and pre-
pairing the appropriation nil 10 tho
board 81 public works inc eIectiFe
state officers, instead OF imposing that
responsibllt, upon the governor as was
originally proposed. The governor was
notified that the bill could be passed
in that form. otherwise II would he
killed, and It did go through In that
shane Governor Cornwell. therefore.
IN ced the alternative Of signing the bill
in that changed form or OF vctOing It.
He signed Il and allowed the amendment
IA be submitted to the people In the
hope that later II would be changed
and tho responsibility OF making up the
budget given to tho governor where 1t
belonged.
, It was submitted IN the form sug-
gestcd because the six Republican mem
hers Of the board OF public works. who
were tho state officers aside from the
governor, a Democrat. wanted To FIX the
size Of their own appropriations par
ticularly one Of them--the commissioner
Of agriculture The amendment was
ratified BY the people at the election IN
the fall Of 1915.
The Intellisencer tells the truth when
| Il says that the state board Of public
works should have nothing to do with
| the making UP OF the budget and the
orerarat!on Of the appropriation bill.
That Nty and responsibility belongs TO
tho governor, nne-tenths of the money
appropriated being expended through
tho board OF control, q body appointed
by the governor and for which he should
be held responsible. Mr.. Cernwell In
later messages 10 tho Legislature. urged
that m amendment to tho budget
amendment be submitted changing this
and placing the responsibility upon the
governor. The Intelligencer truthfully
says. according to our best Information.
that appropriations and Items were log
rolled into the appropriation bills under
this system. but by no means to the
same extent as under the old system
where log-rolling was practiced extern
slvely In the Legislature itself. Despite
tho items that have been stuck into the
bills by members Of the board Of public
works, over the governors head and
for political purposes. nevertheless,
those who have been In a position to
know belleve that the budget system