San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-09
THE CONTROL THAT FAILED

Apparently the State Board of Control
is misnamed. Didn't know that Texas
had board of control? Well, it actually
has a body bearing that title but no
wonder if anybody is unaware of the
fact.
This is no reflection upon the personnel
of the board. 1t is meant to be dlscredlt-
able to those who created that body,
with the avowed object of putting the
states financial affairs upon a business
basis, and then proceeded to spend the
peoples money as recklessly as ever. 1t
might be unfair to express the suspicion
that the creation of the board has ag-
gravated the state governments inettl-
cheney, because some people would be sure
to think that such an expression was
aimed at the board itself. But just sup
pose that commercial firm should en-
ploy an expert accountant at a large sal
airy and then proceed to ignore his fig
ures; assuming that the firms affairs
had been conducted inefficiently to begin
with, wouldn't the employment OF high
salaried accountant be an additional waste
of money if his analysis sheets were left
unread, or, if read, not used as a guide
in the conduct of the business?
The State Board OF Control was created
avowedly for the purpose Of saving money
for the taxpayers; the practice of making
unnecessary or excessive appropriations
was to be abandoned. With a body OF
experts on the Job the old haphazard
method OF transacting the business OF
the people would be supplanted by a
: D,,hl
needs calling for the expenditure of money
would be investigated by disinterestcd
unprejudiced men. There would be d
definite budget for the state government
Fine! The taxpayers began to see day.
light"
Then what happened? The so-callet
control board began its labors. 1t in
vestigated this and that alleged need. L
canvassed the requirements OF all state
institutions. The net result OF its worl
was budget which showed, OF course
not only how much money would b.
necessary to meet the legitimate ex
penses to be incurred by the state gov
eminent but also how much revenue tn,
state government could reasonably ex
pect from taxation.
The board has calculated that the stat
government will need nearly $31,OOOOOC
for the two fiscal years beginning Sep
TENDER l of this year. Under the exist
ing tax laws and at the maximum az
valorem rate permitted by the constitu
ton, the states total receipts during tina
period, the board has estimated, will b.
.S35, ,577.19.
/; According to these calculations-made
Ihlind you, by men employed as experts
There would be surplus OF at least 81,
100000 in the state treasury after al
taxes had been collected and all expense
approved by the board had been defraved
But members of the present Legisla
Ifufe are devising many new tax schemes
pn the representation that the presen
laws will not yield enough revenue t
keep the government out Of debt. VIVA
IS the eXplanation-or is there any?
Yes, there is an eXplanation-of kline
First, there are deficiency requirement
TO be taken care of. That sounds like
Legitimate call upon the treasury, doesn'
IEtbl If the state has debts outstandin
hnd overdue, it ought to pay them. an
ito, pay them it must have the rcuuisit
funds.
But how did it happen that the stat
government, with Board of Control 0
the job and a budget to go by, INQUIRE
,hny deficiency bills?
This question seems to be answered b
a second item in the explanation of II
fact that the estimated surplus OF $4,000
900 will be specious one. The budg
prepared by the Board OF Control, or
reads, does not include all items of e:
pense; the Legislature, using its ow
Judgment, will make appropriations f
purposes which the Board of Contr
did not consider. In short, the Legisl
ture will not limit itself to the figur
provided by the board of experts; it W
see needs not mentioned in the board
report and will proceed to fill them.
In other words, the present Legisl