Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-05
INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR
Continued from Page one.)

are spent Can we meet our obliga-
tions without increasing the peoples
to provide funds, to meet the ever
| growing demands made upon the
State. but for the present l urge that
| more attention be given to what goes
out; later we can tell what is coming
The Board of State Assessors under
wise and experienced guidance has
just completed the new valuation Of
an amo Increase a; " Of ss5, o1Ssss since 1920.
Our bonded debt is s12,521.3o0. l
S6-100fo of the new valuation. and our
per capita debt is 5000. AS to per
kota leads. with $75:o2. Kansas and
Nebraska have no debts. while the
| average per capita debt of all the
states is $10.1S. Our financial posi-
| high prices paid for our State bonds.
During the past two fiscal periods,
January 1, 1921 to June 80. 1922 the
State has lived within it's income not
Budget Committee of 1920 estimated
an income of s12,3S3.737:79 whereas
but s11.547. 091.0S actually was re-
ceiv ssIc III This $, shrinkage in net income
business conditions. has handicapped
| the present administration and only
| by very close figuring has deficit
been ayo'd lea me negsave anpro
mentioned were S11.54S,365.95, and the
expenditures under them were SILL
| 323,139.SS.
The cost of government has rapidly
! increased. The State has assumed
much of the work formerly done by
> municipalities and by private chari-
table institutions. In this there is
The responsibility of the Individual
and of the local community has been
materially weakened and today the
! tendency is to call upon the State for
help. The road leading, to paternalis-
| tic government is broad and easy to
travel, but at it's end is socialism.
State Tax Possibilities
| The requests for approximations for
the next sS 1 tW9 yfa aG Ivy l. 1873 to
| Committee before this session opened,
! total $23.754,133.46. This does not in
clude the several million dollars that
inevitably will be asked for after the
| Legislature gets well under way. If
YOU appropriate $2S,754, 133.46 YOU
| must raise taxes to an equal amount.
There. are two kinds of taxes. indi-
that indirect taxation for the period
in question will produce a revenue of
| SS.595.333. leaving the balance of $15.-
l5S.S00.46 to be raised by direct taxa
| ton.
As the state valuation has been
| revenue OF SIS. 15S,so0.46 will require
art tax levy on NJ the real and personal
would actually provide s15.473,G5 o6,
| iSesarv en- balance or surplus of S314.-
sa,:6o in the State Treasury to meet
hardly be adequate. for in a business
calling for an expenditure of S23.754,-
| 1896 there should be margin of
| s.e or or the total appropriations, or
$47!,os2.66 to go and come on. The
! states expenses are estimated two
years in advance and conditions may
change considerably during that
period.
! The o3-mill tax for two years would
| give State tax of liz mills for each
year, ,1923-1924 and 1924-19o5. which
| would be double the State tax for the
! 1871 to June 80. 1928. Such a rate
| would be ruinous
| =, You allswill appreciate the fact that
! me 23-mill tax would not provide for
will be put in during the session by
i the members of this Legislature for
| tnese were not presented TO the Bud
Departments
The departments of our State Cow
eminent rs a rule are efficiently man
| aged. and most of them have lived
t Wl,nln r their legislative appropria-
! Interested in their work. capable'
| honest and public-spirite ted. During
the past two years it has afforded me
satisfaction to work with these men
passes US in the character and efi-
clency of what l am pleased to call our
state House Family" q group Of
! more than three hundred loyal public
servants in this building and in the
deepartments connected with it. some
or whom receive salaries not ADEQUATE
| ZOE the services they render
VII some department. heads no doubt
| VIII urge expansion. and although
| there are many. of the states actiyi-
TIES that l would like to see enlarged.
belleve that this is not the time to
90 so, we will do we'll to live within
that which We now have. and carry on
the work already started without ven
i,urlng INTO new fields. The states
oxnnotst a ALREADY a;1 has grown beyond
inc practice of heads of departments
visiting Augusta upon infrcuucnt oc-
t ths pn.,. ana i expecting deputies to do
r rllo Mork, IS not IN accord with modern
rcqulrcments Whether elected by the
pcople or the Legislature or appoint
cd bH the Governor. the business of
me state requires that State officials
| oe ~; .hc,r entire time to the duties
olliclai business should be in Augusta.
not elsewhere. suggest this as the
c CIdef rx MsW Year aI RESOLUTION. The
ago and finds the days far too short to
complete his tasks ~
! The states Bookkeeping
me states bookkeeping. both de-
anpartmental and institutional. on the
needed for accuracy and uniformity
some departments are authorized Nv
law TO pay out money before their
hhoudGn ns nave been passed upon by the
Auuitor income received by certain
acpartments is used by them, whcrcas s
IN my opinion definite sums for de-
Par.mcntaI work should in all cases
and ali by thG hhSgs1ature
tfmsnts should accrue to the general
fund in the state Treasury. / doubt
inc wisdom of having any Carrying
accounts; which means that amounts
uneXpcnded during a fiscal wear arc
available for the next period Bust
ness needs clean-cut- methods csno.
nI1iy mp IN public affairs where one adj
where one Legislature may reverse the
action of it's predecessor Each adj
m MN should complete its rec
90 t," t ana ieaNe no unfinished business
we 90 not realize the improvements
made made, in the States accounting system
s sttrtng Au rstent Years. The present
with the office since its establish.
ment, informs me that sixteen Years
ago the States bookkeeping was in
% Ware siYen , condition Departments
I own lump sums TO dlSDurSe as
was convenient and no real AUTHORITY
10 mold officials in check was vested ir
any one. Department heads mixed
state funds with their own and nav.
rolls often included items that conf
ma no other comfortable abidins
Ciace. An aged member of a former
Governors Council has told me thai
nies or vouchers under the desks in The
Council Chamber were used as rcs ST,
Tor Councillors feet. Governor Cobi
IS responsible for inaugurating the
much-needed change. Today thu
state has an excellent system under
ahle management. and modern 1neth