Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-04-19

I'll the spring of the year Following
that when they are due.
The two largest items of our
state budget are fer common schools
and for pensions. These items are SO
large that they cannot be paid with
out due regard to when the state ac-
tually received the bulk of its ere
venues.
"The time is near at hand when
the first. installment of the pension
appropriation for 1922 must be paid.
1t was made last year on April q
and we hope, this year, to make it
about the same time. We are max
ing every effort to get enough funds
into the treasury from all sources to
meet this demand. The treasury de-
partment informs me that it expects
to be able to do so during the latter
part Of this month. 1t will require
over 100000 to do it. l am further
informed by the treasury depart
ment that it can meet warrants for
about that amount, in addition to
regular demands upon it, whether
they are drawn against the pension
appropriations or the school appro-
priation, but that it cannot pay both.
Both the school and pension appro-
priations are made by law and since
the treasury cannot pay, it is my
duty to determine in favor of which
fund the warrant shall be drawn, for
no sensible man in Georgia can ia
vor, whatever my authority to do so,
the drawing of warrants by the gov
ernor which the treasurer can not
meet and pay.
School Appropriation Cut
an 1921 the state appropriations
for common schools was $4,50O,O00.
In 1922 it was cut to $4,25O,0OO, or
5.5 per cent.
'lf the Confederate veterans were
paid according to the classes and ra-
tios authorized by the constitution
and by law, it would require practi-
cally $3,000,0OO to pay them. They
have not been paid that amount sole
ly because the revenues of the state
were wholly inadequate and SO far
no recommendation of mine or any
body else to provide a sufficient re-
venue, have been adopted. Because
we did not have the money, we have
held the pension appropriations down
to the old class and the old rates and
are paying only to veterans who are
practically penniless and to the older
widows, those who were married prior
to 1870, and we are paying even these
one hundred dollars year instead of
one hundred and seventy-fve. The
pension appropriation in this way and
because the state has no revenue to
meet the larger figures, is held at one
million dollars, instead of three mil
lion dollars. This is really a cut of
sc per cent. as against a SIS per cent.
cut for the common schools, and it
must be remembered that both of
these large items had to be cut if we
were to have any real retrenchment
and economy. No. amount of
cheese3S& ing on smaller items could
have possibly accomplished it., even
if it had been possible to attempt it.
Must Pay Pensions
"Now we have cut the pensions
fearfully-to the because we
had to. Because we had no money to
meet the demands for increased pen
sions. We have kept the pensions
down to 500 a year. We pay even
that only to those who are old and
practically penniless. I cannot and
will not draw any warrant on the
treasury which will make it impossi-
Bile to pay these pensions and since
| cannot draw a warrant for the
school fund to carry out this so per
cent provision without being unable
to pay the pesnioners, l can only say
to you and to the public that the
schools must wait at least until l
leave the governors office.
''Do not, l beg you, misunderstood
me on that question. I yield to no
man in Georgia in my devotion to the
common schools of the state. No
man sees more clearly that l do the
imperative necessity for their liberal
support and rapid advancement. No
man believes more strongly than I
do in them and in the absolute neces-
sity for them.
To them, as well as to pensioners,
and to every one else, I must, how
ever apply the same fundamental
fiscal principles. Income and outgo
must be kept balanced in Georgia.
1t is useless and worse than useless
for the legislature to make appro-
priations, even for the common
schools without also providing the re-
venue with which to meet and pay
Suph anprOpTi a +iovc