The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-09-18

SlclC4 III iut OeueIdI Il uHu Ou N1dICi
/, 1921, sixty days after I was sworn
in as Governor, of 1921, 100, which
represented the excess of expenditures
over income during the previous two
years.
The people, themselves, at the gen
eral election the previous November
had by popular vote authorized a bond
issue of $4,000 0 for e~nlarging the
plants at the:
Agricultural College,
State University,
School of Mines.
State Normal College,
Orphans Home,
School for Blind, Deaf and Feeble
Minded,
Boys Reform School, and
/ Girls Reform School.
The people, themselves, the Noyem-
Der previous had by popular vote lev
led an additional IL mill to support
the four state colleges.
During the four following years, the
total assessment of property steadily
shrunk S260.000OOO.
$3,O0o,000 Behind in 1920
The Legislature, realizing the threat
ened closing down of some of the
states institutions. on its own initia-
tive, and at the suggestion of the same
men who are now criticising, author
lied the sale of 100000 short-term
7% state notes to take up this floating
indebtedness that had already been
created. See Chapter 10, page 1914.
Legislative Acts, March. 1921.
On account Of the legal "technicali-
ties involved. the Board of Examiners
was only able to float $500 600 of
these shOrt-term notes, instead of the
100000 authorized under Senator
Booths bill.
In view Of the deliberately unfair
misrepresentation with which the
state has been flooded as to the state
finances at the time l was elected Gov
ernor, this week I asked State Auditor
Porter for an official statement of the
facts. Here is copy of my letter to
him and the copy of his letter in reply
to me:
September 4, 1924.
"Hon. George P. Porter,
estate Auditor,
Helena, Montana.
my dear Sir:
"Will you kindly give me the exact
statement from the official records
showing the actual overdraft on the
General Fund at the close of the fiscal
year ending November 80, 1920?
yours very truly,
"(Signed)
JOS. M. DIXON, GOVERNOR"
September 4, 1924.
Governor JOS. M. Dixon,
Helena, Montana.
my dear Sir:
"In reply to your inquiry of this
date, requesting me to give you the
exact statement from the official re-
cord showing the actual overdraft on
the General Fund at the close of the
fiscal year ending November 80, 1920
I would say:
THAT the official records in my
office show that, at the close of the
fiscal year ending November 30,1920,
the o%verdraft IN the General Fund of
the State was So 2O,564.33.
"Yours very truly,
"(SIGNED) GFa P. PORTER,
STATE AUDITOR.
"W. A. LOGAN,
DEPUTY AUDITOR
Warned The Legislature
Three days after taking office and
on the converting of the Legislature, in
my first message I urged upon them
the danger that confronted, in the fol
lowing words:
1.-THE time has now come when the
Governor and the Legislature of Mon
tana must call a halt, if we are to
avoid ultimate and serious consequent
ces.
'From the best sources
of information available, /
find that the General Fund
of the State, on November
80. 1920, was overdrawn .-$2, 1904 A
"And in addition there
were outstanding deficiency
claims estimated at- 100000
'Thus making the total de-
ficit for the year s2 Sc, 529, AL
CAS- against the overdraft
on November 80, 1919 1,319,222
S1,210,225
"In other words. the state govern
ment ran i'll debt this past year 1920
81, 210,225, OF at the rate of three thous-