The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-09-19


millions of unpaid warrants, deficiency
claims and unpaid bills were outstand
ing. The widely spread printed pam
phlets of the Montana Taxpayers Asso
citation show that there was q def
| cheney In the General Fund on March
l, 1921, sixty days after was sworn
In as Governor, of $2.231, 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 $5,000,0O0 for enlarging 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 Novem-
Der previous had by popular vote lev
led an additional liz mill to support
the four state colleges.
During the four following years. the
total assessment of property steadily
shrunk $260,0O0,00O.
100000 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
10 state notes to take up this floating
that had already been
created. See Chapter 10, page 764,
Legislative Acts, March. 1921.
On account of the legal TECHNICAL
ties involved, the Board of Examiners
was only able to float $S5O,O0O 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 I 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
% me:
September 4, 1924.
Hon. George P. Porter,
State Auditor,
Helena, Montana
My dear Sir:
"Will you kindly give me the exact
tatement from the official records
howing the actual overdraft on the
Fund at the close of the fiscal
ear ending November 80, 1920?
yours very truly.
(Signed)
JOS NJ DIXON, GOVERNOR"
September 4, 1924.
Governor Jos. NJ. Dixon,
Helena, Montana.
My dear Sir:
I'm reply to your inquiry of this '
ate, requesting me to give you the !
Vact statement from the official re- I
ord showing the actual overdraft on
lie General Fund at the close of the I
seal year ending November 30, 1920 /
would say: a
THAT the official records in my 0
flee show that, at the close of the T
seal year ending November 3O,192O, C
e overdraft on the General Fund of
e State was $3.50, 56433
Yours very truly, n
"(SIGNED) GEO. P. PORTER. \
STATE AUDITOR. V
"W. A. LOGAN. n
DEPUTY AUDITOR" .
Warned The Legislature D
Three days after taking office and tt
the converting of the Legislature. in 81
Y first message l urged upon them a
e danger that confronted, in the fol a,
wing words: I'll
''The time has now come when the tie
vernon and the Legislature of Mon in
ma must call a halt. if we are to iii
Viu anu StIlOQo CONSEQUENT I'm
5. IN
From the best sources hs
information available,
ID that the General Fund w
the State on November mi
1920, was overdrawn .S2, 12O.447 th
And in addition there bu
re outstanding deficiency We
inns estimated Att 100000 tn
Thus making the total de- ma
It for the year ----.-.-.-S Sc, 529. All ais
AS against the Overdraft of
November 30, 1919-------- 1919 22o fol
ca
$1,210,22E ha
In other words, the state govern in
Mt raj in debt this past year G9o, wi
.1o,225, or at the rate of three thous+ ne,