The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-01-24
Extra Session
Continued from Page One)

Under the belief that these sum
le so appropriated were far in exces
of any revenue possible for tina
y same period l addressed a letter O
G inquiry to the state treasurer am
auditor for their official estimates O.
e the revenues for the two-year perioc
IN question. On March 18th the,
u joined in a written statement to me
d that the probable revenues would be
' insufficient to meet these a~ppropria.
lions, thereby creating a deficit Of
S368,53O for the first fiscal year and
a similar deficit for the second year.
, Faced with this acute situation,
| did what seemed to me to be the
: only sane thing to do under the cir
cumstances and gave the various ap-
preparation bills a percentage veto
cut averaging about ten per cent of
the total, thus reducing the total D
preparations, as made by you.
about $616,O00.
Follower Other Executives
I'm taking this action, I followed
the course pursued by the governors
OF pennsylvania and other states. In
the former state the constitutional
provision was exactly the same as
own. In that state and in others
the courts had sustained the action
OF their governors in making per-
centage veto cuts in approximation
bills. 1t seemed to me reasonable
that If the constitutional provision
empowers the governor with the I'M
questioned right to veto to 100 per
cent of an item in an appropriation
bill, every rule of reason and logic
would sustain the veto power to ten
per cent of the whole.
"But a majority opinion of the SUI
preme court, rendered on January
III, has held otherwise, and that
court is the final arbiter in the mat,
ter.
I'm the light of the actual exper-
fence of the operations of the vari-
state institutions and depart
ments, | am confident that they can
each operate successfully under the
percentage cuts that 7 thus attempt
ed to give the various ~appropria-
"The chancellor of the university
has Informed me that the four units
the greater university, notwith-
standing the great increase in the
of students, have adjusted
their budgets of expenditures in con-
with the veto action last
March and that they will be able to
still carry on their work.
"All other heads of institutions
"The chancellor of the university
and officers with whom I have dis
the matter during the months :
hat interviewed prior to the decision
# the court, assured me that they
lso could successfully operate I'M #
-er the reduced amounts that they {
hen had accepted as final. {
"The facts that the actual receipts E
f the state treasury for the calen- 6
ar year 1923 have only totaled 49, 6
1886, against the estimated total E
f $~3,656,175 made by the state z
and auditor last March for 3
lie fiscal year, should be a most po- is
mt argument against new appro- E,
r~iations at this time in excess of Il
lie total amount of the appropria- II
ons made at the regular session, rs
ter deducting the $616,00O that I E
to eliminate by the veto. ES
More Revenue Due II
"In this connection it is only fair Ii
say, however, hat under the E
m%i-annual tax paying system, only Ia
per cent of the total taxes we're IL
i'd in November, while AZ per cent III
IS delinquencies, will be paid in Isl
ay. 1t should also be borne in lE
md that $99,S94 of the treasury la
ecipts for the calendar year 1923 IN
ose from a transfer to the general IH
nd of that amount from the excess Isl
~ that had been made for retir- la
: 100000 war defense bonds ia
thorized by the special session of E
legislature in March, 1918. lE
IF we now deduct from the act E
treasure receipts for the calen- IE
: year 1923 the $99,894 that ac- IN
entally accrued by the transfer A
the xcess levy for the payment H
the war defense bonds and add Ed
estimated $630,0OO balance, due III
May from the semi-annual tax III
t was heretofore payable in No Isl
nber, we will have a sum total of In
656,461, which closely cores E
lds to the estimated yearly rev. III
as made by the treasurer and @
itor last March. A
Of course, it is of imperative i'm E
to the credit of Montana ia
its people that all warrants here III
re issued by the auditor against IE
supposedly valid appropriations IE
at the regular session be now 9
dated, and all just claims for Ia
ices rendered or supplies furn- E
d to the state, that are awaiting Isl
it and paVment against anv an Fl