The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-09-17

citation show that there was n def.
cheney In the General Fund on March
l, 1921. sixty days after | was sworn
In as Governor, of 81. 231, 100. which
represented the excess of expenditures
over income during the previous two
years.
The people, themselves, at the gem
eral election the previous November
Ind by popular vote authorized a bond
issue of $5000000 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-
her previous Ind by popular vote lev
led an additional " mill TO support
the four state colleges.
During the four following years, the
total assessment of property steadily
shrunk $o600000O0.
100000 Behind In 1920
The Legislature. realizing the threat
ened closing down of some of the
states institutions, on its own lnitia-
tive, and nj the suggestion Of the same
men who are now crlticsing. author
lied the sale Of S3.000.000 short-term
~ state notes to take up this floating
indebtedness that had already been
created. See Chapter 13, page 764.
Legislative Acts, March, 1921.
On account of the legal technicali-
ties involved, the Board of Examiners
was only able to float $S50O00 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 | was elected Gov
ernor, this week 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 r. Porter,
state Auditor -.
Helena, Montana.
My dear Sir; a''7
"Wlll sou kindly give me the exact
statement from the official records
showing the actual overGfnft on the
/ General Fund at the close Of the fiscal
year ending November 30. 1920?
"Yours very truly,
"(sIgned)
JOS. NJ. DIXON, GOVERNOR
September 4, 1924
Governor Jos NJ. Dixon,
Helena. Montana.
"My dear Sir:
in reply to your inquiry Of THU
date, requesting me to give you til,
exact statement from the official re
: cord showing the actual overdraft nr
the General Fund at the close of tn,
: fiscal year ending November 30, 1890
2 | would say:
s THAT the official records IN m,
! office show that, at the close NJ tn
fiscal year ending November 30.192(
+ the overdraft on the General Fund 0
J the State was s2.120,564.83.
0 "Yours very truly,
"tSIGNED) GEO. p. PORTET
I STATE AUDITOR
& "W A. LOGAN,
i DEPUTY AUDITOR
7 Warned The Legislature
y Three days after taking office an
8 on the converting Of the Legislature,
my first message | urged upon the
Z the danger that confronted. in the 70
+ lowing words:
J. ''rhe time has now come when Il
'e Governor and the Legislature Of Mo
y tana must call halt, If we are
y avoid ultimate and serious conseque
II ces.
"From the best sources
u Of information available.
~ find that the General Fund
~ of the State, on November
TX 30. 1920, was overdrawn so, 100, A
"And In addition there
were outstanding deficiency
" claims estimated At 1000
he
ms ''rhus making the total de-
In ficit for the year ----S2, 500, 4
10 "As against the overdraft
ID on November 80, l9l9.------ 1.319.a
IN
ak sl,210..
of ain other words, the state cove
ment ran 10 debt this past year (1as
led 81 ,210,225 or AT the rate of three tho