The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-09-10

mllilohS OF unpaid warrants, deficiency
claims and unpaid bills were Outstand.
ing. The widely spread printed nam.
phlets OF the Montana Taxpayers Asso-
citation show that there was a def.
cheney in the General Fund on March
l, 1927, sixty days after I was sworn
in as Governor. of $2.231, 100. which
represented the excess OF expenditures
over income during the previous two
years.
Tn" people, themselves, AT the gen.
oral election the previous November
had by popular vote authorized a bond
issue of 100000 for enlarging ths
4 plants at the:
Agricultural College,
State University,
School of Mines.
State Normal College,
Orphans Home,
School for Blind. Deaf and Feebls
Minded.
Boys Reform School, and
Girls Reform School.
The people, themselves. the Noveu.
her previous had by popular vote lev.
led an additional IN mill TO support
the four state colleges.
During the four following years, tbs
total assessment OF property steadily
shrunk $500, 5000.
$3,ooo,o 900 Behind IN 1920
The Legislature, realizing the threat.
ened closing down Of some Of the
states institutions, Oh It's W initia.
tive, and at the suggestion Of the same
men who are now critlcising. author
lied the sale Of 100000 shOrt-tern
7%o state notes 70 take up this floating
Indebtedness that had already beer
v created. See Chapter IS, page 7e4
/ Legislative Acts, March, 1921.
Z On account Of the legal technicali
/. ties involved, the Board Of Examiners
was only able to float $85O.OOO OF
these shOrt-term notes instead Of the
= $3,OOO,OO0 authorized under Senator
: Booths bill.
In view of the deliberately unfair
Misrepresentation with which the
g 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 tbs
o facts. Here is copy Of my letter "a
n him and the copy Of his letter In reply
D TO me:
g September 4. 1924
"HOn. George p. Porter,
estate Auditor,
Helena, Montana.
o MY dear Sir:
n will you kindly give me the exac
statement from the official record
showing the actual Overdraft on tn,
General Fund AT the close Of the fisCa
year ending November 80, 1920?
" Yours very truly,
q "(Signed)
JOS. NJ. DIXON, GOVERNOR
e September 4, 1924
Id Governor JOS. NJ. Dixon.
g Helena. Montana.
G. MY dear Sir:
I'm reply 70 your inquiry of thi
10 date, requesting me to give you 'th
exact statement from the official rt
n cord showing the actual OveTdraft O
AT the General Fund at the close OF tn
n fiscal year ending November 80, 1920
! would say:
rs THAT the official records In m
I'd office show that, ut the close Of tn
fiscal year ending November 30,192
ia the O~verdraft on the General Fund
the State was $2.12O.56433.
in Yours very truly.
d "(SIGNED) GEO. r. PORTED
al STATE AUDTTOF
ng wv. A. LOGAN,
n DEPUTY AUDTTOF
er Warned The Legislature
oil Three days after taking office al
"a on the converting of the Legislature,
my first message l urged upon the
" the danger that confronted, in the tc
'T- lowing words:
ISL THE time has now come when Il
he Governor and the Legislature Of Mo
lar tana must call a halt, If we are
avoid ultimate and serious conSeque
Ill ces.
From the best sources
en- Of information available, l
IN find that the General Fund
IN Of The State, on November
'rk 80. 1890. was ~overdrawn 1904
And in addition there
were outstanding deficiency
Ov- claims estimated At 4OO.O
the #
Ons Thus making the total de-
In ficit for the wear ,529,4
to "As against the overdraft
nd on November 80, 191e- 1872
9th |
ak s1,21O,2
Of SIN other words, the state govel
ment ran 1 debt this past year ClSS