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

current years revenue. In this mes
sage to the Special Session, / said:
"Yet despite these repeated warnings
of impending disaster and in direct
contraventiOn of the constitutional pro-
visions prohibiting appropriations in
excess of the current revenues, the
tentative appropriation bills now call
for one and a quarter million dollars
in excess of any possible revenue for
the coming fiscal year, and also an
additional one and one quarter million
dollars of appropriations for the fiscal
year succeeding.
"Under the constitution and the stat
utes you hold the purse strings to the
states treasury. do not. The Legis-
lative Assembly alone can create and
increase the state indebtedness.
Upon you now rests the sole respon-
sibility of determining whether or not
a deaf ear shall be turned to the cry
for relief from increased public indebt-
edness coming from the people of this
state
II know of no legerdemain of finance
whereby executive offices can coin dol
lars out of thin air, even under the
direction of legislative appropriation
bills made against an empty state
treasury.
every legislative appropriation bill
for carrying on the work of the state
government since and including the
year 1918 has exceeded the yearly rev.
enue of the state.
During these five years apropria-
lions have been made by the legisla-
lures in excess of the receipts, until
now the overdraft approximates three
million dollars. The present program
now cOntemplates further increase Of
the state Indebtedness of more than
two million dollars.
1.-THE present Assembly has already
used a most drastic measure impos-
.g severe penalties on city and county
officials for spending in excess
Of the current city and county |
revenues and yet calmly proceeds to-
Yards appropriatiHg more than two
million dollars in excess of the state .
'evenues for the coming biennium."
When the session had finally adjour-
led, found that while the Legislature
lad scaled the original contemplated
appropriations to the extent of $780,
100, the appropriation bills, as finally
,assed, still were about 100000 in ex-
ess Of any possible revenue.
Used Veto for Economy
In the exercise of the constitutional
over of the veto, that had been used
y the Governor of Pennsylvania ten
ears before, under a constitutional
revision exactly like our own, and in
last effort to curb legislative appro-
| gave percentage veto cut {
} the legislative appropriations of
100000. But the Supreme Court, by '
divided vote, held that the percent
ge veto was not permissible. When
lie Legislature reconvened, my at :
.mpted percentage veto was sustained j.,
the repassage of the new appropria- .
on bills, exactly as l had vetoed them. :
JUS finally cutting down the original !
tai appropriations by 100000, as I =
Id first tried to do by the veto. i
Facing the financial situation that =
e did four years ago, in order to =
AXE buckle and tongue meet and for E
e purpose of trying to equalize the
rden of taxation among all forms of =
ealth in Montana, 1 recommended to =
e Legislature that we take small E,
Il from the yearly depletion of our q
tural resources-oil, coal, and met ~
5; that we also adopt a modern form =.
an inheritance tax, and also assess n
: taxation Pullman Cars and private IN
r lines, the Pullman Car Company e
wing heretofore escaped all taxation oa
Montana. This was in accordance a.
tn the policy adopted years ago in
arly every other state. h,