The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1924-03-14


nv article which anpcarcd IN re
cent issue of this paper, submit here
with for your consideration bref
review of my work in the last session
of the Legislature, especially that IN
connection with the Appropriations
Committee of the Senate, OF which !
was Chairman.
Of course it is well known that we
have a BUDGET system in this state.
! The Budget Board meets prior to the
! date for the LEGISLATURE 10 convene
! visits all the various departments and
! institutions, and complies It's report
which il subT't3 to the Appropriations
| Committee and tie LEGISLATURE not
alter than the 18th day OF the session.
The total requests from all depart
mcnts and institutions for the bien
mum l924-25 was So, ,7O5, ,058.S9. The
amount allowed by the Budget Board
was $9,3l5, 5,3I3,SO, or a reduction IN
the sum OF $3,3S97l5.l9 from the
mount requested $9,3l5, ,343.SO
then, was the amount which the Bud
,et Board after careful and cOnserv-
ltiYe calculation felt il was necessary
to appropriate for the coming blen
mum. That was Tie sum with which
he Appropriations Committee had IL
1 D -. 4 uI huI "A
lutc. if possible. After three weeks
If listening TO the pleadings OF the
heads Of institutions and departments
"a which they begged us not only t
cave the figures Of the Budget Board
intact but to raise them toward tho
riginal figure of l2,7O5, ,O5S.99, We
submitted TO the Legislature bill
arriving total Of 7,243 ,54O.67 fol
.eneral expenditures and $l,272,6o0.
80 for special items, making total
f S8,5lS,22l 66. In addition to this
The various institutions submitted a
program for new buildings carrying
total of 81 10000. Of this
amount the Appropriations Commit
tee recommended only $325, 10000
making grand total recommends
BIZ the Appropriations Committee
fS,&43, ,22l .66, or a reduction from tn
figures submitted BY the Bulge
Board of $472, ,l221i. The above fig
ures can all be verified by referenc,
TO the report of the Budget Boar'
and the record as it appears in the
Senate Journal. The Legislature b
NAL action reduced the amount
commended by the Appropriation
Committee from $S,S43,22l &c to SIS
574, ,30907, as shown by figures in tn,
ecretarv Of State's Office. Thus W,
&c that the accusation that member
f the Legislature and the tariou
.ommittees are mere rubber stamp
slbservient to the ''big interests
nd the institutions, is very untai
nj unjust.
Let us look at the work of the Ap
preparations Committee in anothe
way. The Budget Board found thai
the population of the Charitable ant
Penal Institutions had increased Al
er cent, or from 224 in January
lG22, TO 305 in January. 1923. Tn,
educational institutions had increase
g per cent. These figures can b
crified by reference to the repor,
i. the Budget Beard. Now when W
ok at the general anpropriation
bill. as recommended by the Appro,
ration Committee Of the last session
and carrying total of $7,245 ,540.67
and compare it with the general ap
propriations bill of the previous see
sion which carried total of $6,320
1900, we find that the increase
My II % per cent, while the popu
latiCn of the various institutions in
creased all the way from 20 per ceut
o II per cent. Don't you think tn
Appropriations Committee was vot,
NO comTittee7 Do you believe a
more severe reduction would have
been consistent or justified
There were deficiencies due to in
'reased population in the institution;
and increa@e in work i'm the variou
departments amounting to $277,23
ror the biennium l92l-l923. Thes.
we're liabilities agin3t the State, and
lad to be met b. appropriations
100000 of this amount was agains
he penitentiary, and $4,000 againy
the Bonus Board. I'm most instance
emergency warrant, had been issue''
V the Governor; in other eases it
vas merely an outstanding obligation
.gainst the account Of some institu-
ion or department. | am frank tc
Nv that | believe that the session of
1925 will face even larger deficiencies
| han did tho casS;cn cf 1909 hncouc.