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

current years revenue In this mes
sage to the Special Session. | said:
yet despite these repeated warnings
of impending disaster and In direct
contraventlon 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-
latlve Assembly alone can create and
increase the state Indebtedness.
Upon you now rests the sole respon-
sIbillty of determining whether or not
a deaf ear shall be turned to the cry
for relief from increased public indeht-
edaess coming from the people of this
state.
81 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
yer 1915 has exceeded the yearly rev
care Of the state.
During these five years aprorr,a.
tions have been lpsde by the leglsi.
lures IN excess Of the receipts. unti
now the overdraft approx mates thre.
million dollars. The present program
now contemplates further increase q
the state Indebtedness Of more than
two million dollars.
1.-THE present Assembly has already
passed most drastic me sure imnrs
ing severe penalties on city and count,
officials for spending In excess
Of the current city and count,
revenues and yet calmly proceeds 10
wards appropriating more than tw'
million dollars In excess of the STATE
revenues for the coming blennium."
When the session had finally adjour
ned. | found that while the Legislature
had sealed the original contemplate
appropriations to the extent of $500
u00 the appropriation bills. as finall
passed still were about 100000 In eS
cess Of any possible revenue.
Used Veto for Economy
In the exercise of the constitutions
power OF the veto, that had been use
by the Governor Of Pennsylvania tie
years before, under constitutions
provision exactly like our own. and /
last effort to curb legislative appr,
priations. gave a percentage veto CT
! to the legislative appropriations (
/ 100000. But the Supreme Court, /
} divided vote, held that the percen
. age veto was not permissible. Nhe
he Legislature reconyened, my a
? tempted percentage veto was sustaint
/. in the repassage of the new appropri
c tion bills. exactly as had vetoed ther
T. thus finally cutting down the origin
total appropriations by 5000. 900, as
had first tried to do by the veto.
Facing the financial situation tn
we did four years ago, In order
make buckle and tongue meet and +
4 the purpose Of trying to equalize Il
burden Of taxation among all forms
wealth in Montana. | recommended
< the Legislature that we take a smi
= toll from the yearly depletion OF o
natural resources-oIl. coal, and m,
II ais; that we also adopt modern for
Of an Inheritance tax. and also asee
. for taxation Pullman Cars and priva
- car lines, the Pullman Car Compa
D having heretofore escaped all taxat'
n in Montana This was In accordan
D with the policy adopted years ago
. nearly every other state.