Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1925-02-05
(By M. L. Shipman.)

said that legislature is oftentimes
body of men surrounded by much
talk. So far the general Assembly
of 1925 has not contracted that ha-
bit and the state has a reasonable
right to be proud of the personnel
of her legislative body. The members
seem dead in earnest about doing the
job they were sent here to put across
in perfectly proper way and are
not disposed to let any "jokers" get
by. In both branches the legislative
wheels go round smoothly with little
lost motion or loss of time.
The legislative grind is now on,
some 400 bills having been dropped
into the hopper and started on the
journey to committee pigeon holes
or to the office of the Secretary of
enrolled and ratified" "
While many will emerge as white and
clean as when the trip was begun,
there's going to be a goodly number
so badly worn, kicked, abused, and
cruelty treated that their own dear
daddies will not recognize the poor
things when they meet 'em face to
face on the assembly floor.
The coming week promises to be
more prolific of important legislation
than the past four weeks have been.
Principally the talk is about bonds
for highway construction, bonds for
state institutions, and bonds for the
world war veterans loan fund. In
fact the bond issue is something like
passengers first meal aboard ship,
It's likely to come up at any moment.
However Governor Mclean is not at
all inamored of the bond idea on a
very extensive scale at the present
time. He does not believe single
dollar not absolutely necessary for
the public good should be appropria-
ted by the present general assen35}y
and is disposed to use the knife wher
ever a cut in amounts requested can
be made without doing violence to the
subject.
In his second message to the gen.
eral assembly on Friday the governor
reiterated his determination to re-
wise the fiscal policy Of the state
and invited the cooperation of the
members in getting proposed new
machinery into action. He asks for a
law providing an executive budget
system which would provide contin-
uous supervision of all the institu-
tions and agencies of the state, to
the end that the appropriations made
by the general assembly may be
kept within bounds and expended as
directed. Under the budget system,
covering the period July l to June
80, all revenues actually collected
during that period would be appli-
cable to that fiscal year, and all ap-
preparations and other expenditures
actually disbursed during that period
wiuld be applicable to that period
only. The Governor told the legisla-
tors that he would prepare and sub
nit to them a bill embodying the pro
visions which he feels that the bud
get system outlined in his message
should contain and it is safe bet that
he will get exactly what he wants in
this respect.
Hardly anybody will dispute the
fact that the patient is in a condition
to respond to heroic treatment and
Mr.. McLean's prescription seems to
fit the case.
The Governor places himself on
record as squarely opposed to the
issuance of more than 25,6O0,O00
bonds for all purposes this year. He
suggests $2O,OOO,OOO for roads, $3,-
100000 for permanent improvements
at the state institutions and $2,000,-
900 to finance the world war veterans
loan fund approved by the voters OF
the state at the general election in
November. In his message he declar-
ed himself unequivocally in favor
| of continuing the construction Of
highway until completed as originally
planned, but frankly admitted that
in his opinion, the credit of the state
could not stand for additional lons
term construction bonds in the am
cunt proposed by the Bowie-Heatl
highway bill. His suggestion is to is
sue $20,00O,0OO maturing four t.
twenty-four years from date at tn,
rate of $1,000,000 a year, half to b.
issued during 1925, and half during
1926, the whole to be applicable II
road building prior to January l
1927. And further that short tern
notes be issued for road building pul
| vocoo until fha ;cc,,a ord sole - ~.