Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-02-13

81 believe there Will come lInc
within % years when some states
may not be able to borrow money at
all. unless they come to the plan OF
educating the voter in economic
matters so that they may take their
obligations seriously and vote with
understanding declared w. y.
Brockway, Comptroller of the Brown
Company of Portland, Me-, in an ad-
dress Friday evening before the
members Of the Augusta Rotary Club.
Mr.. Brown who was appointed some
time ago by Governor Ralph ..
Brewster to investigate the finances
Of the State spoke on Economic
Consciousness About the State OF
Maine"
Prefacing his remarks by declar-
alton that there was no political bias
in any way connected with this in
yestigation he went on to tell how 1t
came about that he undertook the
task and what it had brought to his
rljEd.
The speaker told OF his prelimin-
airy work with the reports of the Aud
itor, Treasurer and Budget Commit
tee and said that after an exhaustive
study of these reports he was inn
pressed with the amount OF inforna-
ton contained in the reports. and
with the difficulty of getting it out
into a form he understood. In try
ing to make up a balance sheet he
found that although he was reason-
ably proficient in matters of account
ing and finance of large corporation
he was unable to get the information
he wanted.
In the Brown Company 1t Is his
custom when a matter of policy
arises. about which he is undecided,
to call meeting of certain of his as
sociateS and discuss the matter with
them. This he did in this instance
and was astonished to find that one
of these men had formerly been with
the Bureau of Census at Washing
ton in the department which had to
do with the states and municipalities
and that he mad been loaned 20 the
State of Massachusetts to help es-
tablish budget system. From hlin
he learned so much with regard to
the work of the Bureau Of Census
that after studying thei rrepocts.
particularly with reference to the
State of Maine. he vert to Washing
ton to study the question first hand.
lie declared that ii was IMPRESSED
upon him that it is absolutely neces-
sary to arrive at a method which will
enable The people to understand the
finances Of the State. and that If we
fail to do that We are side steDning
a problem to our children that they
will have great difficulty In handling
Tie fact was hrouoht to his attention
that the reports of the State officers,
r,nt cniN of this State h'-t of the eth
ers were prepared with no thou"ht
Of the possibility that the public
might like to understand them.
There was a decided lack of the
attitude that is associated with big
business methods and the systems
used were far from ideal. In the
State of Maine for instance the State
auditor and State treasurer are indie
pendent of the admins tration. This
should not be so. the speaker de-
clared, as in business an administra-
ton is given control and with it goes
all responsibility.
After a thorough study of condi-
tons Mr.. Brockway declared that he
incorporated his recommendation in
report to the governor. which has
already been published. He called
attention to the fact that the big
thought of this renort was in the
last sentence, Publicity and conf
dence will lead to an understanding
people. and they will respond with
an economic consciousness equal to
their present political conscious
ness"
Economic consciousness. contin-
ued the speaker. that I believe is
the way out. We have had political
consciousness for 100 years. and
while we all know where we stand