Imperial Valley press., 1927-01-04
STATE is
ENJOYING
SURPLUS
Richardson's Report Is
Submitted to Assembly
in Final Message.
STRESSES ECONOMY
Asserts He Kept Pledge
Made to Operate State
on Business Basis.
BY United Press Lrared Wire

SACRAMENTO, Cal. Jan. Il
Pointing to a surplus of $20,000,000
in the California treasury as the
outstanding achievement of his
economy administration, Governor
Friend w. Richardson ended his of
ficial career today by delivering h,s
report to the legislature on the last
four years activities in state gov
crnment.
'This achievement, said the
governor, ''is unparalleled in Cali
fornia history and is proof positive
that pledges made previous to my
election have been redeemed in full,
'and that the accomplishment more
than exceeds the promises made.
''The 1923 budget was an econ
omy budget and made saving over
the 1921 budget Of $12,000.000. This
great surplus has been built up de-
spite the fact that during the last
four years there was an i:crease of
16,49S, ,457.41 in the fixed charges
Of state government, an emergency
expenditure of $3.50, ,3J9.17 for foot
and mouth disease, a great increase
in the population of various state
institutions, and a building program
of $3.50, ,450.46, the greatest appro
priated i'll any biennium in the his
tory of the state.
Governor Richardson expressed
appreciation to the heads of his de-
partments, before launching into de-
tailed reports on the state depart
ments.
The reports, briefly, were as fol
lows:
Board of control: Compiled two
biennial legislative budgets, super
vised expenditure of $o34,611 900,
purchase and sale of bonds valued
at $12,663,500 payment of claims
totalling $412, 2,916,6S1 and purchase
of supplies aggregating $21 ,25S,S32.
Department of agriculture: Dur
ing last two biennial periods this
department has been nearly 50 per-
cent self supporting, as against 40
Per cent previously.
National guard: Enrolment has
increased from 3,125 to 5.25S during
last four years, with reduction III
cost of maintenance.
Appoints Many Judges
Highway commission: At present
the state is spending about $15, 5,000,-
600 on state roads and | believe that
this is all the money that can be
spent wisely and economically. At
present there are $500 miles of road
in the state system, of which at
least 1900 miles are pork barrel
roads.
Executive proclamations: These
should be solemn affairs, by legal
authority and for public benefit.
There have been no proclamations
issued setting apart "onion day.
"horse radish day. 'cauliflower
day "Jack rabbit day. or
"squander your money day.
Appointment of Judges: Sixty
six judges have been appointed by
me during the last four years. These
include two chief justices of the
supreme court, six associate justices,
seven justices of the appellate
court, 80 judges of the superior
court of various counties, and IT
Judges of the cities of
Los Angeles and Long Beach.
State prison: Result of the one
sided reform policy in maintenance
Of state prison has been that San
Quentin and Folsom are now greatly
over-crowded. At San Quentin
prisoners have increased from 2450
To about 3400; at Folsom from 964
to 1850.
Bureau of criminal identification:
During last four years over 10000
identifications have been made, at
Continued on page 81