Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-19
MARYLAND BUDGET
PLAN OFFERED j. s.
Delegation to Ask Democrats
to Put Ritchie's System
in Platform.
BY JACK ALLEN,

SILVER SPRING, Md, June 10
! The Maryland delegation to the Demo-
cratic National Convention opening at
Chicago June 81 will urge the adoption
of the Maryland budget system as de-
veloped under Gov. Albert C. Richie as
part of the national platform, it was
announced here today by Maj E. Brooke
Lee, member of the Resolutions Com
mittee for the convention from this
State
Maj. Lee praised the system as one
that has proven the sureSt govern
mental plan of keeping the public ap-
preparations of a democracy within
constructive bounds" and declared the
! legislative method now used to deter
mine appropriations must always con-
tinue as divergent, unco-ordinated, I'M
scientific and sectional as there are
| elected representatives who disagree in
the appropriating body and areas and
constituencies to be represented and
taken care Of"
He predicted enactment of the Mary
land executive budget would prove the
most direct and certain method Of keep
ing the national budget in balance. and
pointed out that through this system
Gov. Richie has always been able to
maintain ample State treasury balances
with annual SURPRISES averaging over
! 10 per cent, even in the present depres-
sion.
1t is largely because OF the operation
of the Maryland system that Maryland
a. bonds sold for 104.79 last week.
Maj. Lee declared.
System Is Explained.
+Lo cucfop, +" he
plained. 1.-The Governor is responsible
for the submission to the Legislature OF
a complete and itemized budget OF BOTH
probable revenues and recommended ex-
nanditures. The State Legislature may
decrease or eliminate entirely anv Item
Of expenditure proposed by the Cover
nor. but the Legislature IS not author-
lied to increase or switch approprla-
tons.
Should the Legislature vote to fnance
State activity not recommenoeo
bv the Governor in the State buoget'
the LEGISLATURE is also required to pro-
vide additional revenue from new types
of taxation to finance the new pro-
pos3ls initiated by the legislative
branch. Nothing deters ventures into
new fields of public spending as much
as to require advocates OF a new or IN
creased expenditure to levy the tax 10
paw the cost of their proposals.
This method automatically keeps
the State budget in balance, provided
only the executives estimates OF prop
able revenues are accurate. Gov;
Ritchie's estimates of the Maryland
revenues throughout his four admins
trations covering Is years have been
marked by their eXactness.
Would Provide National Viewpoint
Through this system, Maj Lee as
serted. a national viewpoint would be
substituted for the sectional viewpoints
which control appropriation bills in
Congress or in State Legislatures.
The President" he said. would be
primarily responsible for the condltion
of the United States Treasury, for he
is charged with the direct responsibility
of calculating the revenues for the
budget period and of recommending
definite schedule of appropriations,
which cannot be increased. Now this
responsibility is divided between the
President, &c Senators and 435 Repre-
sentativeS"
The present plan, Maj. Lee charged.
through legislative melees trades and
log rolling, increases the value OF sec
tional blocs, exploits such conditions
as the increasing competition between
! county and enables the always well in
! formed representatives Of special inter-
ests to get the most for those they rep
resent.
Responsibility on Governor.
He added that for the last several
Congresses the President has been rec
ommending unbalanced budgets to the
Congress, the Treasury estimates of the
national income have contained enor-
nous margins of error and the Con-
gress has been subject to no constitu-
tional enactment either to keep future
appropriations within the estimated ma
tional revenue, or to limit the national
budget at any total figure.
In Maryland. Mai. Lee declared, the
burden and responsibility of determin-
ing the revenues and appropriations
has been placed square!y upon the
elected executive. If the taxpayers OF
the State approve the manner in which
the executive discharges this respon-
sibility. he said, they are able to sup
port the executive effectually and d.
rectly, while if they object to the re-
suit obtained, they can cure the Situ-
alton with one vote.