The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-01-18
ROW over N. c.
BUDGET GROUP
LOOMS NEARER
Kirkpatrick Bill Would
Put Government Back
in Official Hands
Tines News Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel

Times News Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel
RALEIGH, Jan. Ex-senator
kirkpatrick of Charlotte, an
nounced candidate for governor
in 1886 and arch-foe of govern
mental bureaus, has drawn up Il
bill for early introduction which
expressly forbids any department
head from spending more than
the legislature allocates him, but
which is also designed to pave
the way for abolition of the bud
get bureau, it was learned here
Tuesday.
The Mecklenburg senator's pro-
posal, which he had submitted TO
Governor Ehringhaus for his con-
sideration, is in line with the
senator's announced policy of
putting the government back in
to the hands of its constitutional
officers, where it belongs" and
would impose a heavy penalty on
any department head who spends
one penny more than the legisla-
ture appropriates to his depart
ment.
The proposed bill, in its pres
ent shape. would place all funds
of the state, under the control,
supervision and direction" Of the
state treasurer for disbursement.
After the legislature appropriateS
the money, no funds would be
paid out except on a warrant
signed by the head of the depart
ment making application and
countersigned by the state treas
urer.
This would eliminate The work
of the budget commission and the
operation Of the 1925 budget act,
which placed the power of appor-
tioning appropriations in the
hands of the advisory budget
commission, which is enabled at
any time to scale allotments on
the basis of incoming revenue,
which in recent years has never
been as large as the legislature
hoped it would.
While Senator kirkpatrick is
known to hold no opposition to
the principle of North Cardinals
keeping within her income, he IS
unalterahly opposed, he said to
this bureau, to placing the job Of
treasury watchdog in the hands
of a commission when the task
could be performed as efficient
ly if it were placed in the hands
of a constitutional officer Of the
state.
Senator Kirkpatrick's bill. as it
has been tentatively drawn,
makes no specific provision for
the carrying out of the watch
dog policy of the budget COM
mission, but it would merely pre-
vent any department from spend
ing more money than should be
allotted to it by the legislature
The plan would work effectively,
it has been pointed out, if the
legislature should be able to pre-
dict accurately the states in
come, and make its approprla-
tions accordingly. But in the
light of past experience, such a
prediction would be guesswork.
1t is not considered likely that
Senator Kirkpatrick's proposed
bill will have endorsement of the
present administration, as Gov
ernor Ehringhaus is kindly dis
posed towards the budget bureau.
1t is understood that he regards
the budget act as the best piece
of legislation enacted in North
Carolina in a good many years.
The budget system was introduc-
ed at the beginning of the Nc
Lean administration, and was
credited by Governor Gardner
with enabling the commission to
step in and save the state mil
lions of dollars by apportioning
to the various departments only
the amounts needed to carry on
their work.
1t is estimated by its support
ers that the budget act in the
past fer years has saved the
state about $S,000,000. Carry
ling out this estimate. the state
deficit would now be about $20,-
100000 instead of $12,000,0O0.
While not few state officials
have been smarting in recent
years under the budget bureaus
dictatorship, majority of MEM
bers of the legislature are thor
oughly sold on the budgetary
system and any attempt to lamp
err with the operation of the sys-
tenn will have hard Shedding at
the present time.
Senator Kirkpatrick's contem-
plated bill, in his own words. lis
no reflection whatsoever on any
body Or any department of the
government" but he is strenu-
ously opposed to diversion of au-
thority from constitutional OF,
ficers. has announced that he will
resign his job at the conclusion
of the present session Of the
Legislature, but it is considered
Ilikel yof the present session OF
the legislature, but it is consid-
cred likely that the legislature
will 60 to any means to keep MI
- IL - .ol oDap thnpnlh hp