The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-02-01
BUDGET FEUD
IS Renewed
Durham Stingingly Replies
to Criticisms Made Of
His Office
The 'rimes-News Bureau
Cir. lValfns IIntnl


Sir waItc" Hotel
RALEIGH. Feb. 1.-The long
smouldering feud between State
Auditor Baxter Durham and Hen
nv Burke. unofficial head of the
state budget bureau. broke into
further fame yesterday with the
release of Durham's singing re-
ply to the criticisms made of his
office by BudgeIeer Burke in the
published budget report. In this
report Burke said that the records
in the state auditors office were
poorly kept. also that the "au-
dit of special accounts by the
state auditor does rot accomplish
its purpose and in some cases is
marked by utter neglect The
report also commented on the
UNFRAMED personnel both in the
state auditors and the state treas
urer'S office.
1.-THE statement coming from
the budget bureau in reference to
the auditors and treaSurer's OF
fees, appears to be another at
tempt to discredit the constltu..
tional officer for the purpose OF
putting all the accounts and eX-
penditure of money in the hands
of the budget bureau, so that
there would be no check on the
financial affairs of the state unless
ordered by u special legislative in
vestigation. | am not referring IN
this statement to the honorable
gentlemen composing the advisory
budget commission. My remarks
are directed at the budget bureau
and those who control it. / am
heartily in favor of an executive
budget. 1t ought to be presented
by the governor, made up by the
executive branch of the govern
ment and handed to the legisla-
ture for final action.
"And when the legislature takes
the necessary action by writing an
appropriation act, that ought to
be handed back to the executive
officers to administer. with the
power in the hands of the director
of the budget to cut appropria-
tons pro rata, as the law directs,
to prevent overdrafts or a deficit.
The director of the budget has
asked, on one or two occasions,
for authority to cut specific APP
preparations and the legislature
has denied this authority. Yet, by
arbitrarily withholding allotments
made out of appropriations, the
budget bureau has deliberately
violated the spirit of the budget
act, by denying to all departments
and institutions moneys approprl-
ated by the legislature. not on &C
count of lack Of funds, but be-
cause the budget bureau differed
with the legislature.
"For all practical purposes the
budget bureau is Burke. What q
picture to present to the people of
North Carolina. The sacred funi
appropriated for the education of
their children in the hands of a
man who in administering his
power in the past has disclosed
an utter lack of sympathy with
public education and an obstinate
disregard for the ideals which our
fathers have set up An open as
sault upon public education in the
state hazarded the job, but a ST.
lent, deliberate cutting of the life
stream will gradually do its dead
ly work.
"The truth is that the attack
upon constitutional offices and
officers is the skirmish line of a
governmental theory that is seek
ing to superimpose upon consti-
tutional government a statutory
government not responsible to the
people. This statutory govern
ment is secreted in the hold of the
ship. nevertheless it steers the
course and chooses the harbor. "
Chow long must the legislature
stand pOwerless and constitutional
authority impotent? What relief
has such a system offered? What
plan has the budget bureau sug-
gested, with all this super-govern-
ment? We are still maintaining a
IL or Is million dollar deficit and
our debt is not decreasing.
GAS for me, / stand and shall
continue to stand upon the rock
of constitutional government I'M
til the people in their sovereign
capacity shall establish and ordain
a different order"
In the first part of his letter,
Durham admits that he has had
to reduce the personnel in his of
flee because of insufficient appro-
priations. making it impossible TO
employ the necessary help to do
the auditing work.