Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-01-25

NOOAAI1AOOO IOLA age On0sI
are discovering that there is nothing
more elusive than new revenue and
nothing more unpopular than new
taxes, with the result that their job
seems to be one of trying to find the
money where the money isn't instead
| of where the money is"
! Record To Date f~A
After two weeks of intensive work,
the score of the General Assembly
stands about as follows
Not single plan has been approov-
ed to produce a dollar of new reve-
nue..
Requests for appropriations are al
ready $11, 100000 more than the $70,-
100000 a year proposed by the sAdvis-
DRY Budget Commission which, if
! granted, would swell the budget, ito
100000 year. 50
The greater part of this $11, 100000
increase has been requested by State
departments and institutions, especial
ly the public schools, all of which
are supported from the general fund,
thus increasing the general fund from
$37 100000 a year, as recommended
by the budget commission, to at least
! $47,000,000 a year. - rasI=fopE
$5OOO,OO0 Off Balance
The realization that the appropria-
| lions and revenue bills are proposed
BY the budget commission are already
out OF balance to the tune of $4,000
| OOO a year, if the surplus expected
July l, 1887, is left out of considera-
ton.
The realization that the Advisory
Budget Commission not only used
the expected surplus of 100000 at
the end of this fiscal year to help
balance the budget for the next two
fiscal years, but that it also contem-
plates the diversion of $2,1OO,OOO a
year from the highway fund to the
, general fund to help balance the reve-
nue. bill with the appropriations, in
stead of providing new taxes, with the
result that if the surplus and in the
money 1t is proposed to divert from
the highway fund are disregarded,
the budget finance and appropriation
bills are actually 100000 out of bal
| ance.
No Revenue Plan by HOey
The dawning of the fact that the
budget revenue and appropriations
bills make no provision for old age
| pensions and lOther social security
measures recommended by Governor
| clyde r. Hoey, and that minimum
of at least 100000 a year of new
revenue will have to be supplied for
these objects.
The realE alton that Governor Hoey
has made recommendations either to
increase appropriations or to decrease
present revenues by about $6,OOOO0O
a year, but has not made a single
suggestion or recommendation as to
now to get any new revenue.
Opposed IntangibIes Tax
Until this past week, indications
were that the finance committees
were going to approve the new State
tax on intangibles as recommended
by the budget commission, but the
[ opposition to this tax has increased
so during the last few days that
many are now very doubtful as to
whether it can be enacted, in which
case the budget revenue bill will lack
another $1,OOOO0O of balancing with
the appropriations. Many observers
! agree that the increasing opposition
to the tax on intangibles from boards
| OF county commissioners, city and
town governing bodies and those who
want to keep the revenue from in
tangibles for the exclusive benefit of
! the counties, cities and towns, is hav-
ing very definite effect upon the
members of the General Assembly
There is some talk to the effect that
the defeat of the proposed tax on in
tangibles may help bring about the
\ enactment of a Statewide liquor con-
troll and sales law, under which the
State may get some of the profits.
But many agree that so far the
chances for the State to get much, if
any, revenue from the sale of liquor
in North Carolina are pretty slim.
Accordingly, those who have been
studying the legislative picture in an
effort to find any definite indications
of progress are becoming more and
more convinced that whatever pro-
gress has been made. the last two
weeks has been made in reverse gear
and that the members will be here a
long, long time yet.