The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-01-27

Governor {
Only one with a deficient or obsti-
nate personality does not profit by
constructive criticism and does not
give serious consideration to we'll
meant suggestion.
During the last session of the Legis-
lature there was much said about the
State budget which | submitted for
the consideration of the General As
sembly. A large part of this loose talk
was partisan and political and not
worthy of serious consideration, but
out of the plethora of discussion there
are one or two suggestions justifying
constructive action. The one of these
that has given me cause for consider
able thought is the statement that the
Maryland State budget has not re-
fected for official or public scrutiny
the entire fiscal program of the opera
lions of the State administration.
Explains Requirements
This is true. 1t cannot be otherwise
under the constitutional requirements
for compiling our State budget. The
Constitution of Maryland requires that
4 budget shall be submitted including
all appropriations for certain two
year period as established by law. At
the time the budget was submitted to
the Legislature it could not include
any appropriations to the State fund
for aid to the needy, as the entire
relief program and the taxes IN sup
port thereof terminated on March 81,
1887. Consequently, this made the re-
lief program non-eXistent for the ifs
cal years 1888 and 1899, and if reen-
acted it of necessity became matter
of supplementary appropriation out
side the State budget.
Also, when the present budget was
compiled, although the act of estab-
fishing the State Unemployment Com
pensation Division was passed and be-
came law December II, 1886, it was
impossible to incorporate any reliable
setup for this program, as it would
take, and did take, months of organ
ization and negotiations with the Fed
eral Government to bring the State
unemployment compensation program
into working form. 1t was thus neces-
sary to postpone the budgeting of this
newly inaugurated State department
until such time as it had become a
working unit possible of being pro-
grammed.
Cites Federal Funds
Furthermore, it is never feasible at
the time the State budget is sub
mitted to the Legislature to include
estimates of Federal allotments sup
plementing State appropriations, and
this was the more definitely impos-
sible last year, as the Congress OF the
United States was approaching what
was considered to be, and what did
turn out to be, a very controversial
session and no one knew what Federal
appropriations would be forthcoming
In the light Of these facts 1t has
been impossible under the present set
up for the State budget proper to IN
clude all of the proposed adminlstra-
tive activities and the appropriations
for them made by the General Assem-
bly, of Maryland. But while this Is
true. | have concluded that there
should be some compilation OF the en-
tire fiscal program made up for the
information of those who are inter-
ested in the States finances, and am
therefore introducing change from
previous practice in order to accom-,
plish this.
To Try New System
Heretofore, there has been a reprint
made of the State budget compiled by
the Budget Director with the dlstrl-
button of certain ALLEGATIONS provided
for by the law. believe that it would
be of distinct advantage to bring to-
gether in that volume the entire tisca
program of the State government, II
- ....---------