The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-01-18
Heard And Overheard
The State Capitol
BY JACK ZAIMAN
United Press STAFF Correspondent

AAeSa pAOAap SSAaAh'I SNAs AZ We
BY effecting o vital change In
methods Of state financing, the
administration Of Gov. Raymond
e. Baldwin today was able to
claim q 1891 900 surplus for the
first six months of the fiscal year,
instead OF having a $47l,00 def
lett.
Gov. Baldwin announced he
had overthrown the illegal" sys-
tenn In effect during the Cross
administration, whereby the state
event off an accrual basis to
cash basis" The governor said he
had restored the accrual system,
which means paying within the
biennium bills incurred during
the same biennium.
Thus. with the state now on an
accrual basis, the governor said
the $862,OOO In state aid TO paup-
erS paid out during the final
year Of the Cross regime, but not
taken care Of In the state budget
for that year, really were part Of
the Cross deficit.
Bills from the towns for pauper
aid are not received by the state
until the succeeding fiscal year,
and under the Cross administra-
ton, the state paid the towns
from the succeeding years budget,
a system declared illegal under
the law by Gov. Baldwin.
The $S62,00O, he said, therefore
was part Of the states business
before June 30. 1889, and he could
justifiably declare 1t part Of the
Cross deficit and pay 1t off from
the proceeds Of the S25, O0O, 900 au-
thOrized by the 1887 general as
sembly.
"By that act" the governor
said, "the legislature intended we
should pay up all outstanding bills
of the state. The $862,000 Is part
of the deficit and is payable out
Of the sale of bonds"
The actual Cross deficit inher-
tied by Gov. Baldwin was $467,-
600. With the $862,O0O added, the
former governor left office be
hind" $l,329,000.
Some Democrats, however, al
ready are claiming Gov. Baldwin
Is doing the illegal" thing by
paying the $862,O0O pauper aid
bill from the bond issue, and that
1t really should have been paid
from the general fund, as Gov
Cross had been doing.
They pointed to a section of the
special act authorizing payment
OF the state deficit from bond is
sue receipts. This act said: "The
term floating Indebtedness Of the
state shall mean the current
DEFICIT Of the general fund of
the state as Of June 30, 1885,"
Current deficit, Democrats claim
ed, does not include the S862,OOO
in pauper aid, and therefore they
charged Gov. Baldwin ILLEGALLY
paid it from the bond issue.
The governors job-training ana
unemployment program has at
tracted nationwide attention. Spe-
cial writer's In the past few days
have written articles about 1t in
the New York Mirror, Christian
Science Monitor, Boston Post and
Globe.
The Christian Science Monitor
article fatty gives the governor
credit for providing $4,000 persons
with jobs.
Meantime, setting up of job
training schools at Bridgeport
and Meriden was reported immi-
nent in informed quarters.
Gov. Baldwin Is looking for four
physicians to put ON the board Of
trustees Of Norwich State HOspi-
tai replacing the four men whose
appointments expired last year but
who retained their positions be.
cause of an investigation of hos
pital policies was underway.
Definite action for hospital re-
forms can be expected soon from
the gubernatOriaI office. Mean
time, there are some reports state
Sen. Joseph b. Downs, who start.
ed the inquiry by saying c0ndi-
lions at the hospital stink to high
heaven" got his information from
DIR. Edward J. Brophy, Norwich,
. trustee who refused to sign the
denial" statement to the Barker
commission charges.
The Stratford town council has
Karl Eric johnson
to paint an oil portrait Of Gov.
Baldwin and the picture win be
hung In the town hall council
chamber. The governor will ut
for the portrait at Johnson's Sill
vermine studio at Norwalk. M
Another oil portrait Of the gov.