| Show Pay as Y You GoIs Go GoI I Is Watchword W r I Of South States G Extravagances Extravagance f Below Mason Dixon Line Are Curtailed Editors Editor's note The southern states states Gorgia Gor ia Virginia North and South Carolina Florida Alabama Alabama Alabama Ala Ala- bama Tennessee Mississippi and share Louisiana Louisiana share the economic woes of the nation But they are going about the business of pulling out out of the predicament with optimism optimism op op- and faith in the bright future fu ture of oC Dixie This installment of oC a n series o of stories the United Press has gath gath- cred from over o the nation tells what v what is being done below the Ma Ma- son Dixon line to combat governmental governmental govern govern- mental extravagance Tomorrows Tomorrow's story tory will deal with similar activities in Kansas Missouri Arkan Arkan- Arkansas Arkansas sas Oklahoma ma Texas Colorado New Mexico Wyoming and Mon Mon- tana By FOSTER EATON United Press Staff Correspondent Copyright 1932 by bj United Press ATLANTA Jan 28 Governmental 28 economy in the southeastern tier o of states from Virginia to Louisiana i is being undertaken in the historic spirit of reconstruction days A combined deficit of more than confronts the administrations lions of eight states while a ninth Virginia is out of the red reduced revenues anc and legislative extravagance of other years produced the situation which has slowed up the machinery of government gov government and forced a general account account- ing In every state programs have been launched to meet the immediate emergency emergency emer emer- genc gency in such a way as ns to insure a sound foundation for the future Budgets have been sharply curtailed curtailed curtailed cur cur- tailed governmental frills slashed salaries reduced payrolls pruned Pay as you go is the watchword Georgia orgia with an inherited deficit of has taken the most drastic drastic dras dras- tic action and its sponsors from Governor Governor Gov Gov- Richard B. B Russell Jr on down believe it worthy of emulation by alother all al other states ENACT LAW Under a law enacted at the last las legislative session it will be impossible ble for the state to legislate itself itsel into debt beyond its assured capacity to pay Means to wipe out the existing existing exist exist- ing deficit over a period of years have been worked out Appropriations under a new budget bureau are arc year car If Georgias Georgia's revenue for tor any year trails the total legislative appropriation tion lion then every r appropriation is subjected subjected sub sub- to an arbitrary reduction in ratio to the whole Unpaid appropriations the law provides cannot constitute con a legal leal claim upon the thc state treasury The situation Jn In other states Virginia Without Virginia Without a deficit the Old Dominions Dominion's assembly convened January January Jan Jm- uary 13 and on suggestion of Governor Governor Gover Gover- nor John Garland Pollard the senate v voted ted a 10 per cent reduction i in members members' mem mere bens bers' rs' rs salaries Similar action by the house Is expected Governor Pollard voluntarily rily submitted sub to a and has r recommended commended that public school schoolteachers schoolteachers' schoolteachers schoolteachers' schoolteachers schoolteachers' teachers' teachers salaries be reduced The executive executive ex ex- submitted a budget of 25 under the total requested and urged that there be no tax increases A highway budget budet of was slashed stashed to VIRGINIA PROFITS Virginia fortunately avoided the financial excesses of the inflation period pe nod and is profiting by the sound policies pol ides which have controlled the administration administration ad ad- ministration in of t the e state government the governor said in his budget budet roes mes s sage ge North Carolina Cost Carolina Cost of government government govern govern- ment must be reduced and the budget b balanced lanced said Governor O. O Max Gardner who with other state officials dials daIs is effecting a 30 per cent reduction reduction reduction tion in budget expenses expenses North Carolina Carolina Caro Caro- lina is one of the few Cew states whose bonds are selling at par Our credit is good The only deficit Is In short short- term tax UX anticipation notes which will be paid when due That would leave a deficit of no nomore not more than by July 1 The Th budget bureau is paring expendi expend expenditures tures to compared with of appropriations Some Som salary reductions and personnel elimination elimination nation have been effected South Carolina With Carolina With a deficit o of approximately Governor I I. I C Blackwood asked the legislature to enact a mill 2 tax on property and anc an increase of 1 cent a gallon on gasoline gaso gaso- line The appropriations bill slashes salaries of state while an additional saving savins of is planned through curtailed expenditures expendi expend tures lures and elimination of departmental activities Reduction in the number of counties has been recommended County bounty governments go seek tax bons EFFECT SAVINGS Florida Florida Despite Despite a deficit Gover Gover- Governor nor Doyle E. E Carlton believes addi ional revenue revenue will be bc unnecessary unnecessary particularly because of savings effected effect effect- ed by bj centralized buying and economics economies econ in state departments The last las t legislature reduced the state millage from rom 14 to 45 provided for an extra cent tax on gasoline and other new taxation Last fall was diverted diverted di di- from the road department to the general fund and a similar amount is expected to be diverted during the next three months from the he gasoline tax lax Of Ot the cent 7 tax 3 cents will go o to the highway depart ment Alabama Alabama Alabama-A A special state audit places Alabama's deficit at approximately approximately the the highest in the southeast southeast-as as a result of which Governor Gov Gov- Benjamin Meek Miller plans this his spring to call caU a special session of the legislature to wipe it out through a state income tax and a 2 cent 2 ent increase in the gasoline tax an Indicated revenue source of 00 Governor Go Miller also is demanding demand demand- ing ng drastic reduction in expenditures and flotation of a bond issue of 30 to retire the deficit which is expected to reach rench that amount by the end of oC the fiscal year Expenses of the he state exceed revenues by annually Tennessee With Tennessee With a deficit of Tennessee balanced its budget in December 1931 through an increase in n the gasoline tax an intrastate truck levy and a bus levy with a 2 identification iden iden- tag tax on automobiles Salaries Salaries Sal Sal- aries in all state departments have been cen slashed and personnel reduced The highway department now numbers numbers num- num bers ers 2000 as compared with informer in informer former years An annual saving of is expected Governor Henr Henry H II Horton is sponsoring the economy conomy moves Mississippi Beginning Mississippi Beginning the year with a deficit of Mississippi Mississippi sippi ippi is launched on a program of speedy restoration of credit through governmental reorganization and reduced reduced re- re expenditures Governor Martin MarIn Mar Mar- tin In Mike Conner is sponsoring the program A movement has been started start start- ed d in the Mississippi legislature re designed deigned designed de de- signed to sell to the federal govern govern- nent the states state's new new insane hospitaL The state slate plans to remodel the ic old hospital Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana-Louisiana Louisiana has taken no steps leps to enforce an economy program Hue Huey uey P P. Long recently governor was wasn an n advocate of free spending spendin to restore restore re- re store tore prosperity Louisiana is building building build- build ing ng hundreds of miles of paved an anti ana improved highways Arran Arrangements for or construction of a 3 bridge across cross the Mississippi at New Orleans which would put 1000 men to work have ave been completed A new state capitol at Baton Rou Rouge e. e to cost 00 is nearing completion The state has las a paper deficit of Less than lan 30 banks have closed in Louisiana Louisina Louisi Louisi- ana na in 10 years |
