Legislative Messages of Hon. James V. Allred, Governor of Texas 1935-1939 Page: 25 of 263
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-26
tional
or departmental, for the next ensuing biennium based upon the
financial statement and revenue estimate of the State Auditor. This,
of course, is a stupendous task and, of necessity, requires hearings to
be had by practically every department. After the hearings, it is the
duty of the Board to prepare and submit to the Governor and the
Legislature a proposed budget for both Legislative and Executive consideration.
It
is then made my duty as the incoming Governor of this State to
consider the budget so prepared and to deliver to the Legislature, within
twenty days from my inauguration, budget bills of appropriation and
an executive message discussing budgetary requirements of the State
Government.
The already burdened Board of Control finds it exceedingly difficult
to hold careful and intelligent hearings upon all the minute requirements
of State organizations. Necessarily the Board is guided, to a
large extent, by past appropriations-a quite evident poor policy of
either finance or political economy.
The budget of the Board of Control was delayed in delivery this year
due to a combination of reasons as shown from the Board's letter of
transmittal. The Board states that the budget "has been delayed by
tardiness of the state agencies-and also by the fact that the State
Auditor did not present his financial statement and revenue estimate
until several weeks after the legally required date for the submission
of such statements."
My immediate predecessor, Governor Miriam A. Ferguson, in her message
to this Legislature, practically adopted the recommendations of the
Board of Control.
I believe all members of this Legislature will understand that an
impossible task is required of an incoming Governor to consider intelligently
the budgetary requirements of the entire State Government during
the twenty days allowed by law. I do not believe that it is sound economy
to entrust such an important matter as appropriations to the necessarily
meager investigation that is physically possible from the standpoint of
the Chief Executive officer of this State. Of necessity, I am compelled
to adopt substantially the budget prepared by the Board of Control.
In the past the Legislature has attempted to investigate, item by
item, the innumerable appropriations made for the State Government.
The Appropriation Committee of the House and the Finance Committee
of the Senate are, of course, in much better position to make this study
than the Governor. It is, however, no reflection on the Legislature to
say that it is not physically possible for the Legislature, as a body,
or for any committee of the Legislature, to consider seriously and
intelligently every item of our Texas appropriation bills. It is a reasonable
statement of facts self-evident to say that all the individual items
of the appropriation bill can not receive their ample consideration even
by the Legislature.
It is not to be overlooked that the system of making itemized appropriations
has long been followed in this State and has grown year by
year. Such policies, formulated over a period of years, are not to be
hastily regarded or thrown aside; yet, the progress of State Government
and the development of new and more efficient methods of con
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Allred, James V. Legislative Messages of Hon. James V. Allred, Governor of Texas 1935-1939, book, 1939; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth3899/m1/25/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .