REPORT OF THE COMPTROLLER OF THE TREASURY 11

expected to exist following the surrender of our enemies. However,
the unemployment problem failed to materialize with the cessation
of hostilities, and it was inadvisable, because of inability to obtain
materials and the excessive cost of materials and scarcity of labor,
with consequent increased construction costs, to follow through with
the program which had been previously planned. As a result of
the conditions which existed, the Board of Public Works, in January
1947, decided to abandon the program, with the exception of the
projects which were under construction at the time, or for which
commitments had been definitely made, and cancel out all projects
for which there were no obligations on the part of the State.

This action of the Board of Public Works did not, however, stop
all future construction, as it was recognized that the various State
Institutions and Agencies were in need of further additions to their
physical plants. A survey was made as to what was termed the
emergency needs of the State in construction and in taking care
of maintenance and equipment which had suffered during the war
years. As a result of the survey the needs of the State as to con-
struction and maintenance were set up in a bill which was passed
at the 1947 Session of the General Assembly, known as the General
Construction Loan of 1947, authorizing the issuance of bonds in the
amount of $11,695,000.00, and designating the construction and
other projects for which this money is to be used. The State has
already proceeded to take care of its needs for construction and
maintenance, and bringing the condition of the State's physical
properties up to date, through the issuance of $5,000,000.00 of bonds
of the Genera] Construction Loan of 1947.

A detailed account of the Post-War Construction Program, cover-
ing the operation of that program in the fiscal year 1947, will be
found in one of the statements in this report. It is expected that
construction for which commitments have been made in the past,
will be liquidated by the close of the fiscal year 1948.

REVENUES. Because of the need for additional revenues to
take care of increased appropriations made in the budget for the
next biennium, it was necessary to create new sources of revenue
and to increase some of the existing sources. These new revenues
are also needed to replace revenues which the State will lose in the
future because of the passage of legislation allocating to the various
political units of the State revenues formerly received into the State
Treasury for general purposes. The revenues which the State has
received in the past from business licenses, aggregating over a million
dollars a year, will be distributed to the City and the counties by the
Clerks of Court collecting the money from the sale of licenses.
The Clerks of Court will also distribute to their respective local
units of government the recordation tax on instruments in writing
which has heretofore been a general funds revenue of the State,
amounting to $740,613.93 in the fiscal year 1947. Also, the revenue
which the State has received in the past from the tax on admissions
will be distributed to the counties and incorporated towns of the