The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-06
STATE EXPENSES.

STATE EXPENSES.
The report of the state officers for the
two years ending July 81, 1876, shows
that it has cost to "run the state, for the
two wears, exclusive of what has been
paid on account of the principal of the
public debt, the enormous sum OF 1882,
33S. 70, being an average of over one hun
drcd and sixteen thousand dollars per an
mum, and more than one dollar and TWEEN
ty-fve cents to each man, woman and
child of the population for each year.
In 1860, the entire expenses of the state,
exclusive Of the payments on account OF
the principal of the public debt and the eX-
penditures in the erection of the state house,
were trihc over two hundred thousand
dollars-$200, 40. 02--so that It appears
that the expenses of the state have more
than doubled in sixteen years. The differ
ence in the expenditures in 1860 and 1874
we take these years because there was
the expense of session of the general as
sembly to be pAid each year-was S261,-
OS9.19, and this sum represents the in
creased cost of running the state govern
ment per annum.
1t is the first duty OF the general assem-
bly, to ascertain the cause of this enormous
increase OF expenses, and, when found, to
apply the axe to the root OF the evil with
r. E., fp,
animation, that the criminal expenses of
the state-that is, sheriff accounts, expens-
es of courts Of inquiry, irqueets, etc.-have
gone up from less than thirteen thousand
dollars in 1860, to over seveniy-two thou
sand dollars in 1876. One Cause Of this viii
be found in the fact that certain OF these
expenses are now paid by the state, where.
as, in 1860, they were paid, if ct all, by
the several towns. The main caufc of
this increase, however, will be found in
the fact that while the state pays its states
attorneys certain fixed salary, and oblges
them to prosecute all persons charged
with murder, forgery, arson, perjury, lar
ceny, and other high crimes without other
compensation than their salaries, it rays
them from two dollars TO two hundred dol
lars OF more for every conviction they oh
tain for a violation of what the supreme
court calls /" Il mere police regulation
Neither the auditor or the county clerk
give us the items by WHICH we can as SC,
attorney fees, but it IS patent to the mos
superficial observer that they amount II
the aggregate to very large sum, being
probably more than five times as much a
is paid to the states attorneys for saaries
We dc not propose to refer to this class Of
expenses any further than to say, that i
the fees of prosecuting officers were tn,
same for all classes Of crimes and misde
meanors-the same for breach of th,
peace or violation Of mere police regu
lation as for murder, larceny, or arson
the criminal expenses of the state would BIT
decreased at least twenty-five thousand
dollars q year.
We turn to the auditors report for tn,
year 1860, and fad that the secretary O.
state was paid four hundred dollars IN full
for his services aud expenses; but wher
we come to 1875, we find him charged
with receiving a salary of two thousand
dollars, and with being paid over one thou
sand dollars for "oflcial expenses" i
there any reason or propriety in this extra
ordinary increase? His duties or respon
sbilitles are not increased in any such pro
portion. Indeed, all the additional dutie
imposed upon him since 1860, could b,
performed by an assistant in one week
time. Can there not be retrenchment here
The secretary of state is not the only Of
ticer who has a STAT thing of it. The sal
aries and expenses Of the auditor of &C
count and state treasurer have increased il
the same proportion. In 1860, each re
celved an annual salary of five hundred
dollars, and the accounts of both, for sal
aries and expenses, amounted to 81, O2l,6O
In 1876, they each received p salary of I'll
teen hundred dollars, and there was pai
to the treasurer for "expenses" Sl,Sll.5g
and to the auditor S7S5. 31-being for sal
AIRY and expenses 50, 5000 So we hav
these thIee ofiicers-secretsry of state
state treasurer, and auditor of accounts
receiving $S,674 SO now agsintt 81, 421. G
in 1860, an increase of 81, 252,92 IN STA
teen gears! Is it any wonder that tax-paY
era complain of the burthens Of taxation
This is not all, The expenses of print
ing and stationery for the legislature an
state officers, and for publishing the re
ports Of the several state officers has gon
up from less than eight thousand dollars il
1860 to more than thirly-fve thousand del
lars in 1875 and, in addition to this, nor
than ten thousand dollars is charged as al
for the same purposes in 1876. How
happens that S2,461.43 was paid 70
'printng and stationery, legislative dur
ing the year ending July 81, 1876, whei
there was no session of the general assem
bly,, might puzzle anyone but Vernon
state officers, and it's solution may hell
solve the problem of our extraordinary in
crease in state expenses. With this prob
lem we will leave the matter for sthe pres
emit
RUTLAND COUNTY IN THE LEGlsLATURI
gtata NfHoa,a