The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-10
INCREASE OF EXPENDITURES.

1890
The meeting of the several state legisia-
lures at the commencement of the centen-
NAL year, with the several financial reports
made thereto. has called attention to the
increase of ordinary expenditures in the
states during the PAST fifteen years-that
lie, from $50, the year piior 10 the war.
Thus, it is shown that in New Jersey the
ordinary expenditures have increased from
5000, 993. A in 1860, TO $1,6lS,4l6- Al in
1915. An increase of over eight hundred
per cent in fifteen years is thus SNOWMAN
increase out Of ell proportion and reason,
and yet we are told that New Jersey is still
"the best governed and least taxed Of
" states"
We, in Vermont, are prone to complain
of the excessive bur,hens of taxation, the
extravaganza in ordinary state expendi-
lures, and the alarming increase in both di-
rections-and one is necessarily the con
comitant of the other-but with the figures
from that "best governed and least taxed
of states before>us, we propose to see
how this tax ridden, poorly governed state
of Vermont stands in comparison there.
with. In 1860 the population of this state
was, in round numbers, three hundred and
fifteen thousand the grand list for state
taxes, nine hundred and seventy nine thou.
sand six hundred and four dollars-S079,.
604. 70; the state tax, twenty per cent; and
the expenditures for ordinary expenses
$751;, 507S3.
In 1875, the population-allowing The
same proportionate per cent. of increase
from 1870 to 1875 as from 1860 to 1870
was three hundred and thirty-nine thous
and, three hundred and thirty-eight ; thu
grand list for state taxes, one million, on'
hundred and fifty-one thousand dollars
state tax, thrty-tve per cent. and the cx
penditures for ordinary expenses, $40,
population has only increased, during Thu
fifteen years since 1860 some eight pc
cent, and the grand list about in the SAM
proportion, the increase of the Ordinar,
expenditures has been about one hundred
per cent-or, allowing for the difference
in the purchasing power of money, ha
just about doubled-while the state tax i
one-third larger than in 1870. In tine en-
deavor to show in what manner this in
crease of expenditures has been made VI
shall be compelled to refer TO those of 1871
that year being the last one in which
session OF the general assembly was held
and of which we have a detailed statemen
of the expenditures. The ordinary ex
penditures OF that year were S3SS, 240. AZ
while the state tax was the same as in 1875
the grand list some twenty-seven THOUSAND
dollars less, and the population, as we es
innate it, some one or two per cent. less.
A large proportion Of the increased ex
penditures has been made in salaries
Thus we see that the debenture of the gen
eral assembly--the figures being, of course
for the year ending in August-lncrease
from $2S, 1928. 40 in 1860 TO $50 022 90 i
lS73-that of 1873 being some eight thous
and dollars in excess of 1875. The differ
ence being in excess of the difference in tn
pay of MEMBERSHIP salary in 1860 bein
two dollars per day and in 1878 three do
lars, while the length of the session IT
NAMED about the same. The salary q
judges of the supreme court in 1856
amounted to $l1, 20904, and in 1873 t
ST., 800; the judges of probate in 1860 r,
ceved So, 1876 90, and in 1878 $11, 100 90
the state treasurer and auditor of account
received three times as much salary in 1877
as in 1860, and the secretary of state nearl
four times as much; while the goycrnc
alone had his salary unchanged, it beinl
at both dates, ten hundred and fifty dollar
Whatever may be said of other salaries,
will not, we presume, be claimed thu
ten hundred and fifty dollars for the go'
ernor, twenty-five hundred dollars to I'll
judges of the supreme court, three dollar
per diem to the members Of the gener,
assembly, or from two hundred to mir
hundred dollars for judges of probate al
extravagant salaries.
There are other expenditures which ca
hardly be called extravagant, which go
make up this increase. In 1873, we fin
the item of S29,332 90 for expenses of Il
reform school, an institution which W,
not in existence in 1860, and which, "
venture to say, the people of Vernon
would not part with even If it cost doub
that amount annually. We find, too,