Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-12
THE EXPENSES OF TWO STATES

The legislature of Minnesota, which has
but recently adjourned, appropriated for the
expenses of the current fiscal year the very
considerable SUM of seven hundred
and ten thousand dollars. The legis-
lature of Wisconsin has appropriated
a trifle less than three hundred
thousand dollars for the same time. People
will be at something of loss to account for
this great difference in the expenses of the
two adjoining States, both with apparently
the same needs. The disparity is account
able only from the difference in the govern
ment of the States.
Wisconsin has two large insane asyIums,
each containing a greater number of pa-
tients than the entire number in both of orr
asylums, and yet they cost that State far less
than the cost of the maintenance of the ST..
Peter asylum alone. She has an asylum for
the blind, and a separate one for the deaf
and dumb, each under different control,
and although the number of inmates in
these institutions is moro than double that
in the Minnesota asylum, their care costs
much less. Wisconsin has State prison
larger and more numerously populated than
the one at Saltwater, yet it is almost self
sustaining, while our institution has cost the
State eighty thousand dollars for the cur
rent year. The salary list of Minnesota
alone is almost equal to the entire cost of
running the government of Wisconsin, vet
we do not hear that Minnesota is governed
better than Wisconsin.
One thing is very evident: 1t costs alto
gether too much to govern this State. We
have too many officers for so young State
too many, in fact, for any State. There are
many of them that are absolutely useless
While the duties of some of them are sup
posed to be important to the welfare of the
State, those duties could be just as we'll dis
charged by local officers, or could be given
to other officers who are regarded as indis-
pensable to the administration OF public
affairs, but are not overburdened with work.
Then, too, there is reform needed in the
management of our State institutions. Thew
cost altogether too much for the amount of
benefit they confer upon the people. There
IS no occasion for the expendi-
ture of over hundred thousand
dollars year for one insane
asylum, or for the expenditure of similar
amount on penal institution that ought to
be self-sustaining Our normal schools,
that furnish only about twelve per cent. of
the teachers needed in the State, are an ex-
pensive luxury, and it is matter of doubt if
it is the duty'of the State to tax the whole
public to furnish any class of people means
of livelihood. THE State might just as we'll
pay the cost of teaching all citizens trade
as to give part of them an education suffi-
cient to enable them to earn living. Our
charitable institutions are also too costly, and
by little economy decided saving can be
effected. It is too late now to effect re
form in these directions Immediately. The
legislature that has just closed made no at
tempt, save in the way of protestations in
favor of economy, to reduce expenses. When
it came to vote majority was always
found in favor of retaining all the officers
and keeping up the expenses to the full
limit. Perhaps. when the people feel the
burdens of taxation next fall they NAV
awaken to the necessity of doing something
more than talk about retrenchment.