Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-20
STATE FIGURES.

1t is favorite pastime of administers
tions to compare their own economies with
the extravagances of their predecessors.
So far as the people gain information from
these comparisons, relative to the cost Wis
tied upon them for maintaining the State
Government, these comparisons are Of
value. They should not, however, be
warped by partisan prejudice We have
very little concern whether a Republican
or a Democratic administration expends
more or less in the conduct of the State
Government; the question is, Were the
expenditures justified? or were they au-
thorized by the people, represented in the
Legislature? But the Governor, in his
recent message, prefers to treat the figures
of the reports III merely comparative
sense, 10 illustrate the economy of the
present administration-not in the abstract
and as justified by its own virtue. but as
compared to the expenditures of the pre-
ceding administration. Had he given the
present figures Of expenditure alone, there
could be no exception taken. But the
Governor takes occasion to quote the fig
ures Of the preceding administration to
show, not so much how economic is the
present management as to illustrate how
much less expenditure it has made than
former management, and how much less
the people have been taxed. As we. YES
terday, pointed out, the decrease Of the
tax rate is a matter Of course when values
augment, assessments are raised and GOV
ernmental expenses do not proportionately
increase. Bat common fairness, regardless
Of political predictions, demand that the
comparisons instituted by the message be
carried to greater extent, accompanied by
retrospection is to the facts.
The preceding administration came into
power in a time of constitutional revolu
ton, when a readjustment of political
balances and State government was going
on. 1t was in the latter two years Of It's
term, put to extraordinary expenses. ac-
cording to the official reports.
For instance there was deficiency from
the thirtieth fiscal year for support of the
State Printing Office of SCI ,l54 II. While
the message claims this administration
laid out $l63,Oo0 for buildings for the
insane, the preceding administration. for =
like purpose, was compelled to expend
$4,000. It expended for redemption of
State bonds, 100000, which the present
administration has not been called upon TO
do. The State printing ofiire was enlarged
and stocked, $4,000; buildings erected
for the Deal, Dumb and Blind ASYLUM.
Slls500; a building for the Normal
School Ito replace one burned).
100000; Normal School building at Los
Angeles $4,000; purchase of jute ma
chinery, etc, for State Prison, $4,000;
deficiencies for support of State Prison
prior to the thirty-second fiscal year, $67.-
DIS IA; deficiency prior TO the thirty-sec-
ond fiscal year for completion of the Prison
nj folsom, $500 Tor grounds 1T the
Normal School, $4,000. 1t is not neces-
essary to further detail these, since they
are recorded in the reports. 1t is claimed
by the reports that these were not due to
extravaganza, and the claim has not been
put in issue so far as we know, though the /
wisdom of the jute business was not only
questioned, but is proving by results to be
a failure. But the fact is that the figures !
show the expenditures in the thirty-sec-
ond and thirty-third fiscal years were |.
s., SOC, 1853 SO, and under the two years of
the present administration, 1881 ,009 90. /
Showing credit to the present admins
tratlon OF decrease of $l,212,344 OF, as