The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-06

machinery Aad outfit for manufacturing grain
bags from jata The policy adopted has in
volved cheaper grain bags for our eastern
farmers, keeping money within tie state here
toiore sent abroad to purchase grsin bags, and
making convists earn the cost of taeir keeping.
Our state, being part of the enlightened ana pro-
gressive North, dominated BY political party
in sympathy with laboring men. does not farm
its convicts on. 70 compete with lkborers. a. In
Tennessee. The juts mill and gram bag enter
prise is proving . splendid success good
quality OF grain bags is being manufactured At
the rate OF 1000 per day. and the peni-
Tertiary commission has sold $1,000 al.
ready during the brief interval since the
machinery was put in operation. CT course the
money invested in buildings and Plant Will not
need to be duplicated in the near iutursL With
our rapidly increasing population the necessary
cost Of caring for the insane has enormously In
creased Besidss appropriating $22s.OCo for the
asylum 1t etelacoom, the state legislatures
have set apart SIS, $50 for asylum at Mettcal
lake. These amounts also include large sums.
- investments in buildings, ETC.. and tho e.
tablishiDg of IA asylum east Of the mountains
ing insane patieatA
Take the matter OF our homo for INDECENT,
MANNED and needy ex-Union soldiers and
sailors. established 1t Or'ing 1t cost OF 50 GOO
Who objects to that expenasf
Then there 10 the reform school at Chehalis
(cost $25.00o). Was this . wise, necessary. hu-
name and desirable expenditure?
For the cause Of education our state legis-
latures have Appropriated:
For the state university ct Seattle $4,000
For the state normal school at Eilensbufg,
$1,000
For the state normal school at Cheney, Sls,3o0
Is the Republican party to be condemned for
thisf
For the cost OF making proper and credit
n eY nf cn1p In ct af IN
Republican Legislature voted &l0S,o
Shall this be called useless extravagancef
For state agricultural college at Pullman
$4,000 Part Of this is 10 be repaid to the state
from proceeds of sales Of lands granted by the
federal government Establishing the institu-
ton secures to the state the benefit OF $4,000
annual appropriation from the national
treasury.
For expenses incident to the state land de-
parsment, handling school lands, etc, $4,000
have been voted In expanding parts OF this
amount about 100000 acres Of school, lands have
been sold. placing In the permanent state
school fund over 100000. which is yielding IN
interest income OF per cent year. By ex-
pending further amount provided temporarily
BY the state officials about 10000 acres OF the
$4,000 acres granted 10 the stats have been
selected.
For the purpose Of establishing harbor lines
Gan expense that need never be duplicated)
$46,oO0 has been voted.
For expense of the state tide land commission,
$2 400 This 10 being returned to the state treas
ury many times over from sales OF tide land.
For the state mining bureau, $6l 900. This In
ciudes $4,000 for geological survey which has
not been expended.
For the state fish commission ard hatchery,
$l5,5o0.
For state library, $4,000.
For codifying the laws, $4,000
The list might be extended somew hat BY addi.
tons OF minor items, but these named, aggre-
eating 81, Isl, 749. constitute the main bulk Of
appropriations made since our state government
was organized, and aside from these items the
mere running expenses Of the state govern ment
have been comparatively small In fact, when
1T comes TO salaries. any one who will take the
trouble to inquire can easily ascertain that it
costs more to carry on the municipal
government of each OF the leading cities
of the state than the running expenses of thS
state government proper amount TO. Is it not
pertinent, when political agitators ere denounc.
ing alleged extravagance in state affairs, to 70
quest them to specify what particular item Of
expense specially merits their WRATH Whole
sale denunciatiOn II easily made, and counts for
httla Notwithstanding these enormous appro-
priations, made necessary by the conditions Of
new and rapidly developing state. the state of
Washington has q tax levy of only mills. The
state of Idaho has tax levy OF 81 mills, nearly
three times ours. Not dollar of state debt has
been incurred. The state legislature to
meet next January will ind a handsome sur
plus in the treasury. The $300,u00 debt in
herlted from the territory was funded by act OF
the first state legislature, under which bonds
were doatsd resulting In saving OF $500 each
year in the matter of interest The Republican
party can well afford to submit thesa facts to an
intelligent constituency. It is not contended
that Democratic or Peoples party members of
the Legislature would not have supported most.
If not all Of the appropriations noted; but the
Republicans are charged (and very properly
with the responsibility. Suppose they had re-
fused to make the appropriation-would they
have been derelict in their duty? Would they
not have merited censure for failing to compre-
bend the needs and desires OF q progressive
commonwealth Very respectfully,
ALLEN WEIR,