Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-08-03

H'ilSts ~ N4l1il touIus, tHut tue
county debt is gradually increasing
from year 10 year. Here are the
figures, which h. collates from the
Aulit"r', reports Of 1893 AMI 1891
IL. .-nal huI.s --.si IL
"uri h"'s" h"uGe l.nt." q.
County variants outstanding . .iois y.
Total cebt s.3a043 e.
Iess cast. III treasury ~ Os3 -
Net indebtedness May l. ls4l Sl7-g7. e.
Set Indebtedness July l. ~! .5i,ilJ =,
Net Indebtedness July !. lsy. ;Js,uva Il.
NET KEsrLTs.
Warrants out >taut;!ug May |, $50. sIo43 "a
warrants outstanding July !. l.y3 81 go -
Warrants outstanding July !, la,i s.,s3g II
He asks, Why are those warrants
iioated? Are not taxes aready high
and more than our people can pay
Docs not this excessive Indebtedness
embarrass our future aid endanger
our prosperity?'
Yes, nobody will deny that PROPOSE.
ton; but il Is quite plain that the
warrants are iloated" to meet cur.
rent expenses, and the issue must con-
tinue to be in excess OF the revenue,
unless expenditures are reduced to
correspond with the income. 1t is a
simple matter Of mathematical COM
pu,ation, and as long as the factors
remain the same, no process of addi-
ton or multiplication will vary the
result. The pruning knife should
be again applied. and instead OF lop-
ping off the small shoots an occasional
limb should be removed or put to use.
In these times it is not asking too
much that each head Of a department
OF the public service should perform
some of the manual or clerical work
that is now merely done under his d.
rection. The time is past, and the
conditions too hard. for the people to
pay anybody to sit down and look on
while others perform the work. Sal
aries are still high while wages is low.
The number OF subordinates in public
employ is still large while many
lsborers are compelled to accept en-.
forced idleness.
A prominent Republican, the other
day, submitted his idea of a reduc-
ton, which. though it may seem radi-
cal. will bear patient thought. Begin
ming with the State service, he would
reduce all salaries from % to 50 per
cent; he would dispense with that
fifth wheel to the party wagon, the
Lieutenant Governor; he would abol.
ish the Office of State Auditor, and At
tach the duties to those of Secretary
OF State and give the clerks in that of.
flee something more to do than com.
pile statistics for An immigration PAM
phlet and smoke their pipes during
the short business hours of the day.
He would dispense with the deputy
in the State Treasuref's office; dis
solve the Land Commission, and give
the Commissioner of Public Lands
something to do or abolish his Office.
He would restore the fee system in
our courts, so as to make litigants, as
far as possible, pay their own costs.
Coming down TO county offices his
ideas were equally sweeping. The Au.
ditor and Sheriff to have one deputy
each; the Treasurer clerical Aid while
collecting taxes, limited to reason
able amount; the Assessor and his
deputies to receive q per diem equal
to the pay for ordinary skilled labor,
and their time limited to a reasonable
period for doing the work; the Com
missioners to meet once each quarter
to supervise the work of the county,
sessions limited to five days, except
while sitting ~ board of equalization {;
Clerk of the Court to perform the work
of that Office in person, and all other
officers to be limited to the help
necessary after eight hours of steady
labor by the principal, and the services
of those paid by per diem to be limited
to work absolutely necessary to be
done and no more time allowed than
is required TO do the work in an &C.
ceptable manner.
1t 10 not expected that the sugges.
ton of such radical changes will be re-
ceived with favor by those who hold
positions now or are aspiring for Office,
but it will be seen that such q cut in
public expenditures would at once
down the ghost which now sits at every
feast.
To reduce the salaries of State Off
GERS will, of course, require an smend-
ment to the Constitution, and now
seems to be a very proper time to ad.
vocate the measure, on the eve of cleo
ton OF Legislature. No amendment
10 required TO abolish the Offices of
Lieutenant Governor, Auditor and
Commissioner of Public Lands, the
trainers of that document having
builded wiser than they knew when
imagined that the emergency might
arise when such action would be nee
essary.
Mr.. Lanes admonition should not
be forgotten, and it would probably be
we'll to revive the taxpayers move
ment, the Yakima Convention having
fizzled from information after several
counties had elected delegates that
the call was made without authority
from the people. Clarke county took
the initiative in the matter, about a
year ago, and has q we'll organized
Taxpayers League, and if it will but
issue q call for State Convention
there is but little doubt it would be
hailed with satisfaction by such think.
ers as Mr.. Lane and such workers as
the people will be when some pathway
is definitely defined whereby they may
pass out from the wilderness of doubt
and perplexity that has surrounded
them the past three years, during which
time business has been paralyzed