Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-10-04


tells the story. Receipts may be large
on small, it is the disbursements only
| that economy affects. The democrats.
| instead Of showing how and where
| they have reduced expenses, point To
! the money on hand as evidence that
| they have done so. On that theory a
! man who earns but 5000 Il year and
Is obliged to spend it all is eXtrava-
CANT because he saves nothing, while
the man who earns $1,000 and perhaps
! spends $1,000 Of it is economical be
! cause he has something left The con
tent.On of the democrats that because
they have money on hand they must
! have been economical would seem TO
| be too absurd to deceive anybody. ana
yet their papers and speakers are
! loudly insisting that the money in rha
! treasury is conclusive evidence Of their
| economy. The true and only test as
to which of the parties has been the
/ most economical is to compare the eN-
| penSeS for similar purposes incurred
! by each party during Il series Of
! years. This will Enthusiastically decide
| the question upon its merits. For this
! purpose | submit a series of cOmpari-
sons. The figures are official, being ell
taken from the reports Of the Secre-
| tary Of state. There are but three
| years i'll which comparisons can be
made. as the accounts for the present
year are not yet made up in the Secre-
| taryS office. | compare the three
years Of democratic rule. 1928. with
the last three years Of republican rule,
1SSS-9-9O | take the leading items
from the general fund. such as the ex-
pensVS Of the state institutions clerk
hire. labor about capitol. transient
L1or. incidental expenses, etc The
expenses for the different offices IN
the capitol cannot be given for 1898
rs they were not published by the
secretary that year, but the aggre-
gates, outside of the stated salaries
will be found under the heads Of
/ clerk hire and other expense ac-
counts that are given. A reference
TO the reports of the secretary for the
years 1912. the first two years OF
democratic ECONOMY" will show that
the expenses were greater than under
the last two republican years i'll all
the state offices except the SecretaryS
| One of the greatest sources of eX-
penSeS to the state, and where the
greatest opportunity is afforded for
the employment of economy. is in the
maintenance of the state penal and
charitable institutions. Here are the
figures, taken from the reports of the
secretary of state:
State hospital for the inSane-EX-
penses for 1888. SOB S2419: 1889. $50
S13.44; 1890, $105, 67515. Total for
last three republican years, $292-
312.7S Expenses 1891 $10r. 161 H:
1892, SOC, 436.14; 1898, $113 33333 A To-
tai for three democratic years. $31O,-
93703. Democratic increase, SIS
62421.
Northern hospital for the insane
Expenses 1888 $11O,310.29; 1889, $113,-
60G.49; 1890, $1O5, Total for
last three republican years. $500
591 .93. Expenses 1891. $12O 5S3. % ;
1892. $11S,S94S1; 1898, STA. O93.59.
Total for three democratic years, $353.
57163. Democratic increase, S23,-
9197O.
School for blind-EXpenseS for 1855
800. the last three republican years,
sec. O7313 For 1S91-2-3. last three
democratic years. So. 42O.1S Demo
cratic increase, $1S,347.05.
School for dcaf-EXpenses for 1888
900 $12O.23906. For 1923. SIP
S04.69. Democratic increase, ST.
43437.
Industrial school for boys-Expenses
for 1SSS-9-90. $40, 5SS.42 For 1891
2-3. S1GS.3345 80. Democratic increase.
S27.7460S.
State public school-EXpenses. 1885
900. $40, SS3.27 For 1923. $780,
1909 Democratic increase, $40
S47.32.
Net expense by the democrats for
three years, in excess of expense by
republicans, $101, 1905.
Rather a remarkable manifestation
of economy I leave the state prison
out of the comparison. as nearly all
its expenses are paid by the convict
i labor. Lit has cost the state only about
$50. 900 for the past three years.
Our democratic friends may seek to
explain these very embarrassing fig
ures by claiming that the state is
growing also, and therefore that it
costs more now than it did a few
! years ago to maintain them. This is
not the fact. The average number of
inmates in our charitable and penal
| institutions was not greater during
the years 1S91-2-3 than for the three
previous years. Here are the figures
! taken from the official reports of the
! board of control having charge of the
institutions In the state hospital the
years 1SSS-9-90 was 1856: for the years
1923. 525 In the northern hospital,
! average number of inmates for 1855
900, $50; for the years 1S91-2-3, 627.
! In the school for the blind the aver
age for 1SSS-9-90. SO; for the years
/ 1S91-2-3 SO. School for the deaf, aver
! age for 1SSS-9-9O. 1913; for 1923. 175.
Industrial school for boys. average for
= 1SSS-9-90, 391; for years 1929, 345.
State school. average for 1888
900, 1913: for 1923. 240. TAX
ing them all together it will be seen
that the average has not increased.
! How, then. can we account for the
greatly increased expenditures in
these institutions. except on the
ground of democratic extravaganza?