Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-28
The Cost of state Governments.

From the Philadelphia Press.
The table giving the increasing cost of
government in twelve states will attract
| the attention of those interested in local
| taxation and expenditure. 1t shows in
nearly every case a large increase in the
sum spent in 1894 or 1895 over that spent
| in 1860 This increase ranges from 3si4 per
cent in Minnesota to IS per cent in Mary
| land The large increase in the first state
| is explainable on the ground of the rapid
growth in population in thirty-five years,
! but why there should be an increase of
| $50 per cent in the expenditures of such a
state as Connecticut where population has
not grown one-tenth as rapidly, 1t is not
| so easy to interpret. The disparity in the
| increase in expenditures and the increase in
| valuation in some other states is as marked
as In Connecticut.
The growth of population would natural
| ly demand largely increased expenditures
| on the part of state governments and the
| increase in wealth could easily bear pro-
portionate increase in taxation. But in
nearly every case the increase in valuation
is very largely below the increase
| in expenditure. New Jersey. for in
| stance, is a state in which the population
| and wealth have grown steadily but not
| phenomenally, but the cost of the state
government has increased from S223,O60 in
| 1860 to 81 2e9 900 in 1895, and meanwhile the
property valuation has grown from 1854, ,40o,-
900 in 1871 to $7S7, 600 900 in 1895 The expense
of the state government per capita twenty
| four years ago was 80 cents, while now 1t is
N35 This is only one instance. Maryland,
| Michigan and Wisconsin show decrease
| in the percentage of expense to each sl,OOe
| of valuation, but in all other cases there is
| an increase.
| With such phenomenal increases in the
money spent for governing states 1t Is not
A.. C@%a toe. n C1 1NrT--
| ing deficits. Connecticut is just now fac
ing the fact that 1t spent $527, ,4S3.O9 more in
| its last fiscal year than its income. In
| other states the subject is attracting atten-
| ton and the demand is made that search
| ing Investigations be begun and all useless
expenditures bo cut off and economy en-
| forced in every direction. Charitable and
reformatory institutions are costing vastly
| more now than they did thirty years ago
and public school expenses have increased
greatly The public is not anxious for
niggardliness in these respects, but there is
| a widespread belief that there has been an
| unnecessary increase in the cost of bureaus
| and departments. or the number of these
| the public has little knowledge. New York
state, for instance, has twenty-three state
| bureaus and commissions, nearly all of
| which have been created since 1885, and for
| each of which a large sum of money is
| appropriated which must be raised by tax
| alton.
When the national census was taken in
1899 the total expenditures for state pur-
poses was placed at S77.l05.9ll, but this did
not include the cost of public schools. AS
these cost over sl39 600, 600 and in addition
| $lI4. .5T5. 4OI are spent by the counties and
$232, 9SS 592 by the municipalities it is easy
| to see why taxation piles up So And as
states. counties and cities must depend for
| their revenues on direct taxation and
licenses it is not surprising that the burden
] becomes at times unbearable. How can