Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1898-01-14

stances, 1t ought to be PAID as soon
as possible, even at the expense OF q
slightly increased levy. Our people.
in common with those Of every
state and Of every country and or
every time, complain Of high taxes,
and its has become quite popular to
attribute the excessive burden to
mismanagement In state aifalrs.
The aggregate taxes collected for
all purposes within the state IS, IN
round numbers, $19,0o0,000. OF this
only about per cent goes to the
state. Ninety-two per cent IS alb
sorbed at home. Assuming that all
railroad taxes are paid by residents
Of the state, and it swells our aggre-
gate taxation to between IS and 81
per capita, Of which about 60 cents
reaches the state treasury. Should
the state levy be increased to mills
it would make per capita differ
ence of ~ cents. TO decrease the
levy to 2h mills would save SO cents
to the man whose annual tax IS $50.
To increase it to mills would add
20 cents to his annual tax.
1t has occurred to me that no one
can very certainly tell to what ex-
tent our state taxes can be de-
creased. 1t will be a matter IF felic-
itation if it can be reduced TO 9k
mills, but I am not prepared, at this
time, to promise more than a good
faith attempt. Taxes are too high
only when an expenditure is made
which Is needless, or excessive. They
are never too high when the affairs
of state are economically adminis-
tered, when no more departments
are maintained than the demands
Of the state require, when no more
Improvements to state institutions
are made than are necessary, and
when all revenues are honestly COL
lected and faithfully applied to the
purposes for which they were desig-
mated. I shall, indeed be glad to
see my adopted state return during
my administration to the pay as
you go" principle. There is little
that we can bequeath to our chill
dren more depressing in effect than
debt. 1t is doubtful, however, if the
state levy can be appreciably re-
duced: certainly not if the custom
shall continue of annually lowering
the assessed valuation of the prop
erty of the state. That this expe-
dent for reducing taxes has been
resorted to in the past is most APP
parent. In 1871 the cattle of the
state bore an average assessment
of $13.37. This has been gradually
decreased until in 1895 it reached
$496. Horses in 1874 were assessed
at $42.67, and in 1897 at $1l.S1. The
live stock in Iowa was assessed
$19C00,000 less in 1897 than in 1889. A
state levy Of 2H mills even upon
this amount would have yielded
$4750O per annum. The assessed
valuation Of live stock has been re-
duced q per cent since 1898; other
personal property Az per cent, and
railroad property a fraction over
one per cent. Assessed valuations
must be maintained or increased
levies must follow. The expense Of
state administrations do not in
crease simply because properly is
undervalued by the assessors. On
the contrary. the expense Of the
state has grown constantly, and in
some items rapidly. The number of
inmates of all our state institutions
has very materially increased. and
in several has more than doubled
since 1890.
Whatever may be the sequel of
the next two years, it is pleasure
to succeed an administration
against which no whisper of dishon-
esty has been heard, and one as re-
lated to all matters Of public duty,
admittedly worthy of emulation.
Much has been said in SOME sec
tons of the state, but zone too
much, about the application OF bust
ness principles to state affairs. All
this meets my most hearty APP
proval. viii any forbid me the pre-
sumption that we are all. without
ND ~ iv,tn ak irfn r,l
in the success Of this admlnistra-
tion.. ] can assure you that I am
and to that end l desire the assist
ance of every good citizen. Permit
me, then, to suggest that it will not
evidence good business methods on
the part Of the public to either
praise or blame every act of official
discretion, for it is safe to assume
they will be neither wholly good nor
wholly bad. The prudent housewife
only criticises particular items of
maladministration. taking care to
point out the specific errors COM
planned Of that they may be COR
rected and not repeated, and thus
exercises more influence in the af-
fairs of her home than the common
scold, who seeks to discover nothing
worthy of her communication, and
is able to disclose nothing subject
to censure. Should anything con-
nected with the affairs of state
within the purview of the eXe.uti*a
department come to the knowledge
of any citizen, calculated to cause a
suspicion Of evil or should any els
cover wherein. in his opinion. the
resources of the state ara being eE-
travagantly expended, it should be
his duty. as it is my desirA, to
promptly report the same, with as
much particularly as possible, to
the administration, that it may be
investigated and corrected if within
my power: and otherwise that the
attention of the legislature may be
directed thereto and spedey rem
edy recommended. In the absence
of such particularized complaint. let
us all indulge the happy presump-
ton that the departments Of state
are being fairly conserved; that the
public servant is about as honest
as the private individual. that the
citizen is neither made greater nor
less, better nor worse, simply by be-
ing called from private privilege to
public duty, and that officials are
generally wont to bring to the SER
vice Of the state the same measure
of integrity. industry, care, fore
thought and economy that he has
manifested in the humber and more
congenial walks of life.