The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-01
would have ia serious sc ention g,
them but being Fnlsi.d esby, honest and sin.

them, hut being me- esbys honest and ssin-
ccrc men, who believed them osbe true;
they did make a prof found Impression upon
the taxpayers OF the State and there
was a demand for reform.
After investigating the subject. how
ever, we became entirely satisfied that
these figures. though anintentionally so.
were misleading, and that there was no
ground for the charge Of extravaganza,
had long been conceded that the criminal
expenses OF Virginia were much greater
than they should be, but various reform
measures had lreen offered and some of
them adopted; and by degrees necdful re-
forms were being accomplished. AS for
other expenses. however. The Times set
about TO show. and we think did show,
that they were not abnormally large
and that our form Of government was not
cxtravagant.
We did this in the interest of truth, for
we felt that 1t was an injustice to the
STATE to have such statements as above
mentioned advertised abroad. and, more
over. we felt sure that the Taxpayers
would be disappointed If they expected
any very great reduction in the expenses
OF government through Constitutional re-
vision.
The convention has now completed its
work, and Mr.. TurnbulI announces that
it will save to the people the sum of
$685., COL 10 a year. That would seem to in
dictate that The Times was wrong. But
when we come TO look at the figures in
detail we find that OF this sum s437, 099
is to be saved by reducing the tax-rate
from 40 cents to 30 cents on the hundred
dollars; s17,5oO is to be saved by shorten
ing the legislative term; s21. 132 is to be
saved to the counties. The actual saving
to the State. according to Mr.. Turnbull's
estimate, is to be found in these items:
Saving iii salaries of Judges. s27,444 16
Saving in election cxpenses..... 10000
Saving by change in jury system 10000
Total ....................;..... So1,444 l6
That is worth saving, to be sure, and
lnent will be more efficient thar the old
form, but this comparatively slight re-
duction after months and months Of care
full study and work on the part Of dele
gates is conclusive that our old form Of
government was not extravagant.
But. it may be asked, how is it that
the tax-rate has been reduced? Tho tax
rate has been reduced by arbitrary act Of
the convention, and many believe that it
is not warranted by conditions Those
members of the convention. who favored
the reduction claim that-it was practical
bic. in view of the saving and in view,
Furthermore, of the forthcoming increase
in the revenues of the State from the rail
road companies. But. however that may
be, the Legislature could have reduced
the tax-rate without any enabling act on
the part of the convention :>could have re-
duced the tax-rate without the assem-
bling of Constitutional Convention.
We do not mean to discourage the work
of the Constitutional Convention. We
wish merely to point out the fact that,
with all it's efforts, the convention was
unable to make any sweeping reductions
in government expenses, wlicll means
that our government under the "Under-
wood Constitution" was not eXtravagant