Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-09-12
q marked increase in the expenditure

q maiheu lucredSe IN the eXpendttur
| OF the peoples money. Figures,
know, are usually dull and unintel
esting things at best, but know n
way of getting 1t clearly before yo,
than by the use of them. The cor
stitution requires the Auditor o
State to publish each two year.
list of expenditures of the state
with the copies printed of the SEES
sion laws. By a recourse to them
{, obtain the following figures, ant
.. while the fiscal year ends on June
5oth, yet the figures are approximate
~ correct as applied TO the severa
administrations. From the source
mentioned, l found that there was ex
pended during each administration as
follows:
Larrabee-Four years, s5,746,61755
Boles-Four years, $6,Sl2,46l,
Jackson-Two years, $3,677,O47.36.
Drake-Two years, $4,731, 7o4.33.
Shaw-Four years, sS,616,6SS.63.
Cummins-Four years, Sl2, G2S, 472.41
IL Will be readily seen that Cover
nor Cummins' administration cost
the people of Iowa, in four years,
nearly double what 1t cost them dur.
ing The four years of Horace Boies.
II in this we can see anything denot-
ing great crisis demanding that the
state have the benefit of two years
more OF The Governors services. 1
would be pleased TO have some one
point 1t out. Some one may remark
mat the comparison is unfair, the adj.
mlnistration of Governor Boies be-
ing about sixteen years ago. There
mas not been much change in the
conditions in Iowa since the admin.
istration of Gov. Shaw, Mr.. Cummins
predecessor. Yet, the increase of the
expenditures OF Gov. Cummins over
those OF Gov. Shaw is about fifty
per cent. 1t may be suggested that
the Governor cannot control the ex-
pendlture of money; but our Govern
or would not advance such an argu-
ment. for are not his services abso-
lutely require. for third term in
order that our institutions may be
preserved? Then, cannot he who can
veto bill granting to the people
the right to travel or ship freight
over their choice of two competing
lines, though one be the longer also
veto any bill appropriating money:
Under e constitution of this state
the expenditure of all money must
hrst be authorized by the legislature
and approved by the governor Also
was not the distinguished gentleman
in whom the Governor displayed such
a strong interest and demanded that
ne be nominated ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
the chairman of the senate commit
tee on appropriations during the en-.
tire Cummins administration. and.
presumably, at least, they were on
speaking terms? The above expen.
ditures are not the only Injuries we
have enjoyed under the present ad-
If larger amount of
money Las been spent, it had of ne
cessity . be raised. There were two
ways OF accomplishing this result,
and both were resorteu to. The as.
sesseu vaiuation of the property was
raised, as we have seen, the peoples
eight dohars for every one dollar the
railroads were raised, and the rate
Of tax was the highest known within
a generation. From two mills durinp
Boies' term, it was three
and five-tenths mills two years of
Governor Cummins' administration
but 1t reached in the climax of 1902
TOUR mills. AS one distinguished cit
lien in Iowa remarked, THE luxury
Of perfection comes high in addi-
ton to the ordinary way of raising
money, there has been of late years
additional methods devised
with the nope, no doubt, that it would
tighten the burden of the general
taxpayer. 1t does not seem to have
had that effect. With the increased
notaries' fees, corporation fees. in.
taxes, collateral inheritance
taxes and other miscellaneous sources
there was paid into the state treas.
ury during four years OF Gov. cam
mlns' administration more than one
million six hundred thousand dollars,
while under Gov. Larrabee the total.
am informed from similar sources.
was in round numbers three hundred
thousand dollars. AS have shown,
with increased valuation of property
and with increased rate of taxation.
It does not seem to have assisted
In raising the burden SO far as the
ordinary taxpayer is concerned.
Each session of the legislature
there is appropriated sum which is
placed. directly in the hands of the
governor for the various purposes OF
his office, and Is subject to his own
control. This fund is usually styled
the governors contingent fund. The
disposition toward either extrava-
gance or economy manifests itself
quite distinctly with the use made OF
n T
my late distinguished fellow-towns-
man, Governor Drake, was governor,
that he was called upon to represent
the state in the launching of the
great battleship, named after our
state, Iowa" A ship destined tn
perform such prominent part In the
late unfriendliness with Spain, and
add SO much to the honors of the
navy of our country. Governor Drake.
assisted Dy his accomplished daugh.
ter and an official party of several
performed that duty. And
never have | heard it said from that
day to this that Iowa was not prop
erly and flttingly represented on that
occasion. The records at the state
house fail to reveal that that trip
cost the state a single dollar. How
different with our present governor
He was called upon to represent
Iowa at the launching of, not great
battleship, but a cruiser; not named
for the entire state, but for single
city. When this task was accom-
plis..ed, the records revealed the fact
that 1t had cost the people of .Als
state more than eighteen hundred
dolla's. Governor Cummins' prede-
cessor att nded a presidential inaug-
uration at a cost to the state of sew.
enty-nine dollars and sixty cents, but
for our present governor to take
similar trip, with the expense of his
adjutant general, cost the state
$Gl400 II has heen heretofora as.