Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-23
GREATER IOWA VS.
LITTLE I0WANS
CONTINUED from Page Two)
Comparisons

merly paid themselves out of their fees.
They are on salary now. Then think
OF the transformation as to insurance
examinations. Nobody can now gather
in $4,000 or $4,000 in fees in
a few months and then leave the
state. On the contrary insurance ex-
ture by reason of the regular payment
of examiners. Thus Il real reform is
made, by concealment of facts, to APP
pear as an extravaganza.
But really these are all small mat
tiers. The authority of the governor
in the matter of expenditures extends
only TO his own office. AS a member OF
the executive council he is in duty
bound to see that accounts are prop
erly kept and that bills are audited.
And this has not been done under some
other governors
Perhaps there is some real reason for
Iowa spending more money now than
before. Iowa is a big state and Its
needs are many In ten years Iowa has
done some growing, in wealth. in bus
mess, in power, in position Cummins
may rightfully be held responsible for
some share of this.
Iowa has been building for the flu
ture-putting the past behind, looking
ahead. doing the things which make
for permanent and great prosperity.
Look at Iowa's splendid institutions =
educational, corrective. penal. charlt-
able, etc. Under four years of Cum
minis there has been added more to
the actual property of the state for
these good purposes than in any pre-
vious like period two or three times
over.
Il wish the people of Iowa could
know and understand what is being
done for the state wards" said mem-
Der of the state board of control the
other day 1.-The people have no con-
ception of what has been done and is
being done for them. We have MADE
such progress in lettering conditions
at the state institutions, and in bring
ing Iowa up to position alongside
other states, that the expenditure for
state institutions, which forms the
greatest item of expense for Iowa
should be a matter of pride to every
patriotic citizen. The buildings now
being constructed are to be for all
time; the day of temporary structure
has passed. No makesh1tts ana nc
fretraps for Iowa. If the people only
knew. as we know. what there was &c
do when the board took hold and VIVA,
has been done, there would be no crit'-
cism of money expenditure.
Running thru the state auditors re-
ports it can be found that the cost OF
snnnort of state institutions for the las'
hiennial period was $3,42O,1s7; while
i'm the corresponding period OF foul
wears previous the cost was s2'olz'24e
Here is nearly million dollars IN
crease-more than half of the "extrav-
asance" charged up by the muck rak-
ers to Governor Cummirls.
Rut the population of state institu-
atoms under the board Of control for
Fehruarv last was S,444, as against q
TAI two years ago and 1910 four years
ago. Naturally there would De soiiie
Increased cost with this great growth
lof population And there is not man
who knows anything about 1t but tha'
will saw that the inmates are pettef
fed better clothed, better housed, than
ever before.
, Then there is the item of expense
duo ia nrosperity. Things are costing
,ore than they did. The board OF
control roughly estimates that the In
creased cost of support of state lnst-
tnt,ons. due alone to higher prices FOR
necessities, is fully 25 per cent more
than five or six years ago. Every puy-
or If food, clothing. fuel and materials
knows how prices have advanced.
1us+ one item as sample. The
s+ota huvs for the fifteen institutions
.hout rs. 900 tons of coal annually. Coal
aosts an average of 81 a ton more than
it did a few years ago. Ihat qui'e
an item in making up the extraVa-
gance" of Cummins. lie ooesii OWL
the coal mines, however.
| Tho same comparison can be MADE
&c ~ cost of flour. If you should nave
| - INV hundred thousand barrels OF
aonr Won would discover that the Min
,,eanoiis and Kansas millers have
aan,athinp TO do with the alleged
30 stefulness of the Cummins admin
,stration. Ask any flour dealer.
Attack institutions.
| This attack upon Cummins, brougn'
down to a final analysis. is an attach
mon the state institutions and thell
manasement. and it might easily leaa
IF If was taken seriously by the peo'
nile 70 a radical reaction in the man
aeement of these institutions ana re-
t,1rn to the discarded system BRING
ing the comparison down to separate
institutions the injustice of the at
tack is better seen. For instance the
state state is extending biennially more
! than 100000 for support OF the
| Soldiers Home at Marshalltown, az
against substantially S250,000 just
few wears ago. And the G. A. Il. mem
hers are insisting there should Of
greater additions to the hospital room
and accommodations for more OF
the veterans. That's another part OF
the "extravagance" which forms the
| basis of this attack. Do the old soldiers
approve of an attack which is pelhs
made over their heads and dlrecteo
against the helpless comrades VINO
must be cared for by the state?
| These ghouls who spent so much OF
their precious time digging out fgu'es
on which to base their attack on men
| of high standing overlooked a gooo
MANY items which would have been ol
| interest. Here are some figures from
| the reports of the state auditor In re-
gard to expenditures at educational IN
| situations:
1904-5. 1889.
State college IS s69,40O.69 s 64,311.S6
State univer-
sity . 465, 964.69 162.0S5oe