The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-10-08
or piling any unnecessary taxes on

1t may he thas the motive FOL
starting this talk about the Increased
expenditures was the hope Of injuriDl
tue political prospects Of the governo
aud that OF ITSELF ls not very higi
purpose, but no matter what TIT
ooject may be-, insist that 1t is
good thing to have the inquiry started
The people OF the state or kanSa'
h3vea perfect right to know jusi
how their money Is being spent, ana
what Is NJ IRE 1t is their duty to Know
Tue more interest the people take IL
the affairs Of the state and l0ca
government, the better it IS for them
and the government.
What Is more, l believe that a
great msjority OF them are fair and
generous. They are willing to s[elo
as much money as may be necessary
to support the state educati, nal and
charitable institutions and all the
other departments Of the state
government. They are also willing
to pay all the necessary aud legitima,
expenses OF their local governments.
They understand that as the business
eff the state increases, as It's i1stitu-
tioDs grow, the expenses will grow, no
matter what administration may be
la power, but they do not want any
extravaganza or graf5 Ia the manage
ment Of public affairs. They wa0t,
in other words, to kd0W that they are
getting the worth OF their money.
l have not all the facts concerning
the expenses Of the state institutions
ia shape TO present them as they
aught to be presented, but l hope TO
have them little latter on. | want
TO tind out for myself and for the
satisfaction of the readers Of this
paper whether, for instance, 1t is
costing the people OF the great state
Of Kansas more to educate a student
in one of the state institutions than
it used to cost, and If so, why.
l want TO know for my own salts
faction whether it is costing more or
less per capita 10 care for the
unfortunate citizens who are in cur
charitable institutions. Ii the cost
per head is greater, want to know
the reason WIN, and so do the tax
payerso of the state. They are entitled
to the facts regardless Of what the
effect may be on the political fortunes
Of any individuals. II the facts seem
to show eXtravagant management the
people ought b. know II, and on the
other hand, If 40 money has been
wasted; IL the institutions have been
is well and as economically managed
az they could well be, then the people
ought TO Know that, and | believe
that they will be just in their findings
On the facts. Ia this connection
Governor Stubs has issued a
statement that ought to be Of general
Interest because it presents the
ad ADMINISTRATION sideo the controversy
The governor says:
The plain and unvarnished truth in the whole
matter is that all statements and insinuations
which have been made for the purpose OF
creating the impression that the expenses Of
the state government have been enormously
al, N1,a
preceding biennial term are false and utterly
without foundation. The men who have been
circulating these reports have themselves
known that the increased tax levy was not
caused by increased appropriations orincTeased
expenses for the maintenance of the state
government this year, but was solely caused by
an insufficient tax levy last year, which
provided only million dollars revenue to pay
3A million dollers expenses. In other words,
the exploitation Of the compai ison of this
years taxes with those paid in 1908 instead of
1907, the corresponding biennial year, is mere
political trick to mislead and befuddle the
taxpayers by comparing the lie Wy for this year
that was made on a basis that will pay all the
expenses of state government with a levy
m ade last year that lacked almost million
dollars of paying the current expenses of that
year. The 1907 levy raised approximately 4 Of
a million dollars more than the 1905 levy. 1t is
thus perfectly apparent why the 1907 levy was
not used for comparison purposes.
James NJ. Nation, state auditor, in a letter to
the legislature of January %, 1909, advised that
body that there would bs a short sc OF million
dollars on account Of insufficient tax levy
in 1908.
Fortunately the state subsequently collected
some old claims from the federal government
amounting to over y million dollars and other
claims and extraordinary fees which will
probably tide the state treasurer over until tho
now taxes begin to come in in December. The
appropriations made by the present legislature,
including all fees, amount to practically the
same sum as the appropriations for the proceed
ing legislature Of 1901, but the 1909 session of
thu legislature has TO its credit the following
TENS; 10000 for a memorial building for
the veterans Of the Civil war; s2sl.OJ0 for coal
for state institutions made necessary by tho
renewal Of the Oklahoma prisoners, and slOO. 900
for the normal training courses in 100 different
high schools and other sums for farmers
Institutes stamping out tuberculosis, expert