The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-10-08

Therefore, when you cOnsiuer tnut bne tx
pepses OF this administration will be practically
| the Same amount in dollars and cents as the
expenses of the preceding two years, aud at the
same timo provide for all the extraordinary
expenses referred to above, it will readily be
| seer that the most strenuous Efforts are being
made to keep the expenses Of this administla a
ton at the lowest point possible consistent
| with efficient service and without Gripping
the state institutions.
After a most thorough investigation OF the
| whole situation havs no doubt we shall be
able to improve the service in every department
of the state and show saving of more than II
million dollars during the present administra-
ton as compared with the preceding two years
taking into consideration the growth of the
| institutions and the conditions under which
the business is managed.
| tits only fair to the legislature to say that
when it appropriated 100000 for Memorial
building it expected the money would be taken
out of the fund received from Washington in
| payment OF old war claims, but all the money
| thus received has necessarily been used to
avoid stamping warrants mot paid for want
of funds" and the Memorial building will have
| to be paid for out of the new tax levy.
1t is also due to the mem bers OF tho ways aud
means committee of both the house of repre-
sentatives and senate to say that they worked
for weeks by day asd night most faithfully and
earnestly to keep down the appropriations as
low az possible The actual appropriations OF
the present Legislature were nearly million
dollars less than the amount asked for by the
various institutions and departments of state.
James M Nation, state auditor, furnished the
FnlI FOR i,a fnr m nj ma Ia
The total appropriations of every description
during the 1901 session OF the Legislature
amounted to ST 1853, 009S9. The present legisla-
ture appropriated 81 Oss $50 o. which is $3.50 600
less than the 1907 Legislature appropriated, but
the fees and interest account, which cannot
now be definitely figured, Ire estimated to
bring the appropriations of the present session
up somewhere near the appropriations of the
preceding session,
In brief, here is the governors
statement. preparations are made
for the biennial period, az the ltgi,la
ture only meets once 10 two years.
Com PARSONS should be made between |
the appropriations for The biennial
period ald not for one year of the |
period.
The appropriations for the hieunial
1907 1903 amounted to S7,9S9, 099 SO
TIE appropriations for the biennial
period 1907 1910 amGunt to S7,09D, 500;
but IN fairness there should be added
to this amount the interest derived
from the investea funds OF the state
and the fees received by the various
watch according to the
estimate, would oring the
total for the last biennial period
up to the total for the
first biennia! period.
II the sun total for the last period
Ia no greater or only little greater
than for the first, it makes a good
record for economy on the part OF the
present administration for the reason
that according to these same figures
there are some 800 more students
being taken care OF at our State
and Agricultural college,
and perhaps 400 more at the various
state normal schools than there were
two years ago. 1t costs the state an
average Of about SlO0 per annum to
educate student at one of the state
schools, so that the expense Of educat-
ing 1900 additional students would
in reuCd numbers TO 100000.
Ii there are 500 additional inmates
ia tie various state charitable in
stitutlons of the state they Can hardly
be cared for at an expense of less than
500 per head per annum, which would
call for 800, 900. Then there was the
1921 900 for coal formerly furnished
by the prison labor, the 5000 900 for
the Memorial Building; 100000 for
normal training courses; $780, to
extermlnate the San Jose scale, add
several other extraordinary expenses,
which the legislature made.
The higher levy for state purposes
Is clused, as the governor states, by
the fact that an error was made In |
making the tax levy 800 low last year,
so that IL failed to raise sufficient
revenue TO pay state expenses. or
course, IL the levy was insufficient last
year, there was no other alternative
thas TO make the levy this year high |
enough to make up for the shortage
OF last year.
In short, 1t would appear from the
governors statement that we are
really spending no more money 10
running the state government and
the stlte 10 situations than was spent |
during tbs last biennial per cd,
nOtwi hstandiog the fact that the
attendance at the state educational |
institutions has largely increased and |
that the number of inmates in the
state charitable institutions has also
largely increased, which seems like a
very satisfactory observation-disclosures |
Mall and Breeze.