Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1909-03-18
Democrats Assault Finance Report.
lContinued from Page One

| $17,26S.64; Investigation of Riparian
Lands, $7,780.51, Senate Investigating
| Committee, 1907, $5,273.61; Commits
sion to Revise Corporation Laws, 3d.
229; State Excise Commission (still
unpaid), $15,509.35; State Board of
Arbitration, STA 900; total, $685., 870.59
Numerous other commissions besides
those mentioned have from time to
time been appointed, and have been
1 the cause of much useless expendi-
ture of money. Attention might be
called to the fact that during the last
year $342.91 was paid to commission
| to ascertain whether capital punish
ment should be abolished.
During the last few years salaries
have been increased, few of which
are here submitted: Custodian of the
State House, from $4,000 to $4,000;
State Librarian, from $4,000 to $4,000;
| Supervisor of Roads, from $500 to
$780,; State Road Commissioner, 3d.
500 to $4,000; Governors Secretary,
$1,000 to $4,000. In addition to in
creases of salaries by statute, there
has been an almost unlimited number
of cases where salaries of clerks have
been increased through increased APP
preparations to departments for cleri-
cal assistance. This fact is only dis
closed by an examination of the an
nual reports of the State Treasurer
An examination of the statutes will
| disclose the number of new Offices
created.
| The Governor in recent interview
drew attention to the extravagant
price paid during the past several
years in the purchase of coal, furni-
ture and other supplies. This same
extravaganza has existed in the cree
ton of state institutions. The Assem-
| bly, Investigating Committee of 1907
| has already called attention to the
method of awarding contracts to fav-
Ored bidders, whose books were sub
| sequently burned. 1t also appeared
that contracts for plumbing, gas fit
| ting and the like were awarded to
one man at exorbitant prices. The re-
| lection of the lowest bid and the in
| stallation of the heating system in
State Prison at an advance of $7,225;
the $4,000 bath room in the executive
chamber, the payments to the state
architects and inspector, the extras"
in the contracts of the Senate Cham
Der and the east wing of the State
House; the cost of Railway Reforma-
tory and it's 100000 gilded dome and
similar extravagances are still fresh
in the public mind
MAKE RAILROADS PAY.
1.-THE present financial condition of
the state is also due to the exemption
of railroads from proper taxation. I'm
til the year 1906, the railroads es-
capped the payment of taxes, since held
by our highest courts to have been
lawful. 1t has been estimated that by
reason of this failure to enact a prop
er revenue raising statute, the state
has lost fifty million dollars. If this
$50 100000 was now in the state treas
ury, as it should be, there would be
no state deficit If it was right to en-
act this law in 1906, it was also right
to have enacted it before. A due re-
gard to the rights of the state would
have prevented the loss of this vast
sum of money. There was no sound
reason for permitting the railroad
rate to remain at S. per $1,000, when
other property was paying five times
as much and even last year the aver
age rate was 1851 at forced valua-
tions arising from the Hi1lery tax act,
and the County Boards of Taxation.
We would suggest the abolition of use
less offices, and the consolidation of
Others
Official absenteeism should also be
stopped, as it tends to increase the
cost of administration Useless boards
and commissions should not be Great
ed; there should be reduction in
salaries, and in the number of officials
In line with this policy we would
recommend the abolition of the follow
ing boards and offices, or reduction of
salaries, which would make a saving
to the state of the amount set opposite
to the same, and amounting in all to
$262,718.21 per annum: County boards
of taxation (abolish), $9I,768.21; in
spectors of state prison (abolishy,. 49,
900: health officer and assistant at
Perth Amboy (aboIish), $1,250; in
land water inspection (reduction In
salary, $1,000; motor vehicle COM
missioner abolish salary, $1,000,
State Water Supply Commission and
clerk PRODUCTION of salaries to $500
each), $4,000; State Board of Taxa
ton (reduce to three members and
abolish assistant clerk, $4,000; De
partment of Labor, which pays $685.
219.76 salary, out of an expenditure of
$32,32420, could be consolidated with
the Tenement House Commission with
a saving of $4,000; Bureau of She'll
Fisheries, Oyster and Shell Commits
sion, the Oyster Commissioners of
Atlantic County, Ocean County and |
Delaware Bay and Fish and Game
Commission, consolidated under one
head at a saving of $4,000; commits /
sioner of inland waterways (abolish) |
and discontinue appropriation of $751; /
600 made available last year. This
would bring about a yearly saving of
S160,718.21.
Further investigation in the State
Department, state offices, National
Guard and state institutions, if thor
oughly made, should result in an am
nua1 saving of 100000 more. This is
plainly evident from the abnormal in
crease in our state expenditures from
81, S57, 1882 in 1893 to $8,478, 134 in 1903
", IL Il. ~. ~