West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-08-19
Mr.. Byrne's Investigation.

George Byrne has been spending a mid
summer vacation digging into the records
IN the statehouse AT Charleston. and some
OF the facts he discloses as a result of his
investigation arr almost startling. He
shows, by comparative statement OF the
expense OF the MacCorkle administration
with those which have succeeded il. that
the increase i'm cost OF government SO far
exceeds the proportionate increase i'm pop
ulatlon a. to leave no room for doubt as
to the existence Of graft. extravaganza.
anu incompctcncy in state government.
The hgures given by Mr.. Byrne, and
the conclusions which lac draws therefrom.
viii well repay reading by every citizen
who is interested i'm honest, economical.
and efficient state government. Wheeling
Register.
The ARGUS has on more than one occa-
sion published the state appropriations
under the MacCorkle, Atkinson, White.
and Dawson administrations showing the
enormous increase in the appropriations
under the Republican administrations
compared 10 the last Democratic admin
istration. When TIE ARGUS first began
10 publish them they were strenuously
and vehemently denied by the Republi.
can organs, but when THE ARGUS chal-
lenged them to disprove them by the
records at Charleston they become pain
fully silent We have been informed that
the word was sent from Charleston TO not
discuss the appropriations with THE AR
GUS, az statements tailed with the records
on file at Charleston. The powers at
Charleston knew that The ARGUS was
stating the plain facts, and they knew
further to discuss them in the public
prints meant the enlightenment Of the
taxpayers to the fragrant extravaganza of
the "business-like and economical adj
ministration" which was promised by
Dawson il he was elected.
Mr.. Byrne, in his letter to the Register,
asks:
How do the administrations of the past
| twelve years compare with themselves?
Atkinson administration cost So, 6S7, III +:
| Whites administration cost So, 232, 300 /:
| Dawson's administration cost 50, 301 10 F.:
| Glasscock's administration will cost 81. =
| 34l Il6. Atkinson's administration cost
1898, 43l more than MacCorkle's; White :
| cost 81 ,544, 1913 more than Atkinson's /;
i lawson Cost Sl,OOS,S SUI more than
| Whites; Glasscock's will cost 81, Ol6, $3.50
more than Dawson's. The grand total
increase from MacCorkle TO Glasscock
amounts TO 81 GAG, 436.
| The increase in population since Mac
Corkle was governor, estimated from the
scholastic population, has been less than
20 per cent, while the increase i'm the cost
oil the state government is III per cent
These are startling figures and the end
Is not in sight. The appropriations un-
der the MacCorklc administration were
1904, $50. A comparison of the Mac
Corkle and the Dawson administrations
show that the Dawson administration cost
80, 6O7, $50 more than the MacCorkle adj
ministration. This, too, in the face of
the fact that Dawson had promised the
people "busincss-like and economical
administration.
1t would be well for the taxpayers of
Preston county to clip these appropria-
lions and go over them frequently when
they are appealed to by the machine or
gans to vote the ticket straight"