Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1909-03-18
DEMOCRATS ASSA|L
REPUBLICAN REPORT.
Minority in Legislature Make Strong
Presentation Against Financial Find
ings and Recommendation of
Joint Committee and Reject
Governors Plan, Too.
Saw SCHOOLS, TAX RAILROADS;
AVOID ALL POSSIBLE EXPENSE.

/
AVOID ALL POSSIBLE EXPENSE.
Members of the Democratic minor
ity, ignoring the actions of Senators
Hinchliffe and Cornish and Assembly
man Olwell, the Democratic members
of the Special Finance Committee who
signed the report of the Republican
majority last Tuesday introduced into
both houses dissenting report and
recommendation for meeting the
state deficit. The report was drawn
by the executive committee of the
caucus consisting of Senators Geb-
hardt and Silzer and Assemblyman
Sullivan. The report follows:
| BY special message dated January
10, 1909, his EXcellency, the Governor,
communicated to the Legislature the
present condition of the finances of
the state He called attention to the
fact that at the end of the present
year there would be a state deficit of
not less than three quarters of mill
lion dollars, and recommended that
there should either be a state tax or
a diversion of the school money The
] people of New Jersey want neither a
state tax nor a diversion of school
money, and we cannot agree with the
| Governors suggestion when there are
] other methods open. We must first
see what the condition of the state
is. The disbursements of the state
!, for several years are given for com
parison, and are as follows: 1893, ST.
! 857,9S2.00; 1908, S4,310,S20.0O; 1907,
$5,366,812.90; 1908, $S,47S, ,134.00. The
/ growing tendency to spend more
money and to exceed the receipts has
Frequently been called to the attention
OF the Legislatures by the messages
tsof Governors, but no Efforts to stem
the tide of extravaganza was either
made by the Legislatures or those
| Governors.
With an over-foWing treasury, and
no check upon expenditures, it is but
i natural that the state should find it.
self in it's present condition, required
/ to meet deficit and to provide for ad-
dltional revenue in the future to pre-
vent state tax and the Gripping of
the school system.
URGENT INFRINGEMENT.
in the report made by the joint
committee to investigate state finances
numerous recommendations were
made with which we cannot agree.
The relief is merely temporary; there
is no suggestion as to constructive
legislation, little or no attempt to re-
trench, and the taxation of railroads
is studiously avoided. The suggestion
OF the Governor that there shall be a
state tax comes at time when the
people are assessed at full value, and
are paying all the tax they can or
should pay. The recommendation of
the committee that $242,O00 be per-
manently taken from the public
schools and used for other purposes
means that every four years the pub
/ lie schools will be deprived of a mill
lion dollars. There will also be taken
out of the same fund this year 1921, =
| 600, making total of $473,00 divert
ed from the public schools and used
for other state purposes this year.
Our public schools have only reached
their high standard of efficiency be-
cause the state has supplied them with
sufficient funds for that purpose. If
the money which they now receive is
taken away, in whole or in part, this
| high efficiency will be destroyed and
| the public school system will be re-
tarded. This is the last institution in
the state which we can afford to Grip
pie. If there must be economy and
retrenchment, let it be with super
! f1uous and extravagant institutions;
let it be useless offices, legislative
offices and their salaries. BY the crea
tion of board of control to have
charge of the purchase of all supplies
for the various state departments and
institutions, which should include all
state and legislative printing and
| stationary, the state could save a
large amount of money. All expen-
ditures for voting machines should
cease and the useless machines be
sold. The law relating to state de-
| posits should be am ended so that the
state may receive at least. 2 per cent.
instead of not more than per cent
PLACES TO CUT.
"The natural growth of the state
has required much expenditure of
money. Penal and charitable insti-
tutions had to be erected and main
! tanned, and state and other depart
ments increased to meet the growing
demands The enormous increase,
however, in expenditures, has not
been a result of natural growth alone,
| but the result of extravaganza in the
administration of the state due to the
existence Of surplus in the treasury.
Offices and commissions have been
multiplied and salaries increased and
extravagant sums paid for the erect
lion of state institutions and buildings,
and for the purchase of supplies.
IA few of the useless commissions
might be mentioned: Voting machine
Commission, which expended, up to
1906, $200,S09.48; (these machines
were rejected in almost every case
when submitted to popular vote.) Com
mission to Investigate Life Insurance,
/ Continued on Page Two.)