Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1910-03-24
The Tax Question Again

The Reporter and Farmer is going to
endeavor to be fair and impartial in the
discussion of the political issues during
the primary campaign and still we will
have to show the extravagancies of the
insurgents during the time they have
conducted the affairs of the state. At
his opening meeting for the reform
ers" at CenterviIle, Governsr Vessey
said he would meet the charge of the
stalwarts in the open and he was pre-
pared to show there was no extrava-
gance-just the necessary increase
caused by the increased Importance of
the state. Let US look at these matters
for few minutes. In looking over the
reports of the state officers for the past
year and making comparison Of the
reform" with the stalwart admins
trations we find the following startling
array of figures:
During the term of two years the
total sum required under Elrod to con-
duct the Office of the state superinten-
dent of public instruction was $l4, 1000.
During the three years under Crawford
and Vessey that sum was increased to
$31 ,039.57. Is there an insurgent in the
state with the nerve to say that the
schools of the state were not as well
conducted under Superintendent Nash
and Ramer as they have been under the
man who says that Catholic is not
the right kind of a man to be the gov
ernor of South Dakota-the present
superintendent, Hans Ustrud? Is there
an insurgent in the state who can ex-
plain why the increase of SIG, 339.57 is
not graft or extravaganza? Is there an
insurgent in the state who can inform
the people why the state, under Ustrud,
the hater of Catholics, needed an auto
mobile which cost the state and which
was paid for out of the library fund to
the tune of $467, and kodak for which
the same fund was drawn upon for
$109? Besides these two items the
state bought overalls and other neces-
sites which go with a well equipped
automobile. This is the educational
department of the state-something
that should be absolutely divorced from
politics. OF course, Mr.. Ustrud has
run moving picture show in connec-
ton with his office, but it is question
if the voters can be convinced that they
have received value for the increased
cost.
Then we come to the fire marshaRs
fund under Vessey. The state had no
such Office under Governor Elrod. But
under Wesley, we, the taxpayers of the
state, were called upon to pay S., 1872 in
order to create and maintain an office
for an insurgent Office seeker. Yes,
and it is this same Office that Mr..
Wingfeld and Mr.. Fountain, the APP
pointees of Governor Vessay as public
examiners, say is miserably misman-
aged and that the office force is vastly
in excess of the number of men requir-
ed to transact the business. This is the
report which was not made public until
it was secured by astalwart and printed
and which has been In the hands of the
governor for over year, and yet the
office force has not been cut down nor
the management changed.
Then we would ask our insurgent
brothers to explain in what way the
legislature of the last term was of so
much material benefit to the people of
South Dakota that they should increase
for all purposes the appropriations by
that body over the amount appropriated
in 1905 to the tune of $1S3, 100000.
The supreme court of the state under
Governor Esrod got along with the sum
of $13, 800, but under Governor Wesley
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