Arizona republican., 1910-07-20


 tends to argue for the election of democrats in the forthcoming state campaign on the ground that the af- fairs of the territory unler republican governors have been eXtravagantly managed If this is the intention of the Star, it will do well to become better acquainted with the fiscal af- fairs of Arizona than it now shows itself to be, before it launches its un- dertaking.
 The Star objects to a statement in Governor Sloans annual report that
 The excessive expenditures made necessary by appropriations of the twenty-fOurth legislature and the nat ural increase in the cost of civil gov ernment have absorbed to a large ex- tent the funds on hand at the begin ming of the fiscal year"
 It is not necessary, for our present purposes, to inquire whether the ap- propriations referred to by the gov ernor were necessary. We are inter ested in the Stars contention that the expenses of the territorial government have been unnecessarily increased by republican governors particularly Governor Kibbey and Governor Sloan. The Star makes a comparison between the budgets under Governor Kibbey and Governor Hughes, who was the last democratic governor but one. We should suppose that every citizen of the territory-every democrat, espe cially. and above all, every intelligent democratic newspaper-would be glad to forget that there was Hughes administration, but let that supposi- ton pass. Let us look into the Stars figures:
 The total disbursements, per audi tors report for the years 1S93-94, were S345, ,305 .O3; 1S95-96 were $341, ,705.91; lS97-9S were $344 4.33141.
 The total disbursements for 1905 as appears from Gov. Kibbey's report to the secretary of interior were $593,- O7l4s; for the year 1906 were $459.- O74GO; for the year 1907 were S459,- 309 1O."
 The Star proceeds to comment:
 What has caused this enormous eX- penditure under Kibbeys and Sioan's administration? It cannot be placed To appropriations for public buildings, for during the four years under Cleve- lands administration there were more public buildings (eXcepting the capitol for which bonds were issued) than any four years since, e. g., the normal school building of Flagstaff, the new building at Tempe, the girls dormi- tory at the University, S15,0OO each, improvements at the asylum for the insane and for the penitentiary-why we ask, this vast difference in cost of administering the government of Ari- zona?"
 According to the Stars own show ing, less than $6O,000 was expended for public buildings during the four years of democratic government. Un- der the four years of Governor Kib- bey's administration, the enormous sum of s325,OOO was expended for pub lie buildings This was done without issuing a bond, without issuing a warrant on an empty treasury, and without increasing the taxes-indeed, taxes were greatly decreased. Most important of all, these buildings were constructed without graft to the ex- tent of even a postage stamp. More over, the population of the prison and of the asylum for the insane had in- creased manyfold. The university and the normal schools had grown into great institutions calling for heavy maintenance charges. and there was an industrial school to maintain. And notwithstanding the vastly increased cost of supplies, these institutions were maintained relatively cheaper much cheaper-than under the Hughes administration. And let us repeat. with all the bearing that the state ment may have to the discontinue of those who would compare the ad- ministration of Hughes with the ad- ministrations of Kibbey and Sloan: There has been no graft under the re- publican administrations which the Star has unwiseIy sought to attack.
 If the people of the territory appear to show any disposition to believe the Star, we shall be more than glad to get down to facts and figures which will prove more than interesting they will be embarrassing for some of the democratic brethren who would unwisely drag the dead and regret table democratic past into view.