Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-05-10
institutions Well Cared For, Stand as
Monument to Business Ability of Iowa
Republieans-Tax Levy Nominal Al
tho Expenditures Have Necessarily
Increased.

| Years dSO ana no new one HAS DeSI
needed
The financing of the state has been
wholly within the control of the legis-
lature. The uniformly good condition
of the state treasury under republican
rule has been due TO the fact that very
great care has been taken at all times
to have appropriations and income just
about balance For few years there
was some disposition to permit an ac-
cumulation of funds. but as this was
beneficial only to the banks which
were so fortunate as to be depostor-
les the policy was adopted of keeping
income and outgo as nearly equal as
possible.
/ Two years ago some of the pes
simists seized upon the fact that the
state was no longer carrying a useless
surplus in the Des Mones banks and
circulated the story that the state was
rushing headlong to bankruptcy The
! democrats made much of it to dis
/ credit republican administration of the
state. But there was nothing TO 1t. AS
a matter of fact despite the panic of
the fall of 1907. which caused every
one having a bill against the state to
make prompt collections and made tax
F.! collections unusually slow. there was
I in the state treasury at the close of
{ May, 1908. a balance in the general
fund of $500, 900, in round numbers
This was increased 10 a much larger
sum later, then dropped TO s655000 a.
/ the close Of the year. In May, 1909
the balance was s1.027,00o, which
"a gain dropped to 100000 at the close
of the year On April 80 of this year
the balance was back again to s1,1s5,-
900.
Doing Little Building.
| For one reason the balance is larger
now than deemed necessary because OF
the fact that in the past year, and just
now, there has been far less of build
/ ing for the stat e than was the rule for
more than ten years. This is true at
the educational as well as at the char
tia Bile institutions. For a dozen years
the work of rebuilding and making
over again and Immediately charging
| all the state institutions was in pro-
gress. but this process has gone so far
| that now only a little expenditure is
needed
Altllo the extraordinary appropria-
tons Of the last general assembly
amounted to only s1.121440, according
to figures furnished by the auditor of
state this week, yet the running ex-
penses of the state are steadily in
creasing. Hence it was that the last
legislature, at its close directed the
state executive council-the governor,
auditor. treasurer and secretary of
state. to figure out tax levy which
would yield for last year and this each
$4,000, 600, or $50 900 more than for each
year of the previous period 1t was
49, ~ Il; ~;
in the twelve months ended March
80 last, the state treasurer paid out
total of s457,14971 more than in the
prior twelve months. The comparison
of the fiscal period can not be made
until it's close July next.
BY reason however, Of increase in
the valuation of real property and es-
pecially increase in valuation of rail-
road property for taxation, the tax levy
is still not very high. in fact is less
than three-tenths of a mill higher than
the average for the past dozen years
The executive council performs only
clerical duty If figuring out the rate
Of the tax levy. the legislature fixing
the sum TO be raised. The levy last
made was "a mills, the year before it
was 35 mills. before that it was ga
mills, them for several years only 3
mills and even lower.
Legislature Entitled to Credit
The last tax levy which has had any
effect whatever on the condition of the
state treasury was that of 3,5 mills. |
since under the Sd mill levy the taxes
We're not payable to the counties until |
a few weeks ago and very little of this I
money has as yet reached the state /
treasury.
To republican legislatures is due the |
credit for having gone on with an ex-
penditure Of many million dollars for |
permanent investments at the state in |
stitutions, for buildings and land and |
equipment for colleges. hospitals, re-
treats. schools and reformatories. yet
without adding to the tax burdens of
the people. All the while that this pro-
cess has been under way the state has
been kept absolutely free from debt
Every dollar has been wisely expended
and honestly applied to the purpose in
tended. There have been no scandals
about misrepresentation of funds or
graft in building operations
For many years it has been the GUS
tom, and good one, to leave the mat
ter of financing the state largely to
the appropriations committees OF the
J. gislc t--e Naturally the senate cnr,,-
mittee bears most Of the burden. It
has been fortunate for the state that
in the head Of that committee one Of
at the head of that committee one of
the states most successful business
men-F'rank L. Maytag. He has fol-
lowed out the policy Of his predeces-
sors and has figured out the receipts
and expenditures Of the state so per-
fectly that the whole state machineryl
runs with a smoothness equal to one
Of his autom obiles.
For more than thirteen years the
chairman Of the senate appropriations
committee has been a progressive re-
publican, and the financial condition
Of Iowa today, taken with the record