The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-06-21
GOVERNOR URGES
LOWER TAXES AND
FEWER OFFICIALS
Reduction of Fifty Per Cent Of State
Jobs Would Leave Plenty
He Says.

Oklahoma City, June 20,-Sweeping
changes in the administration of pub
lie affairs with special emphasis on
the reduction of offices We're recon-
mended by Governor Cruoe Thursday
morning in an address before the Citi-
zens' Protective League convention.
Repeated applause interrupted the gov
ernor and often he was compelled to
wait for qaiet before he could make
himself heard The crowd seemed to
agree with him throughout in the plans
he suggested for the reduction of tax
alton
Following a plea for greater eff
cheney in public service, the governor
said there We're far too many offices
in Oklahoma and that a reduction of
so per cent could be made and still
give the people as good government as
they are getting at the present time.
Not only would the governor make
a general decrease in the number of
Offices but he would abolish all town
ship offices, consolidate the Offices of
register of deeds, district and county
clerk, abolish all superior iudgeships.
discontinue the Office Of lieutenant gov
emor, consolidate the Office of sheriff
with that of tax collector, and reduce
the membership of the legislature to
so in the house and IS to 25 in the SEN
ate. In addition to these sweeping in
Inovations the governor said he favored
cutting from 10 to cents the mileage
received by members of the legisla-
ture in going to and from sessions and
placing the members on salary instead
of per diem.
This method, he said, would dis
pense with all the annoyance about spe-
eial sessions, since we could then call
the legislature together at any time
without additional cost to the tax pay
ers,9 We could easily do away with
the Office Of lieutenant governor and
should abolish all the superior courts.
| In my judgment we could combine the
offices of state mine inspector, commits
sioner of labor and commissioner of
charities and get just as good results
as we are getting now.
The chief executive was cheered
when he advocated a reduction in the
number of state Institutions you
can't build up a satisfactory education
al system with so many would-be state
institutions he declared. They are
menace to good government by rea-
son of the manner in which the repre-
sentatives from counties with such in
stitutions combine to vote for various
purposes.
A vigorous side swipe at the grand
jury system was also taken which in
cluded some spicy comment on the
present grand jury in Oklahoma coun-
| ty. In this county ITO men petitioned
for grand jury. he said. Two names
are not legible on the petition, but Of
the 10S others who foisted a grand jury
upon the people of Oklahoma county
paid taxes on $1O,7S5 worth of personal
property.
Thus for every $3.50 that the
grand jury costs Oklahoma county,
these 1O8 men will pay just cent each.
In nearly every case the resulting pros
ecutions could all have originated upon
information, but the grand jury system
is used as the cover behind which
towards hide when they have enemies
upon whom they are seeking revenge. !.
The governor stated that on July l
he would issue to the public state
ment showing Just what the admins
tration of his Office had cost for the
past fiscal year He thought every
other public official owed it to his con.
stituents to do the same.
NJ r-;4.L tAg.u .lI~a.. Tl--.