The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1912-02-15
indianapolis Starr


shouting economy, business admin
istration, lower taxes and fewer Off
ces, bureaus, departments and COM
missions, Governor Marshall and
other Democrats advocated the abol-
ishment Of the state statistician s
Office, the abolishment of the state
gas inspectorship, the adjustment of
the state entomologist and other
offices. Now this economy talk, this
talk of abolishing what Democrats
then called useless" and "need-
less" offices, boards, commissions,
etc., either was sincere or it was
buncombe Of the worst sort. As to
the quality of that campaign talk
the conduct of the Democrats since
they have been in Office speaks most
eloquently.
Did the Democrats abolish any Of
fee, commission, bureau or depart
ment? They did not. On the other
hand, where they changed the law
so as to do away with any bureau,
for example, the inspection bureau,
they substituted a department hav-
ing many more employees and carry
ing many more jobs than had been In
existence under the old law.
Salaries were increased right and
l. L.,
state institutions. The number Of
names on the states pay roll was
very largely increased. The cost Of
running the State House was In
creased more than 100000 a year.
The cost of maintaining the state
institutions was increased $250,000
year, large part of this increase
being high cost of administration.
In the fiscal year 1910 the net
disbursements by the state of In
diana amounted to $8,435, 5,885.78.
This included $7S9,66O.61 transfer
ed from the state debt sinking fund
and used for general purposes. State
House Democrats are saying that it
is customary so to use the state
debt sinking fund, but this is not
true. In the year 1909 there was
$27O,742.30 in the state debt sink
ing fund, and not one cent was
transferred that year. 1t remained
for the Democratic House Of 1909,
with its remarkable appropriation
bill, signed by Democratic Govern
or, to compel the draining Of all
available moneys in the fiscal years
1910 and 1911. The $270, 80 left
in the state debt sinking fund in
1909, and the $518,918.31 raised in
1910 by the state debt sinking fund
tax levy, added together, were
dumped into the manger of the
Democratic donkey in the fiscal year
1910 and were used to pay current
or general expenses. This has be-
come known as the high cost OF
Democratic management in state
affairs.
In the fiscal year 1911 the state
disbursements, net, were $S,262 ,5Ol.-
II. The specific appropriations pro-
vided for the Democratic House and
its remarkable appropriation bill In
1909 were not quite so heavy in 1911
as they were in 1910. Yet the State
House Democrats came out at the
end of 1911 with a deficit
At the close of. the fiscal year 1911
the Democrats had used $51, 1892
of the funds of 1912. This forms
the deficit which was shown at the
end of. September last. 1t is alto
gether likely that the disbursements
for 1911 might nave exceeded the
record of 1910, but the state debt
sinking fund did not provide the
reserve needed to make such EXTRA
ordinary expenditures possible two
years running. The Democrats used
what there was to be used in the
state debt sinking fund. That fund
contained $388,175.99. Of this
100000 went to pay the State Fair
Ground pavilion bond issue. The re-
mainder, or $288,175.99, was used
to pay general expenses in 1911.
The high cost of Democratic
state management is best shown by
comparison, or contrast with former
years.
In 1909 the Republicans disburs-
ed $7,989, ,567.42, and left in the gen..
eral fund at the end Of the year
$83, 3,980.02, with $27O, 1920 in the
state debt sinking fund. This was
not used in 1909, but was used to