Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-09-30
EXTRAVACANCE
OF LEGISLATURE
Chairman of Appropriations
Committee Attempts to
Blame Gov. Lister
FOR ENORMOUS TAX LEVY
Would Saddle Responsibility
on One Lone Democrat in
State Administration

Representative James H. Davis, of
Pierce county, who was chairman of
the appropriations committee in the
last legislature, was in Aberdeen last
week, and during his visit peddled
out line of political hot air that
would have been turned down by the
Bingville Bugle, but which was per-
mitted to occupy nearly thirty inches
Of space in the Aberdeen World. The
burden of Mr.. Davis's song was that
Democratic governor was respon-
sible for the extravaganza of the re-
publican legislature, the enormous ap-
preparations of which have resulted
in the highest tax levy in the history
of the state.
The mistake of the World in print
ing the story laid largely in not ap-
pearing to know that while it might
be made do duty on the stump next
year, the present is too soon. The
malodor or that session is still in the
nostrils of the people, fact that
would have been apparent to the
Bingville Bugle, but was overlooked
by the chairman of the state republi-
can committee, the gentleman who
announced in the same paper the day
before the elections last November
that Taft would carry this state by
40, 900.
Good Story Spoiled
If Representative Davis had cold
storaged this story until year from
now it might have done duty on the
hustings, but it's premature release
has destroyed it's usefulness. The
electorate of this state readily recall
the fact that the election of Cover
nor Lister was the means of cutting
$750,000 out of the estimates of repub-
lican officials before he even took
Office They remember that the print
ed budgets, prepared for distribution
to the legislators, were destroyed
when the election of Governor Lister
was announced, and that, there be-
ing no time to print a new edition.
the legislature was supplied with type
written copies of the emasculated
budget. They recall the fact that such
pOlitician-statesmen as Mr. Davis log.
rolled through 100000 appropria-
ton for the Cheney Normal School
and $4,000 for an armory at North
Yakima, and they well remember the
fight that was going on seven months
ago between the democratic governor
and the extravagant republican legis-
lators.
The interview with Mr.. Davis was
an affront to the intelligence of every
reader of the World, and from a po-
litician point of view, it's publication
was an error scarcely to be tolerated
in the kindergarten of politics, giving
as it does an opportunity to the op-
position that it could have secured
in no other way at this time.
The fact is that under the republi-
can misrule of this state, the amount
of taxes has increased nine-fold while
the population grew three-fold. But,
let us quote republican authority to
show the utter absurdity of the charge
of Mr.. Davis, and it's editorial sane
tion in the World.
The following extracts are taken
from the State Capital Record of last
Saturday, in an article on this years
levy, by "Hawthorne:"
THE state tax levy was fixed this
week by the state board of eQualiza-
tion at $S,937,525, an increase of $3,-
118,076 over the levy made last year.
"The increase is directly charge
able to the last legislature, as in the
only levies over which the state board
had any option, the levies for general
fund and military fund, appropriations
made by the last legislature forced
increases.
THE military fund had to be held
up to last years figures to care for
the $4,000 armory at North Yakima.
But for that there might have been
a small cut
"The general fund had to be rails
ed to care for the vast appropriations
made by the last legislature. Even
with the increase, which is up to
the limit allowed by the constitution,
1t is estimated by the state author,.
ties the levy will fall short of pro-
viding enough funds to meet the ex-
penditures authorized by the last ses-