The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-11-13
RICHARDS BACK
AT GOV. BYRNE
ACCUSES EXECUTIVE OF LOSING
STATE S113,OO in INTEREST
BY BAD METHODS OF
FINANCING.

repuDllcan nOmlnallOn LOT governor,
today sent to Gov. Byrne the follow
ing reply to Gov. Byrne's latest let
ter to Richards attack on state eX-
pendiures:
Gov. Frank M. Byrne,
pierre, S. ID.
''Sir:
Il am in receipt OF your clubbing
letter of the first instant and note
you decline to accept the figures oil
the state auditors office as author
ity on state taxes and state appro-
priations. That office is the rccog-
nized authority on these matters and
the figures published by me were
furnished to me by the State Audi
tors office and have been verified
and found correct by the editor OF
the Pierre Daily Dakotan. Until you
have proved the auditors office in
error on these figures, people will
take little stock in all wour cry OF
f%alsehood and Misrepresentation.
81 should have been glad to have
used the figures of absolute eNpendi-
lures of the state for 1913 ana
1914, in place of the amounts OF
appropriations and of the levy Tor
that period, were such flgures In
existence or ~obtainable; but so FAR
as made they appear to be lully up
if not in advance of the a~pproprla-
tions, as shown from the record OF
the warrants issued by the state for
the year ending June Goth, l9l2,
$2,S57,520.39, and for the year end
ing June goth, 1913, $3,472.l22.3o'
| recognize the legislature was in
session in 1913; but look at the
enormous llgures for state eXpendl-
lures.
Stands by Auditors Figures.
eff the State Auditors 1lgures are
fraudulent, why do you not come
out like a man and say so, and fur
the proof of your statement? when
you do, you have some ndl on
this matter and not until then. gave
you opportunity to accept or deny the
genuineness of each and every one OF
the figures published. This you re-
peatedly decline to do. Therefore, 1t
is useless to discuss this matter with
YOU. am not responsible for your
impressions or imaginations.
II had three obpects in mine III
: publishing the printed statement OF
: the figures of the auditors office OF
+, taxes and appropriations etc: MY
first was to show the enormous IN
clcase of our state expenditures IL
=, the past few years. This you entirel.
dodge in your letter.
Charges Bad Financing.
1.-THE second object was to call thu
f peoples attention TO the method o
financiering. That instead of levy
Ling sufficient tax to meet the bills o
f the state or otherwise to provide u
a nav its household expenses, year b,
year. the state machine is eXtendlni
emergency warrants at a 5 A per cen
n rate. and that undoubtedly it expect
= ed to continue this practice, as ther
a appears no provision to do other
wise, and all this in the face OF TN
fact that the assessed value OF TIM
state, as raised by our tax commls
sion, for 1919, amounts to S~l.l9o,25
as compared with $354,2lS,4l3 /
1912. Certainly the limit placed o
the levy did MOI stand in the way o
g raising sufficient amount to pay tn
states overdue obligations. You ad
NIT in YOUR letter thai you do nc
expect to pay Off the overdue reVenu
warrants. The best that you hope 10
is. to use YOUR own words, the rev
enue warrants will be materially les
tim when / took office" Would it nc
have been more businesslike to nav
& Increased the tax levy enough to pa
this Indebtedness, rather tina depos
the state funds at from 2 to . pc
cent and then borrow money with en-
ergency warrants at 512 to carr
along this debt year after year? 1t al
pears from the figures ! have Obtain
.o ed from the state auditors office {
! the amounts of emergency warran'
outstanding, year by year, since 100
ar that in the aggregate have alread
a cost the state, even on an aVerag
interest rate of only A per cent. fol
than |$113,700 in interest. note YOU
excuse for this is the same as II
boy caught stealing apples ST don
care. Isaac and Bob stole apples Too
n Calls it Tammany Method
. MY third and most important o
ee ject in my printed statement was
" call attention to the Tammar
ed method adopted by the state machil
of is using all kinds of spoils of Off
he to pe%rpetuate itself in control OF Il
r. state government. prominent amor
he which is the creation of many almo
ed useless appointive offices to be fill
n by henchmen of the machine, and Il
ne expenditure of large sums OF sta
TIA money (much of which is done co
as trary to the constitution without re
as ular appropriation bills under 7
N subterfuge of general legislation al
m. the creation of special funds) in ha
,al ing appointive officers travel hith
M and thither over the state more
nd advance the cause of the machi
than for the good of the state. Y
Die also failed to recognize the an
lg- spoils provision of the new prima
Ter law, as to legal party endorsemer
to appointive offices, under Secti
ill ia. You were sworn to uphold tt
or law. Why did you not insist on t
lu- regular party organizations endor'
ments? There was no law agar
your doing so. You were sworn to
hold the constitution. Why did y
not veto the game fund bill creati
another special fund? This spoils
f sue, referred to in my printed sta
ment, | also not you lodged.
IN "Most sincerely.
"R. O. RICHARDS
,