The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1913-09-26
ANSWERS HIS CRITICS
Governor Defends Tax Levy
Fixed by State Board.
ENUMERATES NEW EXPENSES
C1oinc Gnod Ch n,,,;on Toe Ecoo 49,.
Claims Good Showing For Econom.
ical Administration.

Governor Haines has published an
open letter answering critics of the
state administration regarding this
years tax levy raising 1924, 900 more
money for state expenses than was
raised last year. The governor seeks
to point out that In the present year
the state government is called upon
to meet new and unusual expenses
amounting to about $3.50 yet
Notwithstanding this additional bur
den, only $24, 900 more is being raised
by direct taxes this year than last.
In part the letter contains the fol-
lowing:
"The legislature, at the peoples
wish, it must be presumed, created a
public utilities aud tax commission
for whose expenses during the current
year we were forced to provide $40,-
600 not previously required. 1t also
created state board of education,
for which we have had to provide
$40, 900 for current expenses. 1t ap.
propriated $500 to pay for a silver
service for the battieship Idaho, an
obligation coming from the previous
| administration, and $lOO, 900 for the
expenses of state exhibit at the
Panama Pacific exposition. all of
which under the terms of the law
must be available within the next
year.
"For the capitol building and
grounds and for the penal and chari.
table institutions, the legislature ap-
prOprated $85, 900 more for the bien.
nial period than was appropriated IN
1911. Similarly it appropriated for
our educational institutions $l77,.
:, 048. 90 more than 10 1911. Half of
this increased amount must, of course
| be made available for the current
year, and the board of equalization
was thus forced to raise this year for
our state institutions $l3l,O24. 10
more than was raised last year.
"If now we add the last named
amount to the $l57.5OO which, as
shown above. it was necessary to
raise to meet new and unusual ex.
penses, it will be seen that the board
of equalization was forced to provide
in 1913 for the payment Of S2SS,524..
10 more than was required in 1912.
"When it is remembered that in
order to pay $28s, ,524.1O additional,
an increase of only $24, 238. 73 is asked
for in direct taxes, the difference be.
ing saved elsewhere or met from tht
increased revenues earned by the vari.
Gus state departments, it is believed
that the administration which ha:
brought such result about Is fairl.
entitled to the credit of having beer
both economical and businesslike.
"In other words, this administra
tion is making it possible for thu
people to have public utilities ant
tax commission costing for this yea
$40, 900, a state board OF education
costing $40, 900, to pay an old debt o
$500 for a silver service for tn,
battleship Idaho, to place an exhibi
at San Francisco costing 500, 900, t
expend on their charitable, penal ant
,, educational institutions the increased
, sum of Sl3l ,O24.l0 and to pay tn
whole additional bill aggregatinl
S28S, ,524.l0 by raising through direc
taxes the small additional sum o
, S24, 23s.13.
5 IL doubt if our people will eve
ask or expect any state ADM nistra
tion to make better record thai
this"