Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-05-16
I1y Ora Witliams.1

Dies Moines, May 1S.-Problems OF
debt, expenditures. taxes and finance
are ever new and yet old. Down from
q pile OF old documents musty with
age came tumbling to the floor. While
the janitors were cleaning out an old
vault in the state house, copy OF
governors biennial message. Some
things contained therein seemed fresh
though written more than shirty-sx
years ago. For instance. this gov
ernor called attention to the estimates
of funds available and added;
The appropriations made by the
Sixteenth general assembly oversiepped
this margin to the extent Of nearly
$500, 900. The result was that at the
close of the fiscal term there were
s267.71e31 Of outstanding warrants
Deduc,ing therefrom she cash on hand
we find the state with a floating debt OF
s2s7.75o75 which has since been In
creased until II reached on the oth in
slant, the enormous amount OF sSie,-
$685. more than $4,000 in excess OF
the constitutional limitation of In
dehtedness, TO say nothing OF the
funded debt
And the same message discloses tnat
the funded debt am counted to over
$4,000. The governor recommended
that the state tax levy be raised 10
more than 20 mills: but again he
wrote:
Another suggestion has been made
towards closing the financial chasH
before US. which rs 10 increase the
gross valuation by legislative act.
That the present is far below the real
valuation is manifest Were ii doubled
il would represent not more than the
truth taking he state turnout But.
on the other hand, there are parts OF
the state where the assessed and true
valuations are alike o. nearly so o1
course these could not be raised with
out injustice, and it would seem diff
cult 10 make the increase by LAW eN-
cept uniformly"
But a subsequent Legislature di-
rected and commanded that the valua-
-ior.: he fixed at actual value in the
market and provided the machinery ny
which that could be done. and has been
done. and the state tax levy Is no
higher than il was In the days OF Gov
e-no- Newbold.
This governor q thi-ty-siS years ago
had before him evidence OF some OF
Iaa weak spots which needed hXlng.
For instance, he referred 10 the school
money and the loose system OF hand
l;.g the same. and said:
IN one -ear The large sum OF sl42.-
25qao seems TO have disappeared in
The hands o: district Ireasurs-s. This
! believe 10 he largely attributable 20
tire ;ocor potency Of persons chosen TO
that office. rather than 10 any other
cause"
And there Is still gruro!ing because
The las- legislature required school
treasurers II give bonds.
The constantly increasing expense
II county and municipal governments
demands early and earnest attention,
-ats governor went on 10 say. Then
n. showed that court expenses mao
more than doubled in few years. and
re advocated reducing the size Of the
grand jury OF abolishinz it, called at
-en,ton 10 The loose methods Of boards
Of supervisors, and SAID:
TIE suggestion has been made, anc
deem II worthy % consideration, that
the board Of supervisors be abolished
and in It's place De established board
consisting OF some Of the county Off
GERS. with perhaps g single supervisor.
the whole constituting body similar
70 the state executive council.
But the fact o: the burden % local
government was ro- an entirely new
hing even in the days Of Newbol tor
four years before. another governor had
discussed in his inaugural address the
problem, Of how 70 boost Iowa. and after
detailing some Of the things which,
might ne done he closed:
And anaNy. more than thru any
other agency. We may promote the in
production 10 Iowa ot capital and en-
te-prise BY a strict adherence 70 our
professions Of economy il public eS-
penditures 4 twomiil tax Tor state
| purposes never prevented a dollar IN
ca pitai from? coming % Iowa: but local
taxes and local ulismana cement have
done 50. have been told that por-
Iicr Of the colony Of Russian Men
norires we're greatly pleased with ore
of our northwestern counties, and
would have located :here had they not
learned the enormous Indebtedness
which the county authorities have con-
t-ac-ec and which Will hang ike a
) milestone upon every legitimate en-
,erp-ise Of the people for years to come,
This colony vas los. to Iowa because
our laws 10 not protect these counties
from an extravazance which in some
'AT I'D pOVC NAV NEY7