The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-10-02
COST OF A CONSTITU.
TIONAL CONVENTION
This Could BE Paid Many Times Over
by the Savings II Gould
Effect


The expense OF the undertaking is
the objection most commonly made
to the holding OF constitutional con
vention. Indeed, Il is the only argu-
ment that has been seriously pre-
sented against the convention propo-
sition.
The item OF expense will honestly
appeal to some timid souls. With
the main bulk Of the opposition. how
ever. II will be put forward as a con
venient mask for their more funda-
mental objections The argument Of
expense, nevertheless, should be an
swered
When the people OF Indiana decid-
ed In 1851 that the old constitution
OF 1916 was out OF date and that they
needed new constitution, they went
ahead and held convention, regard
less of cost Yet the state was des-
perately poor then. The convention
cost $s56S3.05. The need of a CON
vention is far greater now than then,
bNNA
the expense. Surely it will cost more
now. but il is bigger job and of
vitality more Importance. The popula-
tion OF the state has more than tre-
bled since then.
The Ohio convention OF 1912 cost
500 10000, according to the state
ment OF Mr. Herbert s. Bigelow. presi-
dent OF the convention. There is
no reason why a convention in In
diana should cost more This is a
relatively small sum considering
that we are a state of more than
5000 900 people-less than 1Oc q
head. Every legislative session costs
more than this. and non-partisan
constitutional convention would be
worth more than a dozen Legislative
sessions in its welfare results to the
people The cost of a convention
at this time is the necessary and the
inevitable cost of progress and
growth.
When our old corduroy and creek
bottom roads passed out of date, we
built modern highways and reckoned
not the cost We spent on roads and
bridges in Indiana in the year 1911
$2,S46. .o5sS2 Our township road
bonds outstanding Dec. 81. 1911
amounted to s23,441,352 237. The to
tai disbursements of our state depart
ments and state institutions alone for
the year 1912 aggregated sl0,9s5,oos
I The expenditures for county admin
istration for 1911 were sl0,642, ASS.
and for towns and cities in the same
year $4,000. 962.76. Compared tc
these sums. what shall be said OF
the Insignificant expense of s270,
10000 for a constitutional convention
once in sixty-three years?
/ A proper readjustment OF our taxa
! tion system would effect a saving
many times greater than this in q
single year. and at the same time
would place our enormous tax burden
where II properly belongs. Against
the tax situation alone, the expense
argument is worth no consideration
at all.
government by an efficient modern
system of home rule for cities would
unquestionably result In a large an
Aual reduction cost OF administration.
Experts have declared that the waste
incident to our present political sys-
tenn OF administration OF city gov
ernment amounts TO from 10To to 500
per year Using the lowest factor. a
new constitution could be made the
means of Saving in a single year three
times the cost OF the convention.
Incalculable saving to the people
would be possible through a system
OF effective control OF our public util
tiles. impossible under the present
constitution. single cent clipped
OF from the monopoly made street
car fare in our cities, for instance.
would alone pay for several more
constitutional conventions. Reduc-
tions in gas and electric rates would
provide the wherewithal for still more
conventions.
An effective workman's compensa-
tion act, now so common in the other
industrial states, would effect a large
reduction in the cost Of administering
our courts, to say nothing of the vast
sums It would divert from the pock-
cts OF the lawyers TO the direct re-
lief OF the injured workers and their
dependent families.
But the more important public ben
efts to come from a constitutional
convention can not. and should not,
be measured by dollars and cents
standards. The progressive political
and social legislation that would
eventually results from IL; the stim-
ulus II would give to the study Of
public questions; the awakening OF
interest on the part Of the people in
the big problems OF citizenship, are
f---.. f.-toro o.. tbto onu.