The Detroit times., 1914-10-29

and Americas interest In IL, ne was
greeted by q large gathering that
formed levee after the lecture. The
former governor was. among friends
who shook his hands and laughed
and chatted with him. and patted
him on the back. and wished him
Godspeed. !.
Then the candidate was whirled
TO the big tent. where Col. o. A..
James was preaching Republicanism
| to a crowd that filled the tent The
crowd applauded Justify as Mr.. Os-
born entered, and his vigorous
speech, scintillating with wit, and
Ibristling with telling hits. fairly
lifted the audience to Its feet.
At Diamond Temple. Lawton and
| Grand River-aves.. II was the same.
| A crowd that filled the auditorium
went wild with enthusiasm, as Mr.
Osborn numerically nayed the ex-
ltrayagances. the inefiiciendes. and
the lackadaisical methods OF the Fer
ris administration.
"Its a fright, want to tell you;
the way the Ferris administrator
lsquandered the money OF the people
of Michigan" he told his Diamond
temple audience. 'It wasn't graft
that got away with nearly $5.00o,0o0
more I'm two years than any admin
istration ever spent In Michigan be-
fore. They Just poured II away; Just
threw II TO the birds.
"They criticize me for vetoing some
OF the appropriations for state IN
Istitutions; $780.000 worth. They say
III crippled them. I left $1,500.000 In
the treasury. after paying on the
state debt that was disgrace to
Michigan, when / took once. left
that because I worked seven days .
week. and watched things. You cant
run the government OF the state I'M
less you do. I went to inspect the
places, where they wanted money,
and I'll tell you some Of the things l
| found. Incidentally, I was the frst
governor In IL years TO visit some
Of the institutions, and no governor
has visited them since.
"Mackinac Island, that operates
concessions that pay well. asked me
| for $4,000 when I was governor. ana
| / turned down the request. ] looked
over the situation Millionaires from
New Orleans, and Chicago, and the
east have splendid homes there. IL
II their play ground. Not 10 per cent
Of the taxpayers OF Michigan even
visit the place. I asked the commis.
sion. II they couldn't run the island
from the proceeds OF the concessions.
1--WE can II we've got to- they an
swered, and told them, Well. you We
got to- And they did. Ran It as
well az II ever was run.
But, when Ferris became governor
and everybody was getting all the
money he asked for, Mackinac ISL
and asked for $4,000 and got 1t. They
had asked me for $4,000. and didn't
need IL, they admitted.
"Just now the superintendent OF
the Ypsilanti Normal school IL dizzy.
He's got 100000 OF the money OF
Michigan that he doesn't know what
to do with. He's erecting buildings,
and buying land. and doing every
thing he can think Of to spend 1t,
and he's got more land now than he
needs. He asked for 100000, when
he needed 100000. just as lawyer
files Q suit for $4,000 or 80, when he
expects to get about $1,000 and be
satisfied. But Ypsilanti got the whole
100000, and the superintendent Is
dizzy trying to figure out what to do
with that 100000 that he doesn't
need.
.sUp at Lapeer, the state home for
the feebleminded, they asked for a
jbig appropriation for q reservoir.
went up there. They needed reser-
voir, but the superintendent agreed
with me heartily when I suggested,
You've got q lot Of able-bodied In
mates here whom you are marching
out every day for exercise. Let them
dig for exercise. IL will do them q
world OF good. and it's fine way of
getting the work done. Just tell each
man Fhe's a foreman, and has got to
see that that Job Is done
| "And that gang, composed entirely
of bosses finished the job in whirl-
wind style; at q cost Of less than one
tenth Of the appropriation asked, and
the Job was done In first-class shape.
| Nov Gov. Ferris says he left the
appropriations all up to the legisla-
ture. But the veto power was given
to the governor just to avoid that very
thing. IT puts expenditures squarely
up to the governor. He IL made the
watch dog of the Michigan treasury,
The legislature passed that law 70
create that very condition There Ia
no blame TO be attached to q legfs-
lator whose district contains public
institution, for trying to get all he
can for the institution. and for fight
ing for II.
But. the legislator put the check.
the safety valve. In the hands Of the
governor. that the governor might
stop fearful waste Of money that must
come ~ everv augmentation aaked for
by every legislator anxious to serve
his district, should pass. II you don't
want Michigan to go bankrupt, you've
got to check the frightful waste OF
money. You've got to put In eficien-
| cy. And the governor has got TO be
on the job; he must be In touch with
state institutions. and he must say
moi" when exorbitant demands are
made on the treasury.