Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-10-06
Where the Money Goes.

Where the Money Goes.
More interest is being manifested il
the subject of taxation today than a,
any former period in the history of Che
halls county, and the Aberdeen WurlG
Is performing valuable public ser
vice in publishing the series Of AZ
ticles now running to show where tie
money goes. 1t is to be regretted
that this interest did not appear ter
years ago. If 1t had, it is q c..nser
vative estimate to say that the tax
payers of the county might have saw
ed a million dollars without subtract
Ing in the least from the efficiency
Of the county government. The price
OF economical government, like liz
erty, is eternal vigilance, and the
Herald trusts the present interest
will not slumber as in times past un
til the annual grumbling time ar
rives. when taxes become payable.
The practice of economy in coun
ty and city management is very well
as far as it goes. but one must 60
deeper, or higher to locate the seat
of trouble, which in the final analysis
will be found with the people. A
clamor starts for some public expepd.
iture, no protest is heard, and the
public officials, being but human, are
constrained to believe it is. a public
necessity. and the appropriation goes.
An investigation will reveal the fact
that while county commissioners and
city councilmen are usually blamed
Tor high expenses, they really have
but little to do with the matter. Sub
stantial economy must begin with the
legislature and be sustained by the
people,
An examination Of the tax list for
1914 shows that the total sum OF
taxes for Chehalis county, exclusive
Of towns and cities. is $1,S39,523, a
per capita tax OF $3.50. OF each 500
Of this sum, 1892 went for educa.
ton; s42.44 for roads and bridges;
$40 for the state and 1924 for the
county. OF this $17.24 for county
purposes 40 per cent at least goes
f.. official salaries over which the
commissioners have no control They
do control, to a large extent, the road
cost but the record will show petit
tons for many more miles of road
than has been built every year. More
than one-third of the taxes goes for
education, which is entirely under the
control of the school boards, and they
are being constantly harrassed for
more money than they find available,
In fact, the problem before many of
the boards Is how to give heed to the
demands upon them and keep within
the legal limit of Indebtedness.
The same is true of the cities. The
total tax collected in Aberdeen this
year was $S53,325, a per capita tax
of $28.S3. OF each 500 of this sum,
1888 went for education; s22.17 for
highways; 1857 to the state and
$23.S9 for the city.
Thus it will be seen that with the
utmost cheese-paring by the county
commissioners and city council the
saving can but be small compared
with the total sum. 1t appears to the
Herald that relief of any consequence
must come through the adoption OF
more modern and efficient systems
for the government of counties and
cities. The present systems were in
augurated years ago, when partisan
politics dominated everywhere, and
the. state of Washington has had the
experience that all the older states
went through-and is still enjoying
it. Some day this fact will become
more generally known, and then g
new constitution will be framed that
will provide for a more modern sys
tenn not only for the counties ant
cities but for the state as we'll.