The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1915-08-20
Whittet Tells How Taxpayers Have
Been Bled.


Speaker Whittet of the assembly, in
discussing the situation with respect to
appropriations, gives Wisconsin tax
PAYERS and the public generally some
thing to think about. With his GUS
tomary way of meeting issues squarely
and without evasion, the man who in
the lower house of the legislature has
been directing the fight along money
saving efforts has the following to say
about the reasons why the best results
have failed. In speaking OF the as
sembly's work and the difficulties con-
fronting the members, Speaker Whittet
on Wednesday said:
SIN the closing hours of this session
there are facts which should command
the attention of Wisconsin voters and
taxpayers. The charge has been made,
for political effect, that the assembly's
treatment of appropriation bills has
been based upon no other ground than
politics. This is not the fact. The II
nance committee, in making its recon-
mendations, acted upon such informa-
ton as was placed before it by those
interested in securing money. The
committee or it's members are not to
be criticised for doing its work in the
best possible way, considering the in
formation upon which action was taken.
''The state has machinery which sup
posedly has been working for four
years to secure definite information for
the use of the legislature and its COM
mittees. All the work of the men en-
ployed by the state board of public at
fairs, with respect to appropriations,
has been directed towards increasing
appropriations rather than decreasing
them. The budgets prepared are
merely comparisons with appropria-
tons and expenditures for former
years. In fact, this work consisted
largely of compiling figures and making
schedules upon the theory that appro
priations have been so much, and nee
essarily must continue at the same fig
ure or be increased"
"Acting under what the majority of
the assembly believes to be an express
command of the people, our policy has
been to see where and how specific
sums could be saved in administrative
costs. We were able to do this because
of the investigation conducted by the
special legislative committee covering
an exhaustive inquiry into many mat
forth under the direction of Gov.
Philip, who for many months has
been conducting an inquiry as to where
impairment of the state service.
Upon all appropriation bills | want
to say that the assembly has not acted
without due consideration, and only af-
ter close investigation to warrant the
fC This hoe not hoon 6Ono ho-
cause of politics. Wisconsin for many
years has been adding to the cost Of
state government with seemingly no
one paying heed or attention to places
where saving could be made. Those
interested in appropriations have acted
upon the theory that the cost of gov
eminent must necessarily increase year
after year. In practically every re-
quest made for money appropriations
are based upon amounts previously re-
ceived, regardless of the fact that
smaller sums might suffice.
"'The men at the head of various
state activities all have desires and am
billions to make the best possible show
ing for their departments. In many
instances the call for additional money
is based upon plans for greater expan-
SlOIl, UOCSSSlCdIlIlS Pdy1Oll
penditures. 1t seems to me that if the
assembly plans, as recommended by
the governor, for effective methods of
consolidation had passed the saving to
the taxpayers would have been mater
ial. In the wisdom of the senate some
of these propositions were nullifed.
at seems strange to me, considering
the elaborate system of state govern
ment operating in Wisconsin, that no
business-like and effective method of
making appropriations and of verifying
the correctness of figures ever has
been evolved | understand this was
supposed to be the function of the
board of public affairs, but up to this
time little or no attention has been
paid to this phase of the work of this
board. "
These statements made by public
official whose activities have been di-
rected for the past seven months
towards securing the best possible leg
islative results should leave no small
impress upon the taxpayers of Wiscon-
sin. What he has to say about the sys-
tenn which for years has been expand
ing at the expense of the taxpayers,
and the lack of system governing all
as to appropriations, is
based upon his observations and per-
sonal knowledge during this session. =
G.. E. Vandercook in Evening Wiscon-
sin.