Weekly journal-miner., 1915-05-19
SENATES IDEA OF
 STATE REVENUE BILL

the apprOprldllOn DlIl Ol TWO year ago and the estimates of the executive department of the needs of the state government for the next two years.
 The appropriations bill for l9l3-l5 carried sums amounting to $3,9l5, ,37O the executive estimates for 19l5-H were S5.1S6,225.S0; the senate bill car ries $2,790,lS7.3O. Members of the house point to the fact that the sen ate bill makes no appropriations for public printing and the publication of reports. It is true that that item appears to be omitted though it is possible that the committee believed that here was an opportunity to stop a great waste and that the contingent funds allowed the various depart ments, would be sufficient to meet the printing and publication needs after taking care of necessary con tingent expenses.
 The only disinterested criticism yet offered of the senate bill by those who genuinely desire greater econ omy in the management of the state affairs is, in the reduction of the ap- propriations for the state school fund from $500,00O a year to $100O0O. But the pending house bill makes a reduc- ton almost as great.
 Here are a few of the comparisons made in the recapitulation; for the last two years the appropriations for the office of the state auditor were $33,S00; the estimates called for $37,- GOO; the amount allowed by the sen ate is $27. 500. This reduction is ef- fected by cutting down the provision for contingent expenses from S7,400 to $3,000, cutting of an assistant for the bank examiner $3,600 and the travelling expenses of the examiner though it gives him an allowance for contingent expenses of $l,2OO for which no provision was made in the last appropriation bill.
 The appropriations for the board Of control are reduced in the senate bill from $l9,O0O the amount appropriated two years ago, and the estimates for the next two years of the same amount, to $14,0O0 This saving is proposed by the simple process of re- ducing the travelling expenses of the board from $1O,OOO to $5,OO0.
 The senate's provision for the ex- pcnses of the governors office Is $26,- 200 against $25, 100 for the last two years though it is nearly $l0,00O less than the executive estimates of the needs for the next two years. The salary of the secretary Of the gov ernor is reduced from $3000 a year for the last two years, the amount estimated for the next two years and the amount finally allowed in the house bill, to $2,1O0. The former ap- prop-iation bill allowed the govern or's office S6000 for clerical assist ance and the senate bill allows $S,0OO instead of $1OOOO asked for in the ex- ecutive estimates. For the contingent expenses $6,000 is allowed against $5,l00 two years ago and against $9y500 asked for. Printing to the amount of $300O in the estimates is ignored in the senate bill.
 For the office of the secretary of state there is an appropriation of $32,4OO against $29,5OO two years ago and against $37,6OO asked for. A reduction of $2O0O is made in the con tingent expense appropriations and small reductions in the salaries of as sistants and stenographers.
 The senate bill allows $l9,000 for the expenses of the office of attorney general; the appropriation bill Of two years ago allowed $16,O00. No allow ance is made for the expense of federal suits. among them the eighty per cent law cases; $2,000 had been asked for that purpose.
 The expenses of the office of in spector of weights and measures are reduced from $9,4OO to 5000, though $14600 had been asked.
 The expenses of the office of state examiner are left at $S,200 the same as for the last two years though the estimates were $16200.
 For the last two years the ex- penses of the office of mine inspector were $3O,OOO and that amount was asked for the ensuing two years but the senate bill cuts the appropriation to $21 zoo; $5,2OO is taken from the travelling expenses; $3,600 from dep uties' expenses and $500 from office expenses. (.
 In the department of public in struction, a cut of $S60,O00 is made, $80OOOO of this being in the state school fund and $60,0O0 in the item of vocational instruction. The latter item had not been asked for in the estimates.
 The appropriations for the office