The copper era and Morenci leader., 1915-02-12

Through the courtesy of the Chair
man of the House Committee on APP
propriations we have been furnished
with a table showing the appropria-
tions made by the last Legislature for
1914 and 1915 and the requests for ap-
preparations which the legislature will
be required to make for 1915 and
I1917, being the fiscal years in each
instance. 1t will be noticed that the
increase in what the various depart
ments desire to spend next year over
appropriations made for last year
amounts to about seven hundred
thousand dollars ($70O,000. .00), and we
will ask the reader to study carefully
the various items to understand just
where the increases are.
First of all, the Military Department
of the State wants an increase of ap-
proximately $21,000.00 more this year.
The Northern Arizona Normal school
desires $1,000. 90 for maintenance in
excess of the previous years, and also
another building valued at $50,00O.00,
and improvements, amounting to $10,-
900. 90. The maintenance of the Pion-
eer's Home is to cost $4,000. 90 more
than last year. The prison also shows
some increase with respect to main
tenance and approximately $20,00000
for improvements. In the face of the
we have a recommendation made for
the purchase of four thousand acre
farm for the prison and the State is,
asked to appropriate the immense sum
of 100000. 90 for this. The Prison
has slightly In excess of four hundred
inmates and the State Engineer is
authority for the statement that ap-
proximately 180 of these could bevery
well utilized in building the roads of
the State, that no more convicts could
be secured of the total number, for
road purposes for the reason that
some are not of the class that could
be taken out of the Prison, others are
disqualified by i'll health and the re-
mainder are needed to perform the
ordinary work about the Prison. Just
where we are to secure enough pr1S-
oners to operate the big farm is not
apparent at this time. The idea of
Prison Farm is a good one and no
doubt will be worked out, but we fail
to see its necessity at this writing.
The State Industrial School asks for
an increase of 10000 over its ap-
preparation. There is even some sar-
casm is this as the facts are the State
Industrial School exceeded its appro-
priations made by the former Iegis-
lature by about $30,O0000. 1t is con-
templated to spend $3.50, 100000 more
per year upon public roads. We
are now spending $250,000.O0 per year.
At the recent Legislative Advisory
Conference held in Phoenix the rec
ommendation was made that $5,000.00
per month of the present $250,00O0 90
fund could be applied in the main
tenance of convicts on the public
roads. The University at Tucson
wants the modest increase of $105,-
600 co.
Needless to say, the task of the
Appropriation Committees has not
been lightened by the necessity of
materially reducing these appropria-
tions
General Fund
The general fund items last year
amounted to $685. $3.50, to which, it is
estimated, should be added $4,000 to
close the fiscal year, June 80, 1915.
The estimated general fund expenses
for the year 1856 are $3.50, 1913 and
for the period 1867, $565 1893.
1t is from the general fund that
the salaries and office expenses of
the various State Commissions are
paid. The estimated cost of each
is interesting, and it is as follows:
Arizona Corporation Commission,
$52,SOO.
This figure is made up of the
salaries of members, $4,000.
A Secretary to the Commission $2,-
500.