The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-08-10
Communication From Madison.

Madison, Wis, August 4.-The anti
administration forces at Madison aided
by publicity bureau which has not
been careful with the facts have had
their day at the capitol and now it is
the taxpayers turn.
Governor Philip is giving the people
| the benefit of six months hard work in
the amendments which are being intro
duced in the legislature cutting down
the appropriations for the next two
years Since the legislature was or
ganized the finance committee which
has been dominating at times by anti
Phillip men has been working on the
appropriation bills. AS has been the
custom in past years the finance COM
mittee has asked heads of departments
TO appear with their demands. Some
one in the finance committee conceived
the idea that if the demands were cut
that would be a saving to the taxpay-
ers. Whether by pre-arranged plan
or not heads of departments who were
in the capitol before Governor Philip
arrived have been so generous in their
demands that considerable cut could
be made and still leave an appropriation
greater than that of two years ago.
Governor Philipp, however, believes
that the way to save money for the tax
payers is to save it. He long ago gave
warning that he would insist upon re-
duction of taxes. To prepare himself
to make that reduction without cripp-
ling any department he engaged the
services of men trained to the work, at
his own expense, and told them to find
out what each department had expend-
ed during the last two years.
The difference between Governor
Philipp and his opponents was that
Governor Philipp was trying to carry
out his platform pledges and reduce
taxes, while his opponents were trying
to load up the appropriation bills, as
they did those sent to Governor Nc
Govern two years ago and also to save
the jobs of some of the faithful
The first gun fired by the Governor
created CONSERVATION in the legislature.
He not only supported an amendment
introduced by Speaker Whittet cutting
down the appropriation made by the
finance committee for the board of con-
troll something like 100000, but when
this cut was questioned he was sup
ported by the president and secretary
of the board of control. Many other
amendments have been introduced and
others haye been prepared, all based
on expenditures for the last two years,
and not one of them cutting the depart
ments under that figure.
The result would be amusing were it
not for the serious effect it might have
upon people who may not understand
the situation. After running around in
circles for several days the representa-
tives of the tax eating trusts. have de-
cided to announce. to the people that
the Governor is cripplingi the state de-
partments. They seem not to have a
saving grace of the sense Of humer.
Instead of joining with the Governor at
this late day in economy they can be
seen in committee rooms and in the
darker corners of. the capitol corridors
armed with books and figures trying to
figure out away by which the Governor
still can be defeated. 1t is apparent
that they have no sense of their duty
to their constituents and with the blind
ness of the fanatic of other times they
are rushing headlong to the inevitable
thew wrath of the long suffering tax
payers.
One of the amusing things which has
happened is product of the publicity
bureau published in the few ultra-pro-
gressive papers in the state, which says
| that the Governor has even gone SO far
as to cripple the railroad commission
It is interesting to note that at special
meeting of the finance committee, call
ed and attended by anti-Philipp men,
bers on Saturday, the appropriations
recommended by the Governor for this
commission were cut $4,000 and that
report appears on. an assembly cal
ender with recommendation for pas
sage.