The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-07-02
THE HIGH
WATER MARK
In State Expenditure Of
Last g. Year Period
Due TO Operations of Con-
stitutional Amendments
Will Be Exceeded BY The
Willis Administration
Putting To Rout The Wild
Preachment of Economy
And Showing Up Admins
tration In True Light

COluHlDuS, W., June z3-lne nlSn
water mark in state expenditure of the
last two-year period, due to the plac-
ing in operation of a number of con-
stitutional amendments voted by the
people, will be reached and exceeded
by the Willis administration, which
came into power on the false issues of
bankrupt treasury, overflow of Office
buildings outside the statehouse and
touted economy. Long since the bank
rupt treasury lie disproved itself by
the rapidly mounting interest fund, and
the Willis administration acknowledg-
ed the debt when it appropriated from
the Cox surplus for the first six months
of operation. Then the overflow office
charge joined the ranks of the false
when the Willis legislature provided
for new Office building to be erected
on interest drawn by the deficit" Now
the economy proposal is not only go
ing into the same category but it is
showing itself to be the purest bunk.
With the starvation of the state in.
stitutions and the grand stand plays
about reduced salaries, the total of two
years of the Willis administration will
far exceed the total of two years of
the Cox administration, and overreach
the greatest biennium sum the state
ever before had. The analysis of this
statement will be furnished later as
the proof is now developing in compar-
! isons Of the amounts spent and the
specific budget. From this the people
will probably learn that economy in ad-
ministration Is that which makes il.
self known in the amounts collected
by tax or otherwise, and that economy
| talk without such manifestation Is
rankest rot. The mere reduction of ap-
preparations two years ago did not
save anything to the people but when
| the special session was called to re-
duce the tax rate it. meant real econo-
my by which the taxpayers were saved
two and one-half million dollars and
the taX-spenders had just that much
less to spend,
Final calculations, just announced
Of all appropriations made by the gen.
eral assembly and approved by Gov,
ernor Willis show that the money vot.
ed for all purposes for the present
biennium is $i6,29S, 500, not including
an item of 100000 for state Office
building to be erected out of a perma.
nent building fund created with the
interest received on state money OF
the appropriations $3G,226,379 will
| come from the general revenue fund
$32O,365.5O fish and game department
S6,l14,996,92 state highway depart
ment; $26S,746 automobile license de
partment; and Sl,36S,000 university
and sinking fund levy. based on an esti
mated grand duplicate OF $4,000 900,
900. or the appropriations $125, 5,311 0l
Is charged to deficiencies prior to Feb
ruary 16 and in the sundries bill is
$l5l,OOO for cattle slaughtered in foot
and mouth disease chargeable to nc
certain period, but this Is more than
Offset by neglect to appropriate for sal
aries and expenses, of the incoming as
sembly OF 1917, whose first act will be
to provide the deficiency. The short
term appropriations TO close the fiscal
year, June 80, are S6,79l, ,Sl5.23, leaving
as allowances for the twoyear period
19l517, $39,36l ,3S3.35. Pretty expen
sive! What?
Every man who believes that Presl
dent Wilson deserves n square deal al
the hands of the Ohio legislature
should sign the petitions for referen
dunn on the Sprague gerrymander act
which deprives Democratic president
OF fair congressional representation
from Ohio, giving the Republicans II
congressman and the Democrats only
o. The petitions will be In circula
ton by another week.
Hubert Fuller, OF Cleveland is sicl
abed as the result of a slap on the
back administered with enthusiasm by
Governor Willis. Well! Lot of fel
lows who got the same slap from the
same hand last fall have since devel
oped fearful headaches.
| %
Whenever we are relieved of oui
| III