The Topeka state journal., 1916-12-20

Continued from Page One.)
the records to show that the state has
slipped as well as advanced There
is no denying the great prosperity of
tho present, Bowman declares, but in
a record of years Kansas is found by
the contral board member to have
slumped.
Taking a seven-year period-from
1899 to 1916-Bowman shows an IN
crease of 1O8 per cent in number of
patients in insane hospitals, an in
crease of 62 per cent in expense OF
county charities and an increase of
just Z per cent in population.
Facts and Figures.
Giving facts and figures. Bowman
recites that the expense of county
while in 1916, the expense was $751;
610.33, an increase of $216, ,479.26, or
62 per cent.
Looking at the record of insane,
epileptic and feeble-ninded patients
in state institutions, Bowman shows
an increase of 10S per cent in the
seventeen year period. Inmates in
Topeka State hospital increased from
S27 in 1899 to 1855 in 1915, while
Osawatomie increased from 1,019 to
1,54S. At Winfield the mum Der of in
mates increased from 13S to $50. Par
sons and Larned hospitals have been
located since 1899. Including the
Parsons and Larned records. the num-
ber of state patients has increased
2,156 or los per cent.
Then Bowman mentions the deli
cate matter of taxes. He goes at the
matter rather timidly- merely quoting
from a speech by Governor Capper,
delivered November 80, 1915, to the
state tax commission and county Off
cials. In that speech the governor
said in part:
do the best we can. the taxes upon
our people are becoming more and
more irksome- The per capita tax in
Kansas has increased from S5.72 in
1880 to s17.4s in 1918: The total
amount of taxes paid by Kansas peo-l
pie has increased from $1400O,OOO in
1901 to more than $3O,000,000 in
1915" sH
Continuing his quotations from the
governors speech. Bowman shows that
in the twelve year period from 1901 to
1918, the average increase in taxes in
Kansas has been 110.-S per cent In
crease in state taxes totaled 6S41 per
cent; county taxes 7.9S per cent; city
1887; township, 1881; school,
1896.
Expenses Have Doubled.
Using the report of Frank Organ.
assistant state auditor, as an authority
Bowman states that in ten years ex-
penses of state government have in
creased practically 100 per cent. Bow
man states that the ability of the state
increase in expense, is due to failure
of state officials to levy tax sufficient
to meet operating expenses. AS a re-
suit of the effort to mfslead the pub
lie into the belief that an administra-
ton of economy was at hand. funds
insufficient to meet public demands
have been raised, Bowman states For
several years, Bowman declares the
state thru its false policy has been
forced in December to draw on funds
levied for the succeeding year. The
money was used to pay back bills of
the state which could not be taken
care of thru the depleted treasury
In addition to the increase in taxes
Bowman points to the fact that bond
ed Indebtedness in Kansas has taken
a jump of nearly 100 per cent in an
effort to keep pace with increases in
local tax levies.
I'm addition to this bonded indebt-
edness," says Bowman, there are
many millions of dollars of debts in
the form of mortgages on personal
property and on city and county real
estate" Then Bowman quotes the
Farmers Union which under date of
September IA, 1915, declared: THE
farms of Kansas ar plastered with
mortgages to the tune of S175,O0O-
0OO." AS Exhibit B in his revelation
of facts, Bowman quotes from Cover
ncr Capper's own paper under date of
October 1, 1916. The paper quotes E
]. Johnson of the extension depart
ment of the state agricultural college
who said: kansas farms are mort
more than the mortgages of Colorado
and Oklahoma farms combined, more
| than on Nebraska farms and some-
what less than the amount of mort
gagged on all the farms of Missouri"