Imperial Valley press., 1916-11-16
GOVERNMENT )
EXPENSE Is
GREATER

In his address to the State Con
Vention Of County Assessors, State
Controller John S. Chambers took as
is subject "The Cost of Govern
ment." He pointed out that the rec
oids proved that during the past fiji
teen or twenty years there had been
a great increase in the cost Of gov
eminent, national, state, county and
city; that this cost had increased
faster than population and in all prob
ability faster than wealth or income
This marked increase in cost was
accompanied by very marked in
crease in functions discharged by our
various forms of government.
Chambers asserted that while it is
true in this country the people are
the court of final resort, that it was
not humanity possible for them to
keep sufficiently in touch with gov
ernmental matters, particularly fl
4 f|ii'ieii iiltItSio, pioPSiiy " iliIiuSiINC
legislation that, therefore, it was the
duty Of those who had the time, the
! opportunity and the inclination, par
j tic iCularly officials, to make a study
of these matters and to inform the
public.
The controller then quoted figures
/ cbo -, Il ic1,, re
upon the part of the federal govern
rlent, the state, the counties and the
cities during the past ten years and
! pl oved by he statistics used that Cal
i*ornia expenditures had not increased
in greater proportion than the aver
age elsewhere, if, indeed, the per-
centage here was not trifle less.
Among the causes of the increase
in the cost Of government, Mr.. Cham
bers pointed cut that cur schools, in
gliding the University, the normals,
the high and the common schools,
were now costing about $36 100000 a
year. or, on the basis of a population
He stated also that our state and
county hospitals, prisons, reform
schools ard so on were costing nearly
! S27, 100000 q year, or almost a per
capita of 50. California. he added,
was in a peculiar condition as to men,
tel and moral derelicts. Many of
these unfortunates came here from
the East. They could go no further
and had no incentive to return whence
they came. They became, therefore,
> burden on California and added
greatly to our cost of government.
Chambers then referred to the loss
or increased cost due to incompetency,
waste and neglect in office, saying
that such causes always had existed
to a greater or less extent and al
ways would. While the big majority
of officials were competent and IN
dustrious, enough were not to add
g! eatly to the burden.
/ AS remedies, he suggested uniform
systems of accounting for the state,
the counties and the cities, stating
that by such means it would be pos
s,ble to compare cost, ascertain the
causes cf undue expenditures and to
hing about proper regulation.
And, second, very necessary rem
eGy, which would be greatly helped
rv a uniform system of accounting,
as the budget. While it is not pos
sihle in this country to have what is
ealed a scientific budget, 1t IS easily
practicable to have budgets for the
ration, the states and the minor dl-
visions that will meet requirements,
bring us out of financial confusion
and place public business upon an eff
ficiency basis.
Mr.. Chambers also asserted that an
expenditure limit law, whereby eN-
pcnditures in any one year could only
exceed the expenditures of the pre-
vious year b va certain percentage
would a splendid thing, even as
applied to the state under its present
tax system and particularly as ap-
pied to the general property tax sys
them in vogue in the counties ano
cities of the state He added that i
would be as practicable to have cen
al control of bond issues as Of as
sessments, tax levies, etc. Long-tern
i. r,,,f