Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-10-11
HOW STATE TAXES
ARE EXPENDED
Only Small Portion of Money Raised
Used by Commonwealth of
Iowa.
BALANCE Is RETURNED
TO SEVERAL COUNTIES
Big Part Of Funds Raised by States
4.5 Mills Levy Goes Back To
Home County of Man Who
Pays 1t.

Pays 1t.
Des Moines, Oct. 9.-W. ii. Will
liams, chief revenue clerk in the
state auditors Office. has just COM
pleted the report of the states ex-
penditures in the last two years or
up to July l, 1916. This report dis
closes that while there was $15,31S,
94S.46 discussed by the state in the
past two years, the very large per
cent of it was spent by the state for
the counties themselves. Only lit
tile over $5,00O,000 of this money
was collected by taxation, and the
remainder or around $9,00O,000 was
collected in license money and fees.
When a man pays his state tax of
4 3 mills the big per cent OF this mo-
ney comes back to his home county.
This tax goes TO help support the
state institutions under the board of
control where the unfortunates from
every county in the state are cared
| for. 1t goes TO the educational in
stitutions, to the Iowa National
Guard and to the general assembly as
well as to the support OF state Offices.
The automobile license money all
goes back to the counties except ).
per cent which goes to the general
'<xf - q h.l, 10
cost of collection and ) per cent
which provides the maintenance
fund for the highway commission.
The hunters license fund goes back
to the counties and is used in re-
stocking rivers with fish and the
| fields with game and in the masliten-
ance of fish and game wardens over
the state.
In the past two years the state in
situations under the board of con
troll have expended 81, OF
for support and current expenne.
The buildings and improvements
have cost 557,70V9S. The state
has 10000 wards in these instit,l-
tons
The threa educational institutions
of Iowa, located at Ames. Iowa City
and Cedar Falls, have spent in these
two years for support and current
Iexpenses $3,270.16S93 and for i'm
provements 1897. 155.44.
The last general assembly eos,
iS2l9,954.61. The Iowa Naiiona
Guard in these past two years has
Icost $2S5, 9Sl.20 The amount eX-
IIendcd by order OF the executive
council has been $369.051.45.
Out of this 40 mills also Is ex-
pended the money which goes TO the
aid of the county fairs. the count,
farmers Institutes, normal training
in high schools and the state aid to
consolidated schools. For instance
there are now 202 CONSOLIDATED
schools in the state which are re
ceiving state aid whereas five years
ago there were scarcely dozen sucil
schools in Iowa.
In fact ont of the upwards of Sl.,-
200, 900 spent in the past biennial
iDeriod only $1.S74,350.y1 was spent
for state Offices, that is for the state
officials, employees and boards sal
aries and expenses. Included in this
is the salary of every district Judge
in Iowa inasmucl: as district judges
are paid out Of state taxes
The special miscellaneous eXpens-
e. We're $39,99l,2SI.Sl in the two
years. This is the fund into which
the automobile license money is paid
and from which il is paid out, which
accounts for the most of the eXps ndi-
lture. Up TO Aug. | of this year ev-
cry township i'll the state Of Iowa
had received S89S from this automo-
bile license fund this year.
/ Conscientious state officials who
do everything in their power to see
that the states funds are expended
wisely, that taxes are kept down as
much as possible with the progress
OF an up to date state. are more or
less sensitive to what is often known
TO be unfair criticism OF state taxes
They believe that too often taxpay-
ers who complain overlook the fact
that the big per cent OF the money
paid in state taxes goes back 10 the
counties themselves and in fact all
OF it is spent either directly or indi-
rectly for the benefit of the counties
as whole and not for any one loca-
ton or district or for any one Insti-
tuition or purpose.
Extra Quality
mems union suits for fall use Good