Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-03-07
APPROPRIATIONS
TO Be HIGHEST IN
STATES HISTORY
Chairman of Senate Finance
Shows Why Legislature Must
Meet Growing Demands for
More Money.
|LEvIES WERE TOO LOW
Board Of Equalization Held to
Be at Fault-Levied Within
But One Third of Amount
Authorized by Lawmakers.
.LEvlEs WERE TOO Low

ent legislature will be the highest ever
made in Idaho, due largely to the fail
ure of the board of equalization during
the past four years to make a high
er ough levy to meet expenses for state
departments and state institutions was
the statement made before the state
senate by Senator Lloyd Adams chair
man of the finance committee.
Senator Adams said in part:
The abnormal conditions during the
war, the inefficiency and niggardli-
ness with which We have handicapped
our institutions of this state during
the past four years; the failure of the
board Of equalization during the past
four years to levy within one-third of
the amount authorized by the legisla-
ture, and the increased demand for
good roads and public Improvements
to provide employment for our soldier
boys after they return, has placed this
legislature in a position where we
must go before the people of this state
with the highest appropriation ever
made.
eve are unfortunate in that the
state has bonded within 100000 of its
limit, and we cannot pass bond is
sue at this time. In years past the
legislatures have always been able to
bond, but this condition this year will
make the tax levy possibly twice as
high as ever before.
ExTRAVAGANCE AND WASTE.
when we take into consideration
the extravaganza and waste of the ma
. = sr,t,.
which has been placed upon us by the
war, and the fact that during those
trying periods we attempted to cut
by levying below the amount required
| in normal conditions, we feel Justified
| in going before the people of this state
with this budget.
In 1915 the levy authorized was
| S750.000; the amount levied was $780,
| 900. In 1916 the levy authorized was
$750,O00, and the amount levied $685.,
900. In 1917 the authorization was ST.
| 000,000 with s65O,00O levied, and in
| 1918 only $9S7,6S6.S7 was levied with
an authorization of $1,000,000. Thus
during those four years the adminis-
tration failed to levy s606,314, which
was authorized by the legislature, and
appropriation made therefor.
1--WE turned over from the Haines
administration assets amounting to
S926,51S.03, with warrants payable
amounting to approximately $4,000
and deficiency warrants of $4,000
which left a surplus of approximately
s747,000. Today, when we take back
/ the reins of government, we are con-
fronted with a condition wherein the
insurance for the Lewiston State nor
NAL and the Soldiers Home has beer
turned into the general fund, and ex-
pended by the past administration. Ii
addition to that We face deficiencies
amounting to $145,S4S. The tax levy
which was partly paid in January ant
which will be finished in July
amounts to $97S,686. The total bills
of the last administration amount t.
$993,207. Thus, after all of the taxes
/ are collected during the year 1919, VIZ
will fail within $14,520 of having
enough money to pay our out standing
Indebtedness.
ADVISES CAUTION.
Senator Robertson, a member o
the finance committee spoke in par
as follows: Consider we'll before pass
ing any appropriations that you fee
are not justified at this time. W.
have to go before the people of THU
state two years hence and justif,
ourselves for these appropriations. w
are now trying to make up for wha
has been done during the past tw'
J years, and we have been selling good
below cost. We are going before thu
people with the biggest tax bill tina
the state has ever known, and the fed
eral government is taxing as it ha
never taxed before. The tax payer
are now paying interest on libert.
bonds and are being asked to blu,
: more bonds. If we have good crop
and the cost of production goes n
} higher, well and good, but II there i
a crop failure 1t will be hard to ex
: plain this tax bill to the people. 70
! actual necessities we are justified
) and 1t Is our duty to pass those bills
The necessities of our state have bee
neglected in the past administration
and now we must make up for pas
deficiencies In addition to our regu
L - ria%