Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-02-03

that although appropriations nldue
by the fiftieth general assembly
were based upon pre-war prices al
departments under the civil admin
intsratiVe code, with the exception
of the department of public welfare
have kept within the approprla-
items. The department of public
welfare, Mr.. Wright explains, mas
control of all the charitable and
penal institutions.
1T feeds, clothes, houses and
cares for approximately 10000 in
sane, feebIe-minded and criminal
wards of the state" he continues.
THE appropriation for operating
supplies and expenses made to that
department, having been based up
On conditions and prices existing IN
1917, was, in view of the extraor-
binary price of food. fuel, clothing
and like necessities, entirely made
qUate."
The deficiency in this one APP
preparation item is s1,600,000
But this excess of expenditure
over appropriations in one depart
ment is more than Counterbalanced
by the savings in appropriations
made to other departments. These
savings have been made possible by
the better business methods en-
ployed by the finance and other de-
partments under the administra-
tive code, it is explained.
There are some deficiencies in
some other appropriations to Off
GERS and departments not under the
civil administrative code. These
include deficiencies of $81 900 in
the office of the secretary of state;
$500 in the office of The auditor of
public accounts; $4,000 in the
state board of agriculture and ST.
100 in the appellate court of the sec
ond district
While the total appropriations re-
quested and recommended in the
budget show an increase as com
pared with the previous hiennium,
it is explained that "the percentage
of increase bears no comparison to
the increased cost of everything
which the state must purchase, nor
does it represent except in a mod
erate degree, the amounts which
were deemed as necessary and es-
sential by the department heads and
whose requests must receive the ap-
prevail or disapproval of the depart
ment of finance"
The increased amount OF ap-
preparations recommended is due
to two primary causes; the de-
velOpment and expanding to their
normal activities of some depArt-
ments whose building program or
non-essentiaI work has been cur
tailed during the war-a condition
deemed essential to progressive ad-
ministration and to the material
increase in the cost of necessary
and essential supplies and services,
such as postage. railroad fare. food
fuel, medicine, equipment and gen
eral supplies.
1t is pointed out, however. that
while the proposed appropriations
aggregate a larger amount than in
former years, yet it has been pos
sible to reduce the state tax rate.
even with the present valuation as
certified by the state board of
equalization.
The state has two sources of
revenue" it is explained. "One
source, which may be termed the
indirect one. is that of revenues
from the Illinois Central, from cor
poration fees. from inheritance
taxes. from license fees. from the
state fair, from the grain and in
surance divisions. and from other
fee departments. The amounts de-
rived from these sources are not
/ inconsiderable. Some of the Ii
cense fees. and other fees and rev.
enues from indirect sources are
covered into special funds in the
state treasury from which specific
appropriations are made payable
Appropriations payable from spe-
cial funds entail no tax levy on
property.
THE revenue from indirect
sources, which is payable into the
general revenue fund and thus be-
comes available to meet general
appropriations, is constantly in
creasing.
1.-THE other source OF revenue.
which may be termed direct, is that
arising from an assessment of tax