The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1919-08-02
Mr.. Foster on the Appointive Board
Problem.
Editor Collar Chronicle:

Mr.. Foster on the Appointive Board
Problem.
Editor Colfar Chronicle:
Referring to an article taken from
the Homer Guardian-J Journal. published
in the Chronicle under date of June Ii.
entitled Government by Appointive
Boards" and an article by "Specta-
tor" in issue of June 21st. This news
is very instructive and / am glad that
the same has been given free space and
publicity in your good paper, and while
/ have in the Legislature, as well as
out, always stood and voted for local
self-government, and the election by
popular vote of the people of all our
public officials now appointed by the
governor. from the president of the
State board of health, down to the
parish school superintendent and the
ward justice of the peace and consta-
bic, believing that any officer or public
servant is more responsive to the will
of the whole people when he owes his
Office and election directly to them.
However. on the other hand, it is con-
tended by large number of our best
and ablest public thinking citizens that
since it seems to be fact that the
average voter has little interest in any
candidate for state Office except the
governor, that therefore. the governor
should be endowed with this extraordi-
nary power that he now has in appoint
ing the many and various State boards
now existing. The proposition, there
fore, seems to have two sides, and /
suppose is debatable as to how much
appointive power our governor should
possess. and while this eide may have
q very good case, believe that my Do
sition is Economically Correct and SAT-
est for free system of government
like ours, and while the board system
now in use and general practice, in
whole or in part, may be more efficient
and less expensive, it is nevertheless
undemocrasic and dangerous from the
fact that it gets the government away
from the people, so to speak. and leads
toward one man and centralized power,
and for the abuse of this kind of power,
the World War, from which we have
just emerged, with its many horrors,
was, brought about.
Spectators" article, while an ex.
cellent one, and well prepared, may be
misleading in some of its phrases. He
stresses the fact that over six millions
of dollars have been appropriated by
the legislature for the next two fiscal
years, to defray the expenses of all the
departments of our State government,
and would seem to intimate that much
of this great amount of money will be
wasted. Probably some of it may be,
but can any one allege that since the
public schools get the largest appropri-
alton. that too moch money is given to
the schools of this State? A IL mills
State tax was voted last year by the
people for the maintenance of the
schools of the State, and our parish re-
ceives back from the State. appropri-
ated by the Legislature, eight thousand
more of this fund that it pays into the
State treasury. We, therefore, are
benefited under the new system
adopted.
Are the hospitals and insane asylums
getting too much money? And to be
fair with all alike, is there any other
board or department getting too much
money for the service that is rendered
to the people? Is the much cursed and
abused State board of health spending
too much money for the service that it
gives and the good that it has accom-
plished?
1t may be well In this connection to
call attention to the Amendment SUBJ
mitted to the voters by the legislature
last year, and ratified. reducing State
tax miiiage from five mills to two mills,
for all State expenses. All appropri-
atoms made by the legislature for all
State purposes other than the board of
control of the penitontiary and the con-
department, these two de-
partments being selfsustaining, and re-
ceive nothing from the general State
fund, are made from this two mills
State tax. plus licenses on different
lines of business and professions.
Under the new amendments to our
constitution passed by the legislature
last session, and ratified by the voters
of the State in November last, all local
tax millage was reduced in half, but
values increased to its approx
innate cash value. Taxes for local