Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-08-17
HAS MADE A
GOOD RECORD
REPUBLICAN STATE ADMINISTRA.
TION HAS MADE GOOD UNDER
UNUSUAL CONDITIONS
SCHOOLS AND ROADS COSTLY
Half OF State Taxes Expended In Per-
manent improvements

Under date of August IA, Governor
d. w. Davis mailed the following let
ter to a number of his personal friends
In this county and il has been sug-
gested that the information contained
in 1t, coming direct from Gov Davis
would likely interest all the taxpayers
of the county:
Seventy-ive republicans and thirty
democrats comprised the Fifteenth
session of the Idaho legislature and
these men and women faced courage
ously the unusual problems with which
they were confronted Splendid Wis
ion and sound common sense charact-
erized all of their work. Their record
as it stands today upon Idahos statute
books, is clean and constructive in ey-
evy sense of those two words.
Few persons not actually on the
ground realize the condition of the
states governmental machinery at the
time when the republicans took office
in January, 1919.
The democrats left us $462, ,065 less
in money receivable than the Haines
administration had turned over in the
year 1915. They left a warrant in
urgent deficiency claims amounting to
$1S7 1880 which required immediate
payment They turned into their gen
eral fund supposedly sacred insurance
moneys for the Soldiers Home and
the Lewiston Normal totaling $113 ,96S
They raised $171 $40 to meet specific
appropriations made by their legis-
lature and then diverted the total
a n INF haf
ordinary current expenses. In ad-
dition to that they failed to carry for
ward the state road program. They
reduced every Idaho state institution
to condition bordering on beggary.
Some one has made the statement
that the former administration left a
$lOOO,000 deficit. When needed re-
pairs at state institutions and high
ways virtually destroyed by lack Of
proper care are considered, this figure
falls far short of expressing the debit
balance bequeathed us by the outgo-
ing democrats.
What has been done to relieve this
condition? What effort have we made
to place the State of Idaho upon its
economic feet once more?
First of all, an enlightened form of
into the discard forty-eight discon-
nected boards, commissions and iso-
lated officials and substituted for them
nine co-ordinated and thoroughly effic-
lent departments made directly re-
sponsible to the Governor
Appropriations were made for our
crippled educational institutions which
exceed by $S05,3SS the total granted by
a rso1o A.
ious biennium. Penal and charitable
institutions were similarly rejuvenated
receiving an increase for the 1920
biennium of S519,520.
Only two votes were recorded as
against two mill levy for state high
way purposes expected to raise ap-
proximately $2,000000 for the adequate
road program now under way. This
appropriation assured to the state fed
eral moneys totaling $3,360,000 which
otherwise would have been lost. Sew
en- and one-half times as much high
way work has been launched by the
new bureau of highways as has been
undertaken in the entire period be-
tween 1913 and the time the present
bureau was organized in April, 1919.
Here, in tabloid form, are few sig
nificant facts which bear directly on
the question of whether this admin
istration can make an effective appeal
to the voters of Idaho for future sup
port
The land department saved the state
1891, 200 on the sale of state lands in
the EN- Irrigation District.
The administration added seventeen |
and one-half times as much to the per- !
manent endowment funds of the state |
in 1919 as was added thereto the year
previous.
Idaho agricultural and livestock in
terests have been cared for by an ap-
$484013 greater than the
previous democratic legislature grant |
ed for this purpose
OF the entire 1919-20 tax total, an |
amount aggregating $3,201, ia is to be |
for permanent improvements |
made necessary by democratic false
economy. Had the state bonding lin
1t not been reached, practically all of
these expenditures for improvements
which include, of course, highway ap-
could have been met by
the issuance of bonds.
Permanent improvements at the ed
1cational institutions and along the
line of roads and bridges account for
2.9 mills of the 4.S mills increase in
state taxes for the year 1919.
This administration has nothing for
which to apologize. A difficult stu
alton was met squarely, and, think,
Officials with a desire
70 do the right thing could not possi-
ply have followed a course differing
from ours. Our oppon-
ents may be able to pick minute flaws
but they cannot successfully assail a
program which has proved itself sane
sound, and constructive.