Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-11-25

sion are that the publications dc
not pay and that the added ex-
penso for publish tg the names OF
people who are delinquent is, In
: the end, borne by the very people
who have been paying their taxes
= promptly, 1t IS pointed out that in
, some counties, the publication of
z the delinquent roll costs $500,
, and a discontinuance of the system
would probably save in the neigh
| borhood of 100000 over the state.
The grand jury system is care
fully considered and the question
raised as to whether the state
would not prefer the plan used in
many states of prosecuting upon
information and not upon indict-
, ment This would result in a sub
stantial saving The question of
animal bounties is also considered
and the proposal made that the
Il livestock interests should pay for
these in conjunction with federal
i authorities. tr
! AS further step in economy, the
commission recommended that the
offices of twenty-nine county road
superintendents be abolished
Attention is called to the neces-
sity for a change in the manner of
classifying cities, towns and vii
lagos, there now being villages
larger than Incorporated towns
; The need for uniform accounting
system in municipal governments
Is pointed out and the suggestion
| made that the state travelling aud
itor should have the supervision
over municipalities he now eXer-
cises over counties.
Suggestions In Budget.
The strength and weakness of
the present state budget system are
weighed and the weakness is
shown to be due chiefly to the
fact that the budget is not binding
| upon the legislature. The com
mission questions the ACCESSIBILITY
of constitutional amendment to
make the budget binding, but pro-
poses closer coordination be-
tween the legislature and budget
making groups. Further, it is
shown that the Legislature meets
too soon after the governor is in
! augurated, and that a later meet
| ing date would facilitate the prep
aration of a more acceptable
| budget.
Concerning tax limitations and
| bond control, there is a suggestion
that tax levios and bond issues be
/ brought under review before some
state agency so that there may be
I full information about them and
that the public may know whether
or not they are voting bonds with
la longer life than the improvement
they contemplate. The serial pay
ment of bonds is recommended.
! When the commission began it's
work, there was some question as
to whether the legislature had in
tended that it should give atten-
| ton to the costs of government as
well as the producing ma
chinery. At the first meeting, the
commissioners decided that they
could not make intelligent recon-
mendatiOns concerning revenue
without a full understanding Of the |
costs of government.
Outlining Economy Program.
The resulting study of costs !
showed many places whore, |
through re-adj ustment, saving 4,
could be effected. Under the sys-
tenn proposed, the state may not |
spend less money but the money !
saved by REIMBURSEMENT can be APP
piled to growing departments,
There are three main steps in |
the cnmmissi program, First, |
they suggest the importance of eff |
fiCiency in the administration of |
government. That means a lower
overhead, although it should be |
pointed out that complete picture !
of the rising costs of government |
including the cities, counties and |
state, will show that the increase
has been almost entirely on the |
things which the people demand
schools, roads, the care of delin-
Quents, exc. The overhead or gen
eral governmental expense has in
creased, but not as rapidly as IS
generally assumed, However, sim
ply because the overhead has in
creased slowly, it must not be con-
cluded that it cannot be reduced.
The commission has pointed out an
adjustment which would probably
save $4,000 annually.
The second step in the commits
sions program is the efficient adj
ministration Of the revenue-collcct-
ing agencies. This includes the
creation Of professional assessing
body, new law for delinquent
taxes, and the abolition of the
wasteful system of publishing de-
linquent tax lists. Then, too, ii
Involves the shift OF automobile
licensing from the secretary Of
state to the highway commission,
the body that spends the revenue
from automobile licenses and has
machinery IN all parts of the state
to enforce the license Law. 1t fur
Their involves a plan to require all
automobile license applications to
be issued in duplicate and one copy
filed with the state tax commission
in order that the four thousand
auton obiles now missing from the
tax roll may be located and taxed. |
It includes other things which will
tie point d out in later articles.
The third and final step in the
commissions plan is this: the pas
sage of personal income tax law
in order to bring Intangible wealth +,
under some burden. provide addt- !
tional revenue, and relieve he :
physical property. The tax worid !,
be a flat levy of ner cent and the ,
proceeds would be devoted to
schools, being allocated not on the
basis of where it was paid but pos !
sibly upon compromise plan Of,
per capita attendance and the
of school rooms or teach O
crS. =
The ultimate ideal of simplifica-
ton and CO. coordination in state and a
county affairs is the short ballot, :
in the view of the commission. For i
the state, the elective officers
would be the governor, the lett
tenant governor and the auditor. IN