The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-05-13
FOLLOWING A HAZY TRAIL

additional confusion to the Governors
position, respecting taxation and state
expenditures. 1t appears to be i'm
possible for the Governor to make ac-
curate statements. eithsr as to the
significance of his new assessment
policy, or the actual cost of his scheme
of centralized government.
In his speech at st. Louis on the
18th of April, he said that the cost of
the five new consolidated departments
for the next two years would be ST.
927,12 At the same time he admit
ted that the bureaus embodied in the
consolidated departments cost during
the last two years $1,452,24S. In the
Governors latest speech he says that
the last session of the Legislature APP
propriated for the consolidated de-
partments $1,999,O00.
The Governor persists in setting up
the appropriations made by the 51st
General Assembly as the standard of
comparison, when he knows, as ev-
eryone familiar with the facts must
know, that the only possible COMPARE
son, as to the cost of the consolida-
ton scheme, made with any degree of
fairness or reasonableneSs, must be
made with the appropriations Of the
50th General Assembly, for the bu-
reaus affected. But the Governor
cannot even be accurate in stating
the amount of the appropriations of
his own General Assembly. He can
not even reconcile his own figures. 1t
must be borne in mind that the last
Legislature made two sets of appro-
priations. First, for all State Bureaus,
and State activities, as they now ex-
list; second, for the new departments,
created under the provisions of the
consolidation measures. In the Gov
ernor's st. Louis speech, he said that
the appropriations made for the old
bureaus and departments, which were
consolidated, amounted to $2,474,785.
In his speech before the Republican
State Committee, at Jefferson City on
Wednesday, he said that the appropri-
atoms for the activities of these old
bureaus amounted to $2,270,635, a
trifing gubernatorial discrepancy of
about 100000.
The Governor is extremely unfor-
tunate in his mathematical processes.
Primarily, the level-headed business
men Of Missouri would like to know
why the 51st General Assembly would
appropriate, even accepting the latest
version Of the Governors, $2,270,6 35
for activities of the state, which the
Governor admits cost the last two
years only sI,452,k4S. OF dourke, any
discerning person would observe that
the making of increased appropria-
tons for the old bureaus which were
abolished and superseded by legisla-
ton enacted by the 51st General AS
sembly, was to create false stand
ard of comparison. The heads of the
departments affected would have been
perfectly content with approximately
the same appropriations they received
two years ago.
But this is not all: The appropriI-
lions for the consolidated departments,
which the Governor now says amount
to 81 $4,000, would not become avail
able until the 10th of June, 1921, even
if the legislation creating the new de-
partments should not be suspended by
the operation of the referendum.
Therefore, the appropriation of ST.
10000, taking the Governors latest
guess, was made for a period of Is
months and II days. In the mean |
time, covering period beginning
January /, 1921, and expiring June
10th of the same year, or approx |
mately one-fourth of the biennial pc
Rod, the appropriations made for the
old bureaus are not only available, but
will be expended in accordance with |
the authorization of the present Leg
islature. Taking the Governors fig
ures, which readers will understand
are subject to extreme fluctuations. |
burt even taking them as they are lat |
terly stated, the appropriations avail
able for one-fourth of the biennial |
period, for the old departments,
would amount to approximately $685. |
658. This sum is what would be ex-
pended by the old bureaus, even If
the consolidation bills went into effect. /
To this sum for one-fourth Of the BIZ
ennial period must be added the latest |
speculated estimate of Mr.. Hyde, as
to the appropriations for the new bu-
reaus, namely, $1,999,0O0. Therefore,
according to the Governors own state
ments, when analysed, the cost of the
state activities represented by his new
plan of government, would be $685.