Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1921-01-11
Salary Adjustments

Inc 6tato lS entlteQ 70 nave, ana
should reQdire. full efficiency In SER
vice from every employee, and. in
return for that service, should pay a
salary fairly commensurate with the
responsibility Of the employment, so
that men and women Of adequate
ability to perform the duties OF the
positions may be secured. Measured
by this standard the sum paid by the
State to its employees is In many in
stances inadequate, and ! urge care
full inquiry to the end that this in
justice may De corrected by q re-
adjustment OF salaries.
The utmost care should be exercised
in all expenditures for governmental
purposes, and every detail Of service
should be made to function with the
same efficiency that characterizes the
well-managed private business. and
in this connection 7 recommend to you
reorganization Gal consolidation Of
the various administrative and execu-
tive departments, boards. and commits
sions. and codifcation and group
ing Of the various enactments relating
to these subjects.
We should develop the budget sys
tenn recently made operative by legis-
lative enactment. so that it may ade-
Quately accomplish its proper function
of preventing duplication of appro-
priations and Of furnishing full and
reliable information to the Legisla-
ture-the body which under our Con
stitution possesses the sole power to
impose taxes and to make appropria-
tions-to the end that each Legisla-
tnre, having full Information Of past
receipts and expenditures, and Of
present requirements and resources.
may make intelligent and suitable ap-
preparation of the sums available.
Measure Our Needs and Funds
tits indeed unfortunate that Names
resources will not allow the immediate
accomplishment of all worthy projects,
but we must measure our appropria-
tions by available funds. The State
ITSELF has no money. It possesses the
power to take money by taxation, but
the power to so take must be exer-
cised sparingly, without discrimination
and with complete realization that
tax levy Is justified only when
absolutely necessary for the require
ments of a we'll ordered government
Excessive taxation will arrest de-
veaopment and may amount to con-
fiscation of property. It Is your duty
to balance the scales and determine
when to give and when TO refuse ap-
preparations.
We are now passing through
grave economic disturbance; private
resources are depleted, earnings are
diminished and the exigencies of busi-
ness conditions impose upon US the
obligation of limiting our tax leyies
and keeping our appropriations at the
lowest possible point, and OF post
poning. 30 Tar as 1t is possible to do
80, new construction to q more oppor-
tune period.
Years Receipts and Expenditures
For your information submit here
with q summary Of the receipts and
expenditures during the fiscal year Of
1919 (the final figures for the year
1920 are not yet available) so classi-
fed as to give In groups that are con-
venient for comparison and reference
the sums received from different
sources and the amounts expended
for different purposes.
The amounts given include the re-
ceipts from the several tax levies and
the expenditures Of the money SO re-
ceived.
I have purposely excluded sums
taken into the Treasury by payment
OF licenses and fees, which as is the
case with automobile licenses, fish
and game licenses are used In the
several departments for special pur-
poses as prescribed by law and that
represent sums not raised by a tax
levy.
In the Fiscal Year Of 1919 the State
Of Maine Expended