Arizona republican., 1921-07-29
FRIDAY MORNING. JULY 2s, 1921.
The silence that accepts merit as the most ndturdl thing in the aDorld IS the highest applause. Emerson.
Can t Be Saved


 If it Is possible to save million and half col- lars to the people of Arizona of approprations made by the fifth legislature according to the esti mates given by committee of taxpayers to the governor. the people would like to have it done. The actual saving could be effected by I general policy of retrenchment in the various state offices and institutions. limiting the expenditures in each to tbe amount appropriated less the amounts by which the committee believes the various appropriations might be reduced. and by the on-expendture of appropriations which have been made but which the committee believes should be withheld.
 If. however. that retrenchmept could bs effected it would not help the taxpayers this year pr next. for the tax commission would still be obliged to make levies to raise the amount of the appropriations of which the unexpended balances would remain at the close of the fiscal years So the aim of the com mitsee-that of relieving the taxpayers now. when relief the most needed would not bs attsined with out special session.
 And we doubt very much whether such q policy Of retrenchment is possible. Heads of offices and nstitutions, usually expend all the money ayailsble and wish there were more. The only way they can be held check is limit their appropri ations to the extreme minimum of their reaurements so that they will be compelled to discard every factor which does not contribute to economy and efficiency.
 We are inclined to think though since looking over the committees figures that too deep cut has been proposed. While evidently many Of the appro- priations should have been smaller and of them dispensed with altogether. the reduction recom- msnded if carried out would have crippling effect on needfuI activities. The wping out of the entire state road fund. amounting to more than half the proposed saving certainly would not be approved by majority of the people in section fo the state. They could not but regard that as serious step backward.
 The item of s1o7.ooo for the state fair, useful that institution is the state. might be dispensed with if the stress is great as the committee be- ueyes it to be Perhaps the appropriations for some of the educational insttutions might De reduced ip the present emergency We think. too that the committee overlooked sn item lp the state school s, fund.
 We are aware that in this we are hinting at some thing that is regarded as almost akin to treason protest against expenditures for the public schools There is other fund to which appropriations are made SO careessy and unquestioningly; there is no other fund unguarded go subject to waste and s9 wasted the money which we set apart for the public schools.
 It is to the credit of the people that they so recognize the importance of the schools that they do not protest against any proposed expenditure for their maintenance But it is not to their credit that they are content to maintain anticipated blind and wastefal system of school management, and per nit large to escape through the bunghole and cracks of the slaves the while they are closely watching that not drop may be lost by the way oi the spigot
 We would oppose any so called economy whcf would threaten the development efficiency of oul public schools; we would favor the appropration o even money if necessary, to increase their use fulness. But we have already and always have ap propriated more than has been judiciousy spent o ever will judiciously spent under archaic no system
 The discreditabe thing in the proceeding of the fifth legislature was it's refusal tQ amend th system and provide for the business direction of tn schools By that sin of omission it committed greater extravagance than in any other act.
 But this nothing to do with the special ses sion urged by the taxpayers committee. How far tn governor may agree with the coplmittee's recon rrendations we do not know. though we feel sur that he cannot agree with them in their entirety But to whatever extent he may be in agreement V think he would not warranted in calling specis session without pretty definite assurance that tn legislature was ready to correct itself
 We have had many special sessions of the legis lsture in the short period since admission statehood. Some of them may have been necessar. but none in the popular mind has been creditabl to it and each of them has had adverse refle upon the administration
 Grabbing at the Colorado