Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-08-10

tNDMIAnuEA EhkE Onfsl
bring about q more equitable distribu-
ton OF the burden of taxation, the evil
dent intent, IL one follows the letter 81
the argument OF those fsvoTing thelr
adoption, is to produce a greater volume
the tendency and everything seems to
point that way, it IS our purpose to lay
before you such OATS as is essential TO
emphasize, without prejudice, conditions
rs they exist regarding present-day pub
lie expenditures and the causes which
lead thereto. which may to a greater or
lesser extent have a bearing on the ques-
ton Of adoption or rejection Of the pro-
posed amendments and might possibly
lead to stimulating the public pulse
Coward encouraging an effort looking 10
a reduction rather than an increase Of
revenue and public expenditures.
EXPENSES
PILE Up.
Every Legislature. regardless Of its
POLITICAL complexion. in the past twenty
years has been increa sing the burden Of
taxation by the creation Of new com
missions and boards until the last pub
hshed year book shows q total OF Go
State commissions and boards which
Rumber was literally addc- TO by the
last Legislature. AS shown on page I
q the 1919 Year Book the then Governor
said ia bis message to the Legislature.
speaking Of ore CT the departments: The
present system Il admirably designed TO
provide many places for the party IN
bower but is perfect IN its tnedieisncy.
Yet. all OF these departments cost and
become a burden on the public. To show
Row these burdens mount We VIII go
hack 70 1900 With a population OF 2.5oO,-
Coo. the State disbursements Of all funds
equalled S255 per capita IN 1910 with
g population OF 2.I9J0Q0 The per capita
disbursements had increa sed 70 $40 and
n 1920 with q population OF but 2bOo.OOO
she State expenditures By virtue Of It's
many added commissions and boards
mounted 10 the height OF $40 per ca D
sta. IN other words while the popuia-
ton had increased a scant 16 per cent the
disbursements. the cost Of upkesp, had
Increased SIC per cent.
"Iu all fairness due allowance must
be made for the decreased value OF the
dollar, the major portion OF which Is Re
fected in the maintenance OF State in
stitutions only. But making due allow
ance for rhis fact a comparison OF the
expenditures for salaries and expenses,
ether thar the maintenance Of State insti-
tutiOns Diseases sn increase Of more
than 200 per cert the totals being. 1911
81 $40 ISL o. while in 1920 the total was
s, 1s6S11.HO.
NOT OPPOSED
TO PROGRESS.
your committee in no way wishes to
appear reactiOnary and opposed 10 all
forms Of progress, in fact we welcome
time we insist that the public shall re-
eeiFe a dollars worth Of service for every
dollar expended Total State disburse-
Eaeuts grew from $500. 600 in 1900 to
nearly s22000,CO0 in 1920.
THAT the Creates portion Of this in
crease is due to additional commissions
Is proved By the fact that one commits
sion alone increased the expenditures OF
1920 13S per cent over the total expend d.
lures OF 1911. This the highway commits
rx-hCMa awnannfFnraa 20 AZ g
57d21-S1, 091 .552 20 being for salaries and
expense while only 81 430.0S641 were ex-
pended in the construction Of roads. The
public service commission, which IN 1911
was the railroad commission. expended
S3S.S5S 50 while In 1920 the expenditures
were S1G0 140.5S salary and expenses, al
Increase OF better than $50 per cent. In
1911 a group Of small State agencies. FOL
conservation, cost the taxpayers Sl12,-
62If5 These agencies were later con
EOlidated into the conservation commits
sion for the alleged purpose OF saving the
State great deal of expense, yet In 1926
that commission cost the State SIG.
e04.69 a saving On the wrong side Of the
balance sheet Of s64,1S2-55.
" hat your commltte has said con
cerning abnormaIly increased State gov
eminent expense, applies with equa
force to local governments. EVERYWHERE
This tendency TO extrsvsg CANT public eK-
penditures has taken root 50 firmly, has
little so thoroughly thst the taxpayer a:
be, IN sheer desperation. enters the do
main Of the taXgatherer 70 be relieved
Of his share Of confscatory pe1allzatiun
may justly cry out, All hope abandon
We who enter here President Harding IN
4 recent speech. told his auditors that
there was no menace In the wOril todsy
ike the tendency OF extravagant public
Expenditures
TAXES ISCREAsED
100 PER CENT.
Marion County. while perhaps no diff
ferent from any other, gives US a glarina
example. Tax collections IN Marion
County were ia 1919. $500. 5s4; 1920, SO.
81, eOT; 1921 (onehaf cOuscted), $16.27S,
BOZ, an increase Of 100 per cent in direct
taxation in Two years, but that incon
eeivabIy great amount was not enough
By far and simultaneously tle growing
debt OF the county. city aud school city
kept pace and il rapidly soaring toward
the So. 000. COO mark and the early pros
poets Of q daily $4,000 interest charge Il
population almost ten times as great I.
Baid to have an annual interest account
not quite as much again In 1891, on
valuation Of sos 000.0 600 and a rate Of
s:.55. Marion County collected for State
civil ana school city, county and town
ship 81, 49, 900, or S9.S7 for her then pei
Fapita- While this year, with her pOpu
.iatiOn only slightly doubled. the dupli
cate totals Slb,ZsSout, Or SJl-tS per capita
II is both interesting and alarming L
note that while the population had grown
z little over two times and the taxabl,
valuations had been increased eight time.
and the public debt increased ten time.
the TX collections had increased thirteer
times. Marion County taxpayer are pay
ing now between $4,000 and 100000 pei
day Tor every business day of the year
ana on top OF 1t the debt increase goe.
merrily on
eve might go on ad libitum aC
iufnitum detailing Increases caused 81
these boards, commissions ard extrava
gnnce. but time forbids We win. how
ever. suggest for your worthy considers
ton, that these facts be compiled and
presented 10 the public for their enlight
pnment for the question of taxation {,
today Of such ma snitude that it threat
ems to shake our Government to ia
foundation. For the past few years tn.
body polite has been so anesthetized by
the theory of boards and commission
anG. the boards and commissions so pol
lnted. with politics that their usefulness
ethar than as POLITICAL machines ant
agf<fies for the employment OF ths
faiAlful. has become almost ri. yet re
mzitinz ever q constant drain on the
Dubfi~ ~e-onre TeTr r0p-r1ff*rN Nets1--ss