Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1922-12-29
SHALL UTAH HAVE 49,.
A SQUARE DEAL?

organization of the next state legis-
lIaturc and in the new state admins
tration that will be in control Of the
affairs Of the Commonwealth for
the next four years? One general
demand has been made---tax reduc-
ton, better service and greater eff
ficiency in government.
The people do not want an old
fashioned legislative session starting
with fifty thousand dollars wasted
on five and ten dollar a day useless
clerks and experts and ending with
an orgie of log-rolling and midnight
/ sessions for big appropriations with
out formality Of rollcalls. ....
! The people do not want four or
five hundred new laws passed Great
ing new jobs and commissions, Great
Ling new places for pets, and impos-
ing new taxes, fees, licenses and
permanent burdens on the taxpayers,
All candidates have run on economy
platforms and the peopJe demand
action.
In California, Governor has been
elected who as state treasurer has
resisted expansion policies, salary
raising and padding payrolls, and
his platform is business policies in
state affairs, death to parasites, but
retaining all useful and necessary
state employees.
In Washington a new state ad-
ministrative system has abolished II
boards and commissions and 2S4
state employees in administrative SER
vice, making direct saving Of ST.
734,719 in the past ten months, and
a yearly reduction in state payrolls
of 133,962.
A commission Of prominent men
was named early in the year in Ore
gon to report on the Washington ad.
ministrative system. Will they SUBJ
: NIT a report of any kind favorable
to reform on new lines, or will they
uphold the present system which has
resulted in checking state develop
ment? ~
The people demand cut in the
total Of tax rates, without weakening
the efficiency of our state govern
ment, without abandoning progress
=. sive highway system or impairing
our educational system. Washington
: has increased the efficiency Of state
/ government by an entirely new sys-
, tenn. '"-'" = 81 % :,
/ Millions Of dollars taxes are de-
linquent in western states. Single
2 counties have had to bid in fifty
thousand dollars of taxes on lands,
/. and continuing old methods will turn
: this state over to the tender mercies
, of socialism and communistic radio
= alism.
: Confiscatory taxes are eating up
, the prosperity of the producers and
r the property of the people. Contin-
i. uation of such policies by an old
fashioned legislature will meet with
. stern rebuke by the people.
) An inefficient machine-ridden leg
, islature, organized on the old lines,
pursuing old methods, with reckless,
r careless, extravagant incompetent
, leadership will not relieve the plight
7 of the people, nor promote the de-
! velopment of industries or bring set
: tiers to Utah. 8.
;. Great promises were made during
the campaign as to what could be cut
4 from the overhead of state expenses,
and there is strong spirit of re-
E trenchment in many counties and
!. cities and budgets are reduced from
q estimates of 1921, and sttaes esti-
D mates will be reduced.
Y One state authority estimates that
$250,000 a year can be cut from the
: administrative charges of state de-
: partments without lowering the eff
ficiency of the service.
1t would be possible before the
+ Legislature meets for the Governor
s or any state official TO go over
: every function of state administra.
o ton and find just what it costs, what
e money it earns and turns into the
y state treasury, how many are EN-
ployed and at what pay.
e With these facts in the possession
d Of the Governors office, that officel
q could decide what might be abolish
IS ed or reduced or consolidated will
e, some other function, what salaries
n might be reduced or increased, ant
lie after receiving suggestions from tn
y people, publish the same.
ID The facts of each department
h should be given to all the newspa
lr pers of the state, not just the Sal
lie Lac Newspapers, with the recon-
" mendation of the Governor in eac
G. case, and the legislature would no
~ dare ignore the recommendation t
Il -