The Coconino sun., 1922-02-24
KUCHLER POINTS WAY TO ECONOMY


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 Rudolph Kuchler state land commissioner, in a pamphlet which has reached this office says some pertinent things about the mounting ex- pense of state government. The following is ex- tracted from the pamphlet, which ought to be read by every voter:
 Beyond that groundwork for governmental activities there has been appended and attached so many side structures that it may be that the real essentials have been lost sight of to such an extent that people may now believe that success full governmental activities can be carried on only through side agencies in the form of commis- sions for this and boards for that particular ac- tivity and fail to consider the availability of the old-time tried and tested tools of government the legislative, the executive and judiciary, with in the powers of which every problem connected with public affairs could be handled, even were many special departments, boards and offices abolished entirely"
 Further on he says: "No private individual will retrench, impair nor abandon any branch of his business in which he can see future sue cess. On the other hand, every sane business man will, and under present conditions must, re- duce the overhead of his business to the mini mum of such as will leave an efficient machinery for the safe development thereof.
 "The remedy for excessive public burdens lies in adopting the same methods, and applying them to public business. General progress can come only when industrial efforts can be eXerted, unimpeded and unhampered by excessive and unnecessary burdens incident to abnormal ef- forts towards purely public advancement. The two should and must go hand in hand"
 He suggests as one remedy: Consolidation of every public activity having for it's object the same general ends, into units, with those units under one controlling head'' matter what state, county or district offices might be wiped out. Abolish, abandon and eliminate all that would be left without real purpose he advises. He then calls attention to some of the dupli- cations now existing: as between city police and justice courts; numerous departments with very similar duties of ascertaining the value, avail ability and use of the natural resources of the state; experimental stations connected with the state university; agricultural farming ideas con- nected with the normal schools; two state and one federal agency for extermlnatlon of preda- tory animals; appropriations for prospecting for artesian waters, with powers for action placed some with the university, some with the state engineer and some with the state land depart ment county road funds under control of super visors with other road funds under control of special road districts, the state, school boards {; county highway commissions and paving com missions until in some cases definite action can- not be taken without the approval of four dis tinct bodies duplication of tax rolls for city and town purposes; duplication of expense in col lecting taxes; purchasing of supplies by 473 school boards.
 Other remedies suggested are:
 "The power to vote bonds should be confined to the electors qualified as such, in general, with real property qualifications added;
 Every contemplated public improvement should be included in carefully temized budget estimate, with public fully advised;
 'So amend the present constitution that pub lie funds will no longer be treated as available for expenditures until those funds exist in money in the public treasuries;
 ''The repeal by specific acts, each and every paragraph in the present code of laws, which directly or by possible implication, grants any power of expenditure in terms unlimited, con- tinuing or so much as may be necessary in eff feet"