South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-12

county's demand for tax dollars.
on account OF Iare>e expenditure
incident 10 the recent war and the
increase IN cost Of kate and Ioca,
government taxes have been greatly
increased and people in all sections
OF the country are objecIng more
and more 70 paying taxes The av-
erage taxpayer has little ldeaeOf gov
ernmental expenditures and IS in
clined % blame the state govern
ment for any increase whicf1may be
levied against HIS property. Tie
fact Is. that outside Of federal taxes.
those that are the largest are 10 q
people themselves could regulate in
mary instances If they would but
make The effort
Generally speaking the greater
portion Of money raised by taxation
IS for the support Of schools and fc-
municipal government. In this state
. each 10000 paid by the taxpayer
Yin our two largest cities is distrib-
uted as follows: City government
S39.93. schools $3.50. county gov
ernmeLt S17.57 and state govern
ment 1910 II will be seen from
the above that the cost OF state ad-
minlstration Is comparatively small
which IS also true Of the county.
while the cost Of maintaining city
Is far out Of proportion % that of
either state or county. II appears
that the smaller the subdivision o.
government. the greater the cost OF
the same.
Schools Need More.
AS 10 schools, there is little chance
OF reducing expenses as we are de-
handing and expecting better
schools and. in fact. il would be
very poor policy 10 fail TO provide
funds that they may he properly fl
RANGED and improved. While the
cos OF supporting them is great no
right thinking person should Oh
ject 10 paying his share. and no ex
penditure OF public money will in
the end bring greater returns.
Necessarily the cost OF government
has increased in proportion 70 the in
creased cost OF living and everythins
costs more than 1t did a few years
ago. Consequently both officials and
employees must be paid higher salar-
les or wages. supplies are costing
more and il is much more expensive
TO care for an inmate Of a penal or
charitable institution. Further. new
and increased demands are constant
- being made upon the state and
the state today is engaging in many
activities that il did not formerly. 4
Perhaps the greatest burden that the
states have assumed is the building
OF highways The federal highway
acts have caused every state 20 or
ganiZe highway commissions which
are necessarily large ard expensive
organization and which are spend
ing vast sums OF money. This TO a
large extent transfers 20 the state an
expense which was formerly borne
by the county or local community
and while il necessarily increases the
state expenditures. there is no ques-
ton but that fl is bringing about bet
ter highways and is saving large
sums or money formerly wasted upon
poorly located and III constructed
highways.
Selfish Demands.
Unfortunately. at each session OF
a legislature each community and
interest demands from the legisIa
ture appropriations for its particu-
lar benefit. Few members of a leg
islature have a general knowledge
OF the state or its institutions. and
frequently have 10 take it for grant
ed that an appropriation is necessary
and through lack Of knowledge
money is sometimes voted unneces
sarily AS a usual thing. during the
first session Of legislature. after a
governor has assumed office he has
had little or no time 10 investigate
the needs OF the different state insu-
tutions and on this account Is not
sbIe 10 advise the legislature as is
possible after he has been in onic
Cor some time There have been in
stance In thls state when money
was voted for unnecessary improve
ments for state institutions and re-
Gently the state has abandoned an
expensive light and water plant
which was provided for one OF the
Institutions for the reason that II was
much more expensive 20 operate il
than 10 obtain light ard water from
Ar adjacent city. This is an example
OF a member Of the legislature get
ting through an appropriation SIM
ply because he wanted something
and this was about all he could
think OF at the time.
Another cause for the increase fin
taxes. IS the voGug o. bonds which
has become most popular and which
are very often voted on with little
consideration OF the needs for which
the money is 20 De raised and as a
rule little interest is taken in bond
elections Not long ago a bond IS
sue OF $3.50. 600 was submitted 20 the
people OF a school district and at the
election $50 voted, one person for
each 1000 OF bonds 90 be issued
II seems that many fail 20 realiz.
that bonds must be paid and that 20
retire them and pay the interest the
money must be raised by some form
of taxation
Budget Benefits.
There Is no question but that the
adoption OF the budget system in
many states. means the saving OF
large sums OF money that were for
merly voted without regard 10 thu
necessities Of the state government
IN fact without a budget system ap-
proprlatious are made haphazard
while with the budget a careful sur
vey Is made OF all proposed eNpendi-
lures. Furter. the provision in many
budget laws that no appropriation
can be made by a legislature until
after the passage o. a budget bill
does much 20 discourage the intro