Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-13

Sency during my administration. to
have failed in performing it's full duty
to our school children or in the care of
our unfortunates. | am grateful. be-
yond measure. that in time of crisis.
instead OF slipping back. we have
really made great strides in the breadth
of our humanities and have progressed
immeasurably in our ranks in educa
tional efficiency.
1T is true that as result Of the
trying conditions through which we
have passed the State is short of funds.
So is practically every other Govern
ment in the world. national. State and
municipal. The United States Govern
ment is hard up. so are many great
corporations and most individuals. The
Secretary of the Treasury announces
that the United States Treasury is
short S34O. 600 900 on its estimates for
the year. The reason for the shortage
in Washington is similar TO our own
conditions in Harrisburg--unusua cy-
pcnses and disappointment in revenues.
Most of our State taxes come from
corporations. and. business having
been bad. corporation earnings have
shrunken. SO our estimated revenues
have not been realized. But this con :
dition will not last long in Pennsyl-
vania. for with the improvement in bus
mess. our revenues will soon increase
'Meauwhile. We have long ago made
! plans to defer highway and other prof :
ectS for which appropriations were
made. amounting TO many millions OF
! dollars. so that our financial tension
has already been greatly relieved and
| feel assured that by the end of the
appropriation period, one year hence
my successor will find that our def}ci,
will have been completely met and tina,
he will have smooth sailing.
Asserts State Is Solvent
"The>reck!ess statements being maGc
by lose Tipped. ignorant and irreSponsI-
E bic agitator> that this great Common
I wealth is bankrupt shoild be resenteL
by every loyal Pennsylvania. Nc
Government in the world is soundci
financially, The State Of Pennsylyania
has a bonded debt of only fifty million
dollars and an excess appropriation
liability for expenditures which hay,
not been incurred Of perhaps ten mil
lions, or a total Of sixty million dol
I lars.
A low estimate Of the taxable prop
erty IN the State is twelve billion dol
lars. The State. therefore. owes q
half cent upon each dollar Of its ro-
sources In other words. q FIVE mil
levy on the taxable property in Penn
sylvania would wipe out its indebted
ness in a single year, II such thing
were necessary. The contemplate men
darity. if not the villainy Of those who
for the shifty purposes of politics. dis
credit the financial integrity Of thu
State, may be judged by the people
,ln, L. hn fan - IL,
situation
For purposes OF comparison il MAJ
be interesting 70 consider the case o.
New York State. whose public problem
are most nearly commensurate witt
our own. New YOrk's population i
10 800 900: Pennsylvania 500, 900
or about in the proportion Of G to )
New York State appropriated S135.
600 900 for the current year: Pennsyl
vania's appropriations are S5S. .000. 90,
for the year. New York States bonde,
! debt Is about $3.50 600, 900; Pcnnsyl
vania $ is $50 900 900.
I'm other words. New York's Stat
Government costs Sl3 per capita eacl
year and Pennsylvania Governmen
costs less than 500; New York
debt is over S22 per capita and ours i
less than SO. Surely we should no
be ashamed of these figures. No pro
gressive or highly developed State in tn
,, Union taxes its people 50 lightly q
! Pennsylvania,
, Defends His Appointments
: "The Administration is accused {
making appointments to build up po
litical machine and to help political con
| tractors in their business. ] am won
, dering If the appointments of Messr'
Schaffer or Alter as Attorneys Gen
eral; or of the lamented Highway Com
missioner Sadler or his successor, Nj
I Biles or OF DR.. Finegan as head of I'll
. schools; or Senator Fisher as Bankin
. Commissioner or Prof. Rasmussen q
i Secretary Of Agriculture; or Dean Con