Pocahontas star herald., 1922-11-24
Little Rock Letter

T.
Van b. Sims, Is working on the bud
get for the, ,biennlum which will he
recommended to the legislature for
adoption. This is being carefully
drawn In 60 operation with the heads
OF departments and various state IN.
stllutlons. Itis rec 'gnized bv all
that state revenues will be shorter
this year than usual on account of
reduction in assessments and def
ton Of values. There will be lust
so much money to be distributed
and all will be forced to accept cuts
10 their appointments. Its the
policy of the present administration
to eliminate the heavy deficiency ap
preparations which were so common
IN other years. By the adoption of
this method institutions and de.
partments cared little about the
amount of spportionment so long az
they had unlimited recourse to def.
oleuoY proolamatlons. There have
been times when the total de6clen.
cies amounted to hundreds of thou
sands of dollars. The statement is
made, however, that this administra
ton has reduced deficiencies to prac
tically nothing. In former years
departments and institutions have
been accustomed to asking for twice
or three times as much as they ex.
pected to receive knowing that after
necessary cuts we're made they would
get really about what they needed.
This method does not appear to be
10 vogue now and DIR. Sims says that
requests are more reasonable and
conservative and as a rule come
within the scope of actual require.
ments. The adoption of the budget
system rather than the haphazard
plans of previous administrations
has done much toward placing the
state upon a cash basis. The adop
tlon Of the mIlIage basis for the state
educational institutions has also
been a factor IN bringing about this
most favorable condition of state Ii
nances. II is not expected that there
will he a very extensive building
program insisted upon by the various
state institutions this year on account
of the greatly reduced revenues.
One Of the most important ques
tious which will be submitted to the
General Assembly for Its considera
ton will be a more liberal support
of the work of the Public Health
Service. This has loug since pass
ed from the field of speculation and
Is no longer hobby. 1t Is an estab-
Iished factor in the economic condl-
uons of the state. 1t is recognized
by all, save a few who are still pre-.
JUDGED and uninformed, that public
health conditions are the foundation
of industrial, commercial and social
conditions in the state Where sick
meas Is prevalent and disease takes a
heavy harvest in every community
the economic barometer is low aud
the people cannot prosper Cham
bers of Commerce and civic organl-
cations through the state recognize
the close relationship between public
health aud the general welfare of
the community. They are insisting
taat malarial control, drainage, good
roads, the eradication of mosquitoes
and prevention of conditions that
cause disease are az much the duty
of the business man Ss the building
of factories and the production OF
crops. When the lawmakers are
made to realize these basic facts they
will no longer hesitate IN making
necessary provision for the mlInten
auce of an effective health depart.
ment II has been said that the ma
larial mosquito of the South does
more TO keep capitol away than
auy other one factor. The vitality
of the people necessarily runs low
and this produces a condition OF le'
thargy and lack OF tenergY which is
reflected IN their earning power.
The Official roster Of public officers
of Arkansas just issued by the seore
tary Of state shows that the newly
enfranchne ed half OF our citizenship
Is beginning to make deiultc inroad
upon the offices. According to the
roster there will be eight women ~
Quoted into Office 10 Arkansas IN Jan
uary. They jave already begun to
show real powers and in most instan
oes where they have aspfed TO poll
tea offices they have been succe's
ful.
When the taxing OF inheritancsS
was suggested several years ago N
the Arkansas Legislature many
looked askauce upon the proposition
For the first few years only small
amounts were received on account
of the new tax. Recently, however
more strenuous efforts have been
- a Ia lea 90