Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-05-11
formerly wasted upon poorly located
and i'll constructed highways.
Selfish Demands.

| "oStCu upon pOoIIy iOCdGeNf
and i'll constructed highways.
Selfish Demands.
Unfortunately, at each session of
legislature each community and inter
est demands from the legislature ap-
preparations for its particular bene-
hit. Few members Of a legislature
have general knowledge of the
State or its institutions, and fire.
quently have to take it for granted
that an appropriation is necessary
and through lack of knowledge money
is some times voted unnecessarily,
As usual thing, during the first
session of legislature, after a Cover
nor has assumed Office he has had
little or no time to investigate the
needs of the different State institu-
tons and on this account is not able
to ADVISE the legislature as is possible
after he has been in office for some
time. There have been instances in
this State when money was voted for
unnecessary improvements for State
Institutions and recently the State
has abandoned an expensive light and
water plant which was provided for
one of the institutions for the reason
that 1t was much more expensive to
operate it than to obtain light and
water from an adjacent city. This
Is an example of a member of the
legislature getting through an appro-
priation simply because he wanted
something and this was about all he
could think of at the time.
Another cause for the increase in
taxes, is the voting of bonds which
has become most popular and which
are yer yoften voted on with little
consideration of the needs for which
the money is to be raised and as a
rule little interest is taken in bond
elections. OF long ago a bond issue
of S35O,0O0 was submitted to the
people OLA school district and at the
election $50 voted; one person for
each $1,000 of bonds to be issued. 1t
seems that many fail to eralize that
bonds must be paid and that to retire
them and pay the interest the money
must be raised by some form of tax
alton.
Budget Benefits.
There is no question but that the
adoption of the budget system in
many of the States means the saving
Of large sums of money that were
formerly voted without regard to the
necessities of the State government:
m fact without budget system ap-
preparations are made haphazard
while with the budget careful sur
Vey is made of all proposed expendi-
lures. Further, the provision in
many budget laws that no appropria-
lion can be made by legislature
until after the passage of budget
bill does much to discourage the in
of appropriation bills.
AS to the cost of City government,
the people themselves by taking more
interest in municipal affairs, could
bring about more efficient and more
economical City Government and if
Cities would employ qualified persons
to superintend their expenditures q
great deal of waste could be elimin-
ated. If more careful consideration
was given to the matter of voting
bonds, no doubt, in many instances,
they would not be voted, but as long
as people are demanding more and
more reduction in expenses cannot
be expected, and only when the time
comes that the people and their duly
elected representatives make up
their minds to spend no money except
for that which is absolutely neces-
sary can they expect reduction in
State, City, or Municipal taxes.