Gunnison news-champion., 1922-03-31
THE REAL FACTS
ABOUT MILITARY COST

CA Leckenby in Steamboat Spring
/ Pilot
Figures can be used to prove IL
most anything in the world Le>
Casey is writing . series Of tax m
ticles for the Rocky Mountain News
The effort Of the first one seems to b
to prove to the people that tie stat4
taxes, aitho they have doubled, are oi
little moment. That the local taxes
are the buFdensome ones.
In particular, we call attention q
the explanation made for military ex.
penditures- Here Is the misleadine
paragraph:
The state military organization,
which has been the subject of
much adverse comment, cost $l1C,-
162 for the year. For each 81 ono
worth Of property in the state,
slightly less than seven cents
was levied for the support of this
organization.
The News reporter is right, so far ~
he goes-but he does not go far
enough There are many ways ir
which the state can spend money and
by the gentle art Of bookkeeping make
The amount Of Colorado's military
tApSstSCH Ras4 Vot ASS& year AhOtu s&AA-
alton were rs stated. $llO,l62.
Yet the Pilot maintains its figures
given several weeks ago are the cor
rect ones. For the IS months from
January I, 1921, to February 1, 1922,
the state Of Colorado has expended
for military purposes 1851 ,6lS.0O. or
at the rate Of 81, ,lS5 per month, with
every prospect that this amount will
be equaled or exceeded during the re-
manning months Of the biennial period.
This is how il worked:
In 1917 the whole world tremblcd in
uncertainty. We were just launched
in the greatest war in history. We all
knew il would take billions in morey;
our boys were called TO form . magni-
ficent army that had TO be hastily arm
ed, equipped and trained.
Governor Cunter called the legisla-
ture in special session. Taking cross
cut thru the red tape Of the Washing
ton department he determined to have
Colorado's first quota ready. He ask
ed and the legislature readily granted
authority to issue national defense
bonds to the amount of $500, 900. As
n matter Of fact, only $4,000 of
these bonds issued and Colorado was
one Of the few states which turned
over its troops ready and equipped up
TO the minute, trained by that splendid
soldier, General Frank b. Baldwin.
This left on the statute books auth
ority for the state officials to issue q
further amount Of 81 zoo. 900 Of bonds,
but this authorization was for the
purpose Of paying expenses incur
red for the raising, maintaining, equip
ment and preparation Of the national
guard Of the State Of Colorado TO as
sist in defending the United States Of
America in the war with the imperial
government Of Germany, and provid-
ing guard to maintain order and de-
fend the state during the years 1917
and 1918 and to continue during the
years 1919 and 1920"
By amendment Of the legislature this
authorization was continued for 1921
and 1922 and the last legislature auth
orized further sale Of these bonds
as follows: $19,500 TO pay certificates
of Indebtedness already issued for the
department Of safety; $3.50. 900 for the
state rangers; $500, 900 for armories
and $500, 900 for an emergency fund.
Ependitures from funds received
from these bond sales added to the
revenue derived from direct taxes have
amounted to 1851 ,648.60.
It is juggling with figures 70 say
the military establishment has only
cost $l10,162.00 or the year.
And there is another error sure TO
result from the Rocky Mountain News
article. II shows for the year $685.
AIS was raised for state purposes and
the assumption Is that this is what II
cost to run the state. This Is large
enough, surely, but in addition to the
above direct tax there was an enOrnl-
Gus sum, certainly many million dol
lars, raised by indirect taxes, fiat tax,
corporation tax, inheritance tax, auto
mobile licenses, banking department.
insurance department, oil inspector.
The exact figures for last year are not
at hand, but during the biennial peri
cd of 1918 these indirect taxes,
most Of which are passed on to the
people in various ways, amounted to
over $4,000, 900. And in addition there
was income Of another $1,000 900 from
state lands passed to the school and
internal improvement funds. So the
total of state expenditures are practi-
cally double the amount collected by
direct tax.
The whole unbusinesslike and waste
full method Of conducting the state
government depends for its success on
lack Of information by the taxpayers.
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