Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-11-02
FIGURES SHOW
TAX ARGUMENT
IS A POOR ONE
STATE TAXES THIS YEAR ARE
NEARLY FOUR MILLlON
BELOW LAST YEAR.
ShOlUs Money Is MOI
THrOUn to Winds

Democratic state candidates have
laid great stress upon the large Mich
lgan taxes during the campaign which
IS now rapidly coming to a close, but
they have not offered TO show or have
they even suggested to the people to
whom they were talking that the
state taxes this year will be almost
four million dollars less than thoy
we're a year ago. showing that the
Groesbeck administration plan IS
meeting with success, which is most
evident when such a saving is shown.
Anything that has savorcd of the
present administration has apparent
ly been pounded upon and bounded
upon By the office seekers on the Dem
ocratic state ticket as wrong from
Gov. Groesbeck's administration plan
down. 1t would seem that his plan of
administration through the admins
tration board, which has enabled tho
State Of Michigan 10 save almost four
million dollars in a single year is well
worth being given a real trial over
period Of years, and that Groesbeck
should be given full opportunity to
continue his test and his theory.
Bringing the tax question down to
Gratiot county figures given out by
the auditor generals office at Lam
sing on October %, show that Gratiot
county paid in direct property tax to
the state s5,93437. This year The
tax to be paid by the people Of the
county is only S15l,o0l.77, or $34,-
$500 less than was paid one year
ago.
Not only does such a report deal a
blow to the Democrat claims of high
taxes but would certainly seem to
knock their claims Of extravaganza
into a cocked-hat, as the figures that
have come out of the auditor gencr-
ais office are such that the Demo
cratic campaign hue and cry is not
consistent with them.
Not only is the tax Of Gratiot coun-
ty S3l,932.60 less than a year ago due
to the decrease in the tax to Sl5i,-
00177, but the people Of Gratiot
county have received back from the
State Of Michigan in the Primary
school fund alone this year a total &C
SllS,59l2O.
This is just one of the things that
indicates that the people are not
quite as badly of as the Democrats
might have them believe. 1t is true
that the money from the primary
school fund comes as a result of pro-
visions that have been made in some
instances for years, but had some Of
these provisions not been made by
Republican legislatures and signed by
Republican governors in past years
the people Of Michigan would be pay-
ing a far greater toll today in thcic
home school districts for education
al purposes, and it might scrvo TO
indicate that new things in Michigan,
such as a thorough trial for the state
administrative board, which can save
the state nearly S4,000,0OO in n single
year, would not be Il bad thine for
the taxpayers.
Governor Groesbeck has been 4
worker and not talkcr He has
done much in the past two years n
reform work in Michigan prisons,
bettering conditions greatly, winning
praise from a great majority Of tho
jurists cf the state for this work,
which the general public has not been
familiar with. But this and other
such questions laid aside, if it were
only for the fact that he has been
instrumental in bringing about new
administrative system that after q
years effort can reduce the tax of
the state nearly Sl,000,000, he should
be returned to Lansing by the people
of the state to complete his unfinished
work.
He like Senator Charles Townsend
of Battle Greek, who is also seeking
recollection, cannot at this time well
he snared hv the Michipan nennle