Gunnison news-champion., 1923-02-23
Weekly Letter from
RObt. F. Rockwell
(Continued from Page One)

(Continued from Page One)
for these many years.oae point how
ever, struck me very forcibly in read
ing over the bill which l desire to
cal your attention Under the De-
paftment of Finance We find that they
shall purchase all the. supplies and
equipment for the vaIlous departments
created BY the Act, and the institu-
tons and other agencies under the
control OF the departments, and a
little further on We find that this
same department superyises and ex-
amines the accounts and expenditures
Of all OF the departments and all poll
teal subdivisions OF the state hand
ling revenues, and exercises all OF the
rights and duties now imposed by law
upon the Public Examiner under the
State Auditors Office. In other words,
1t would seem from this bill chat the
Department of Finance not only buys
for all the Institutions and sub-divi-
sions of the state government, but
audits its own accounts. This takes
away all of the checks and balances
under which most businesses are now
carried on and under which the state
now protects the taxpayer.
There are two states which are oper-
ating under approximately the same
administrative code that is proposed
by Governor Sweet. One of these
states is Nebraska and the other is
Illinois. II would seem that We should
consider the results Of this code in
these states before we undertake to
experiment on il in Colorado. In the
state of Illinois the expense for sala-
ries and wages of employees have in,
creased, as result Of the code,
for the biennial beginning July l.,
1915, sS,529.l9S, to the biennial begin
ming July 1, 1921. $685., ,l90.
From the above ngures which have
copied from the Illinois Blue Book,
we find that this shows an increase in
cost of administration during the time
the code has been in effect in Illinois
Of approximately 225 per cent The
only argument for economy as a re-
suit of code il seems to me, is the
saving in the cost of administration.
The appropriation for roads, schools,
etc, are made by the Legislature and
can not be charged for or against the
code.
In Nebraska We find that the total
cost of their government has increased
approximately 500 per cent. l have
not the detailed account of what pro-
portion of this may actually be charged
to increased cost of administration.
In letter to Senator L. T.. Girard from
the Secretary of State, Charles w.
Pool, of which / have a copy, written
January 81, 1923 l quote the following
paragraphs wherein l got the above
| figures for Nebraska:
HI aeescsai ~, npar.t,rn tl,- eta,a
during the biennium of 1917 and 1918
at an expense of less than ten million.
Two years later, under the code, the
expense jumped to twenty million and
four years later TO thirty million.
Last fall the campaign conducted
from the Democratic standpoint, was
against the code and the state, which
had gone to the Republicans by l27, 900
in 1920, gave the Democratic governor
in 1922 more than $4,000 majority. l
was elected as secretary of state on
the Democratic ticket by some $4,000
majority, all the others on the ticket
elected being Republicans. By this
you will see ! could not have much to
say in favor Of the code.
II am q land owner and q taxpayer
in your state, and I am praying that
some better way befalls you than an
adoption Of code similar to the one
the people of Nebraska are now oper-
ating under"
In reading the inaugural address Of
Governor Bryan, recently elected on
the platform Of abolishing the code in
Nebraska, we find that in the last bien-
NAL under the administrative code
there is q deficit Of $2,225 900. Cow
ernor Bryan, of course, insists that the
code be abolished.
the state budget report of Colora-
do for 1922, we find this statement,
which believe | quoted in a former
letter, i. e., that the increase under the
mill levy from 1915 to 1921, which
was about 1920 900, only showed an
increase in administrative expenses
during that period Of $151, ,722.62 or
3.6 per cent, So per cent Of this total
increase Of 81, ,66S, 1928 being for educa-
tional institutions and for highway
construction. Compare this increase
in the cost Of administration Of state
offices under our present system, poor
~ it may be, with the increased cost
Of approximately 225 per cent in the
state of Illinois and q still greater in
crease in the state Of Nebraska
We hear very wonderful tales about
the great saving in the cost Of admin
istration under this code as IL would
be operated in Colorado, but are we
not taking the safer precaution when
we examine the actual results in the
only two states which have tried this
code? Is it not time for Colorado to
stop and consider whether she can
afford to experiment on q new system
Of government which has been called
an elective monarchy and at time
when Nebraska, which has tried it for
four years, considers it failure and
has demanded its repeal?
|. There is one other point that wish
to mention in conclusion and very
important point. In Illinois the gov
ernor is elected for four years and