San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-16
HIGHER TAXES
! PUT BRAKE ON.
j. s. BUSINESS
Hand Of Local Collector
Making Itself Felt
Now.
TO FIGHT NEW EVIL
Census Bureau Returns In
dictate Costs Have
Mounted.
TO FIGHT NEW EVIL
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

new hand grips the brake oh Dusinesa
enterprise throughout the nation, the
hand of the local tax collector.
No longer does the federal govern
! ment claim the lions share of the tax
payers money. 8.
The state, the county and the city
: have increased their claims for gov
Z ernmental cost, according to census
bureau returns recently gathered and
: now being made public, to an appall-
] ing extent within the past five or SIX
= Years and business men throughout the
5 country, one hears here, are alarmed
at the trend and are preparing active
) ly to curb it. -,
, The census bureau recently obtained
returns from all the states and from
several thousand villages, towns and
! cities showing comparative govern
mental costs Of 1922, 1917 and 1914.
4 AS fast as these returns are tabul-
ated. they are released for publica-
ton.
Thus far the bureau has made pub
= lie figures covering the cost Of main.
tanning nine state governments and
about 100 city governments.
According to the bureaus figures,
the cost of maintaining the nine state
governments in 1922 was $50 per cent
. of the cost in 1914.
Within the period of five years, or
from 1917 to 1922, the cost OF gov
eminent in these states rose 100 per
cent amounting to more than two and
one-half times as much at the end OF
that period as it did at the beginning
The bureaus figures cover the state
yernments-exclusive Of the cities
towns and villages-of Delaware. Ne
braska. West Virginia, Kentucky,
New Jersey, Illinois. Michigan, Wy
oming and Rhode Island.
The 1914 cost of government in
those jurisdictions was slightly in ex'
cess Of S7S.O00000. BY 1917 the cost
had risen to S99,000.000.
In 1922 it was S262, 100000.
In no single state was there a de-
crease.
The smallest rate Of increase be
tween 1917 and 1922. in Kentucky
was almost so per cent.
The largest increase was shown "
Michigan. or from S24.700,00O in 1911
to S92 100000 in 1922.
This is at the rate of about 3c'
per cert increase.
The percentage was exceeded in tn
smaller state of delaware, where cost
s increased from S1.3S5. 900 in 1917, I
Si.GS3 900 in 1922. or at the rate Q
about 800 per cent.
The ,ost of government in Ncnrask
more than doubled.
In West Virginia it more tina
trebled within the five-year period.
T.. TarCax- IN from kD1
100000 to upwards Of $50, 000,0 900 al
nually.
In Illinois the increase was frol
4 So. 100000 to $50, 100000.
In Wyoming it jumped from lel
than 100000 to almost S5,0OO,OC
and in conservative Rhode Island,
= shot up from S4,27S,OOO to S7,34s
600.
The states appear to be runniI
Z into higher proportionate costs tht
the cities.
In New York City the increa
within the five-year period was abo
4 65 per cent or from S23S, 100000
1899 100000.
In 80 other cities the total cost
government increased 80 per cent,
virtually doubled within five years.
These cities include San Francist
Providence, r. l.; Jersey City, b
mingham, Ala. Aybany, Portlan
Maine; Oklahoma City, Charleston.
c.; Norfolk, Harrisburg, Louisvil
Berkeley, CAL; Knoxville, Trento
Z. Flint, Pueblo, Springfield, ILL.,; Sprir
field, Mo-; Roanoke, Va; Johnston
Pa; Lansing, Mich; Lexington, Ky
Newport. K. l.; and several small
communities, all of which. howev'
exceeded 10000 in population.
q Costs Way Up.
Total governmental costs for the
80 cities in 1917 were SS1 900, 900.
In 1922 they lacked a few tho
I. sands of S170,00O,000.
Statisticians here estimate, in {
light of these returns that the &C
of governing the people of the Unit
i States has increased from $3.50
= 100000 in 1921 to about $1,000
= 100000 year at the present tin
notwithstanding the decrease of abo
q one-third in the cost Of maintain
y the federal government.
The increase is attributed to
rapidly rising costs of local COVER
ment.
1t is estimated that one-sixth of
income of al the workers in the col
try-if taxes were averaged. is TAX
~ the AaI1 OF the government.
If the present rate of inc: ;ase CT
tinues the amount demanded by g
eminent will be one-fifth, instea;i
one-sixth. WithiG from two - til
years.
Trade associations and other bu
ness organizations in Washington
taking a lively interest in tn. cen
disclosures.
Leading tue movement Lowing (,
curb of costs of local governments.
the National Association of Manuf
;urers, wi;h branches in about
states.
That orga,.iz.i'on recently adop
resolutions commencing tn" fed,
governments reduction in cost
fected by the oncIation Of the bud
and urging 'upon our extravag
.tates anil siuniciDalities a pract
imitation of the federal system"
AS the census bureau makes T
= lie its returns. the association pl;
them before the manufacturers in
state and cities affected with the
gest:on that the figures be stut
and appronriate action taken.
1--WE believe" said Nathan b. '
Hams, Of counsel for the associat
sthat the high rates of local taxat
are hurting business. that we sp
far too much for local government
that the time has come m call J
and get back to a reasonable basis.