The Delta independent., 1923-04-06
RockWeli's Letter
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As I stated in last weeks letter,
the 80 per cent or 11a mill levy for
administrative purposes of the state
government may be divided into 21
per cent for the up-keep of our penal
and other institutions of the state and
IA per cent for other administrative
purposes. | discussed how the 81
per cent is expended in last week s
letter This week I wish 10 take up
the other IA per cent.
This last IA per cent or 1897 ,O93. .O4,
to be exact, takes in the items that
the Code bills endeavored to reach.
At the outset one may see that we
are trying to cut our taxes at the
point where they are the smallest
part of the cost of state government
Under this head of costs for admins
tration we have four divisions:
l. The State Executive Depart
ments, which of course, includes the
Governor. Secretary of State, Attor-
ney General, etc. cost approximately
s270,O0O per year.
2. Legislature. which costs approx
imately 100000 every two years.
i'1'uuoV uhhti Iiie VI Soiol auo
the legislature meets but once in
every two years)
g Our Judicial Department, costs
approximately s173.5oO per year.
4. The various other departments,
such as Bank Commissioner, State
| Land Board, Stock Inspector, Indus
trial Relation Commission, Civil Ser
vice Commission. Tax Commission.
Utilities Commission. etc. take up the
| balance of the IA per cent.
In considering this let US remember
that from the Banking Commission
the state derives over $50. 900 a year:
! from the Secretary of States office
there is collected over s226.0O per
year; the Insurance Department col
lects S45O,0OO per year; the Inheri-
tanCe Tax Department collects $780,
600 per year. etc Many of these de-
partments bring more revenue into
| the state several times over what
they actually cost the state.
II this entire cost of all state de-
partments. executive legislative, ju-
dicial, etc, was abolished it would
amount to a little more than one-half
mill or one-thirtieth of the average
total state tax in Colorado, or it
would amount to practically the
same as the repeal of the half-mill
| levy for roads which is now before
our legislature and which can be
made up if thought best by an add.
tional tax of one cent on gasoline.
| The burdens of the taxpayers of
] Cn1Nrain in tho nf
porting the state administration or
state departments but are found gen.
orally closer home, in the cost of our
| schools our roads. etc. things that
we consider quite necessary in this
day and age. The state employees are
more poorly paid than salaried peo-
pie in most private enterprises. The
low salaries paid to state employees
with little chance of promotion is one
reason why it is difficult to get eff
cient people into state offices. One
may ask at this point how then can
the expenses of state government be
cut down without at the same time
interfering with our present road and
educational program and can our
property tax be reduced. To this
question l would reply somewhat as
follows:
Give a little more leeway to the
departments of state in the hiring of
employees. For instance. instead Of
saying to each department You may
have so many clerks and stenograph-
ers at so much per month. allow
them an amount less than the total
they are now paying for all of their
stenographers and office force and
tell them to hire the most efficient
persons in their department at sal
aries commensurate with what they
can get working for private enter
prises outside but have less of them.
Next, investigate the Institutions of
higher learning in this state with an
idea of stopping so far as possible
duplication of work with its conse-
quent extra cost to the state: stop all
advertising for students outside of
Colorado who must be educated at
the expense of the taxpayers of Colo
RADIO. and do away with the effort of
one institution to get students which
would naturally so to another insti-
tuition of higher learning. Let the
ooy VINO WlSheS TO take up engineer
ing go to the School of Mines, the
student who wishes training along ag-.
ricultural lines to attend the Agri-
cultural College, those who wish uni
versity training to so to the Univer-
sity of Colorado. and those who wish
to become teachers go to Teachers
College at Greeley or College ut Gun
nison. There are many other savings
that could be made both in the insti-
tutinnS Of hichnr lnnrn inv and the