Decorah public opinion., 1923-02-07
STATE EXPENSES
ALMOST DOUBLED
Cost of Running State Greatly
Increased Last Two Years as
Shown in a Report to
the Legislature.
HIGHWAY WORK SHOWS
GREATEST ADVANCE
Funds For This Expenditure Raised
Largely Thru Auto Taxes and
Federal Aid. All State
Departments Spend
ing More.

Des Moines Iowa, Expenditures
by the state departments, including
the state highway commission, IL,
the past two years have total $751;
0O0, 900 as compared with $25,00O,-
900 during the preceding biennium.
This is shown in a report TO the
legislature which has just been COM
piled by state Auditor Glenn Hay
mes and will be laid on the desks
of the solons in printed form as soon
as it can be printed
These expenditures were author
lied by the last legislature and by
the highway law and represent, in
addition TO the increased cost of do
ing business, the cost Of the vast
amount of road work which has been
done in numerous counties Of the
state on primary roads, including
the federal aid.
IOE lllCIdilNty kIlC va
primary roads, including federal aid,
in the past two years, or the blen-
MUM ending July /, 1922, totaled
$21, ,700,534, as compared with $4,-
14S,059. This expenditure was from
funds created by the automobile
license fees. "a
Under the automobile law license
fees stand to the credit Of the coun-
ties from year to year until the
county decides TO go ahead with its
uuad improvement work, and then
these are drawn upon. In the last
biennium the road building activity
was the greatest in the states his
tory.
The institutions under the boaro
expended s9,403,003 this
= - biennium, as compared with $6,-
257,726, the preceding two years
ending July /, 1920.
The institutions under the board
of control expended $9,179,434, this
past two years, compared with ST.
90l ,59S.
The state department of public in
struction cost $978,5S9 the last two
years, compared with $622,294 the
previous two years.
The state agricultural society eN-
pended $153,472 in the two years
ending July /, 1920, and $272,S42 in
the two years ending July /, 1922.
Increased receipts from the state fair
paid out on the subsequent fairs ac-
counts for a part of this.
The attorney generals office spent
$159,775 this last biennium, COM
pared with 135,1S0 two years
previous but this is mostly accounted
for that during the preceding
biennium state agents were paid out
of a fund in the governors office
whereas the last two years they havr
been paid by the attorney general.
The state auditors office shows in
creases, mostly explained by the facr
that county examiners are now paid
by the state auditor, and then his
office is reimbursed by the counties
The expenditures the past biennium
have been $129,065> as compared with
~$Sl,28S the previous two years.
The banking department has spent
S13e,531 as compared with $94,245
board of education, salaries and help
1899 compared with $52,06S; board
of parole, $62,Ss4 compared with
$50,960; federal aid, engineering
Sg96,4l1 compared with S313,S2s
highway commission (maintenance)
Sl,4O0,0l5 compared with S669,624i
motor vehicle department, $53l,3OI
compared with S26S,435.
Depicting Treasury
State Auditor Haynes points ou'
that estimates indicates that eN
penditures will exceed receipts BY
S22 100000 in the coming two
years. He says that in budgets made
out expenditures have been esti'
mated so as not 10 materially exceed
increased appropriations ar.horizeI
by the Thirty-ninth general as
sembly, but II must be remembered
that the general revenue in the trea
sury has been reduced from Sll,O4s,
OPS on June 80, 1920, TO S5,2SO,Oo'
on June 80, 1922, reduction Of 50,
sls,274 In cash on hand" Auditor
Haynes then adds; IF expenditure
and receipts remain on the sans
ieyy during the next Biennial perio'
IA during preceding one, cash OF
hand will be depleted and II will b
necessary for the treasurer 10 refus'
payment Of warrants for lack o
funds"