Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-06-30
At Poland Springs
Continued from Pace Onel

proposed a nationwide non-political
campaign, to induce state and city
governments to follow the federal
example, Governor Smith said:
IF such retrenchment is without
parallel-as the President claims
it is because no war ever cost so
much and made possible such de-
creases in changing from a war
time to a peace basis"
Representatives of score of
states, who arrived by steamer and
automobile in Portland, were well
coined to Maine this afternoon by
Governor Ralph o. Brewster. Gov
ernor Nellie T. Ross of Wyoming
responded for the visiting executives.
On motion of Governor Arthur C.
Richie of Maryland, the conference
sent message to the President, who
is now at the bedside of his father
at Plymouth, VT, expressing the
sympathy of the assembled COVER
nors and the hope that Colonel Cool
idge's recovery would be speedy.
Governor E. Lee Trinkle of Virginia
presided at the meeting.
introducing the subject of the day
economy in governmental admin
stration-General Lord traced the
efforts of the President through the
bureau of the budget to reduce ex-
penditureS and taxation. Declaring
that the main burden upon the tax
paying public was now caused by
the smaller units of government
state, county and city-he urged a
campaign to bring these into the line
with federal rpfranc
Governor Smith in reply took is
sue with the budget director in the
matter of the division of taxation
Charging that federal officials, from
the President down, were making
much of federal tax reductions and
voicing extravagant claims of econ
omy on the part of federal admin
istration," he compared the history
of federal finances in recent years
with those of the state of New York
The federal government in 1924
collected in taxes and customs 39S
percent of the amount collected in
1914, he said. The increase In tax
collections in the same period in
New York state was 100 percent, or
only 14O percent exclusive of
amounts given to school districts
for the support of common schools
and to towns for the maintenance of
highways. He said:
1--WE find them in respect of taxes
including customs revenues) that for
each dollar the federal government
collected in the year 1914 it exacted
s4.9S in 1924. while the state of New
York collected $3.50, if school and
highway gifts to localities are includ-
ed, or $2.40 If they are excluded, and
that for combined state and local ex-
penditures the taxes of New York
state and its municipalities amounted
in the year ended 1924 to $2.22 for each
dollar exacted in 1914. whereas the
federal government was collecting
s4.98. This establishes-at least for
the state of New York-that federal
taxes had increased more than twice
as much since 1914 than have state
and local taxes whether you consider
them separately or combined"
Governor Smith made similar COM
parison between federal and state ap-
of 1924 and 1925, and cit
cd several examples which he claimed
indicated that the federal government
had failed to establish any great econ
omy other than that due to the fact
that the country is no longer at war.
'These specific illustrations" Gov
ernor Smith said, ARE made to point
out that in claiming credit for tax
and in expenditures and the
cost Of government. federal officials
are taking advantage of the fact that
the country is no longer in a war Pc
Rod. To claim credit for that is just
like claiming credit for good weather
or good crops or any other happening
over which one has no control.
president Coolidge. in his speech be-
fore the business organization OF the