Evening star., 1925-06-14
Cost Dumped on u. S. Taxpayers
By Steady Grinding of Legislative Crist

Oregon was requested to levy a 10 per
cent tax on certain self-fnterest boards,
including the BARRIERS board, the chi
ropractors, beauty doctors and toe
doctors.
And so it goes. Here and there one
finds a refreshing contrast. as in the
case of New York, where, after fight.
the State income tax was rebated %
per cent. But generally the trend was
overwhelmingly in the direction of
greater and heavier State eXpendi-
lures. In Illinois alone proposals call
ing for the appropriation of more than
s., 900, ,O00, 900 of State funds were in
troduced.
State Government Costs.
The cost of State government is
now two and one-half times the cost
of 10 years ago. 1t seems destined
for stiIl higher attitudes. A few more
sessions like those of 1925 and they
will be reached.
Can the trend be checked? 1t can.
Maine did 1t this year. Gov. Brew
ster determined that he would keep
the cost of running State affairs
down, come what wood. The Leg
islature met and overwhelmed
him with additional outlays. His
budget mounted till it reached and
In desperation, he sent a sos
signal to his friend at Washington,
Gen. Lord, director of the Federal
budget. Gen. Lord has an enviable
record as a tax cutter. He went to
Maine and addressed the Legislature.
He told the lawmakers what had
been done at Washington and how
1t had been done. He said economy
was the only way.
T. ha
amid silence that was almost painful.
to those elected solons of his native
State. He called on Maine to back
up the Federal Governments economy-
program.
What happened? The Legislature
sent a copy of his speech to every
member and to every mayor and
county board in the State. Then the
finance committee recalled swollen ap-
preparation bills already reported, re-
scinded its previous action, cut ex-
penses by many thousands of dollars
and reported lower totals. They were
adopted, and Names expenses fell.
But in the fall there was something
else Three salary increases had been
recommended for officials of Knox
County. They were eliminated. Knox
County is Gen. Lords home and the
three officials his personal friends.
Record of Large Cities.
A new law every day, on the aver
age, during 1925. Such is the apparent
record. as disclosed by an investiga-
ton by this correspondent, of the
larger cities of the United States.
Throughout the United States there
are 275 cities of 10000 or more in
habtants. This average means 275
new local laws every business day,
i, Sundays and holidays being excluded
From January to June, inclusive, 1t
means 1880 new local laws.
There are also within the domain of
our national boundaries $4,000 smaller
cities, towns, townships and villages
all incorporated places and each sup.
piled with governing body of local
| lawmakers. These little fellows in
the family Of municipalities likewise
are grinding out laws.
| Some of them, indeed, are buster
making laws than anything else
Main street has as many legal shackles
as Broadway. At least such is the
though perhaps a larger number run
more to dust than dictates.
How many new laws our baby
municipalities enact annually is far
beyond human knowledge. A force OF
census takers could find steady EN-
ployment counting them. The aver
age, however. probably Is materially
below the average Of the larger com
munities.
Certainly 1t is not less than one
new local law every month for every
one Of the $4,000. Take the 1925 cal
endar from January through June
and with the passing sands of time
| there will be passed also in these
places some so, 900 new local laws.
Eighty thousand plus $500 equals
III, 7,500-a conservative estimate OF
our 1925 law crop for the first six
months of the year. Add to that total
$4,000 new State laws thus far enact
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