Milford chronicle., 1927-08-19

for all States, for both 1925 and 1926,
are here given:
1925 1926
Nevada .............. .9zJ.9O zI.zz
Wyoming .............. 23.53 1873
North Dakota .......... 22.73 23.14
Delaware ........... 1887 1896
South Dakota ......... 1857 1850
Average for all States. 9.S7 9.72
ut will be seen that the only rela-
tive change is the drop of Wyoming
from second to fifth place, due to
its material decrease in costs rather
than to increases in other States.
Just how Wyoming's decrease is to
be accounted for cannot be deter
mined until the detailed figures for
1926 are available.
I'm the Leagues analysis, the total
gOvernmental-cOst payments for all
expenses and interest have been
broken down to determine on per-
capita basis exactly what part of the
total is attributable to each service
ordinarily performed by State gov
ernments. Comparison of these fig
ures representing the average for all
the States, the averages for the
North Atlantic and South Atlantic
States, and the individual figures for
several separate States, considerable
care having been exercised in the
selection of the latter. Weight has
been given to the fact that the size
of States population has bearing
on its per capita costs of govern
ment; per capita costs in States OF
small population tend to be higher
than those in States of large pOpula-
ton. The extent of a States area
also has a direct influence, a large
area tending to increase costs. Spe-
cial conditions and problems, how
ever, count so heavily in determining
the cost of adequate governmental
service that no single basis of COM
parisOn is entirely satisfactory. Rec
Ognizing these limitations, the Lea
que has selected for comparison Yer
mont and Wyoming as States with
populations comparable to Della
wares, Vermont being slightly high
er and Wyoming slightly lower;
Connecticut and Rhode Island as
States with comparable area, Con-
necticut being larger and Rhode
Island smaller; and Maryland ana
Indiana as States with comparable
Dopulation per square mile, Maryland
being somewhat more thickly popu-
lated and Indiana less so. 1t is IN
teresting to note that Rhode lsland
is the most thickly populated State
in the country, with a population OF
681 per square mile, Delaware is
tenth with SO per square miles, while
Nevada foots the list with 0.46 per
square mile.
t'For each kind of governmental |
service, comparison is also maze
with the States having the hlghest
and lowest per capita cost for thaC
service.
ssWith this basis for comparison
the Taxpayers Research League mas
the accompanying taD!e
showing the per-capita cost OF eacn
function of government for each OF
the adjacent geographical divisions
and individual States enumerated
'Probably the most significant TACT
disclosed by this analysis OF Dela-
wares high per-capita cost IS that
in the fiscal year 1925 the State spent
sin. % per capita for schools, as COM
nared with an average of $S.5l for all
States. Delaware's per-cap1ta cost
for schools was in fact exceeded only
Inv wyoming with a per-capita school
cost of S11.52, and was approached
nv only one other State, Nevada,
with a per-capita school COST Oh
$1O.13. eou
An examination of the reasons for
the marked difference between Dela-
wares State payments for school
and the average pay
ments of all States, reveals the tact
that of the total revenue receipts LOT
school purposes in Delaware, the
state received and distributed 77,I
nor cent. the counties nothing, ana
The local districts 22.3 per cent. Con
frasting this with the average G!s-
tribution of school revenue tor tIe
whole country, it is found that III llle
average State, the State government
receives and distributes only III per |
cent the counties 10 per cent, ana
fbe local district 1913 per cent. Op-
Tiouslv. therefore, Delaware's cost
of state government seems so eX-
Fremelv excessive, chiefly because
the major part of the costs Oh the
sunnort of the public-school system
is horne by the State, whereas IN
most States the major part OF TINS
cost is borne by the local dlstrlcCs'
GAS the may raise the slde-ques-
lion as to the comparative cost OF
he nublic schools in Delaware ana
,Isewhere regardless of the source OF
sunnort. it may be pertinent to polhC 3
inf that the total for current eA-
nenses of public schools per pupil
,nroIled is S67.OS in Delaware COM
nared with $58.97 for the whole
obviously, ordinary comparisons
If State costs are complicated by the y
lifferent bases of public-school sup
,ort in Delaware and elsewhere. 1t
s interesting, therefore, to see how !,
he comparison would stand with all =
chooI costs eliminated. This sub :,
raction shows that the remaining a
costs for all other eX- ~
lenses and interest in Delaware are A
7.95 per capita, as compared with N
6.S6 per capita for all the States. ~
his leaves a difference of $1.59 per :,
apita to be accounted for. :, =
The Leagues analysis shows clear - -
y where this difference is to be u
Ound. 1t shows that Delaware pays -,
s cents more per capita for the ex- - -
enses of general government than a.
he average State, 20 cents more -
ublic safety (militia, armories, reg n,
lation, and other protection to per- ~ ~
nm and property), 80 cents for the e