The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-01-17
Is Economy a Joke?

that department, OF the needs or tne sUate, duu
the ability of the people to pay, should be
made
The highway department now spends as
much money each year as is spent ON all other
departments of state government. 1t spends
as much as it costs to run the penal and educa-
tional institutions and to pay its state officials.
The increase asked, amounts, in money, to
as much as is raised by general taxation for
the general fund of the state.
That it is proposed to raise this money by
the expedient of increasing license fees or the
gasoline tax makes it no less tax upon the
people, already overburdened with taxation.
Every farm tractor every delivery truck,
every pleasure automobile will pay tribute.
The demand for this money comes from the
state highway commission. 1t is part of the
budget.
The law says in specific terms that all de-
partment demands shall be fled before October
Is. That the demand comes after the legisla-
ture has begun its sessions, months late, shows
such disregard for law as to put the legisla-
ture upon guard.
The legislature will fail in its duty if it
accepts the blythe statement of this commits
sion that it needs this much money to carry on
a necessary program of good road construc-
ton.
The state has been carefully prepared for
this demand. The newspapers of the state
have been filed with advertisements advocat-
ing Good Roads" With a general demand
for good roads and improved highways every
one will agree. In that direction lies progress.
But it viii be well to investigate the source
of these advertisements. 1t may be stated that
at least a part, if not all the cost, of this
propaganda was paid for by the cement in
terests which reap huge profits from the sale
of materials for these roads.
The zeal of these interests may be COM
mendable 1t may be at least selfish,
But the manner in which this campaign has
been conducted suggests that there is very
general purpose to sweep the legislature off its
feet, to levy the tax and to take from the
people of this state five or six millions of
dollars each year, at time when they can lily
afford to pay the price.
Before there is any increase of taxation,
there should be an inquiry as to the possibility
of obtaining the same results with taxes al
ready levied
just as start, the feasibility of state
cement plant, operated by the state, perhaps
at the penal farm, should be investigated If
cement, an important factor, can be made by
the state itself at low cost, perhaps it will
not be necessary to burden the people with an
other huge tax.
There are other lines that demand inquiry.
Some states have built their roads with prison
ers. That may have bad sound. 1t may be
the most humane step that can be taken. Very
soon, if congress passes a measure now pend
ing, it viii be impossible to employ convicts on
manufactured goods and the prisons, filed to
overlooking and increasing enormously in
population, viii be filed with idle men, whose
idleness would reduce them to Madness
Most of all, the legislature should investi-
gate the commission and itself determine
whether the present system is the best method
Of road building and control.
There is now commission which meets but
seldom and draws but little pay There is a
director who becomes a ear and who, appar-
emily, is not accountable except to the commits
sion Such meetings as are held are conducted
in secrecy. Tho public gets its sole view of
the activities only through bulletins
1t is just possible that the expenditure of
such an enormous sum, amount to twenty mil
lions of dollars year if this tax increase is
voted, could be better handled by highly paid
board of experts, constantly on the job, work
ing in plain view of the people at all times
just as general proposition, the people
should demand that there be shown a very
definite necessity before the law reaches into
their pockets for more money
Governor Leslie has urged program of
economy. Real economy means that necessary
work must be done, but done at the lowest
cost
A plea for economy and raise in taxation
of approximately. half the amount of general
taxation seems to be 3 joke.
POSTPONE the Cruiser Program