Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1931-10-15
COST OF STATE GOVERNMENT
SHOWS DECIDED REDUCTION

SHOWS DECIDED REDUCTION
Revealing substantial reductions
in the operating costs of state gov
ernment accomplished in the first
nine months of the White admins
tratlon, Howard L. Bevis, state f.
nance director, this week corrected
published reports predicting SER
ious deficit in state finance.
Bevis gave assurance that there
is no foundation for forecasts of
financial crisis" Revenue in sight
for the remainder of the year, in
spite of the fact that economic con-
d1tlons have diminished state re.
sources, will be sufficient, he point
ed out
Decreases in the states expenses
are TO continue and to grow in i'm
portance in subsequent months as
the order of Director Bevis and
Governor White, requiring all de,
partments to slash their budgets. as
approved by the legislature, an ad-
dltlonal seven percent is enforced.
Because the order could not be put
into effect until July, after the
legislature had authorized appro-
priations, it's full benefits are not
apparent this early.
Nevertheless, administrative ey.
penses of the state government
were reduced $546,OOO in the first
nine months of 1881 as compared
with the first nine months of 1890.
the department of finance announc-
ed. Expenses of administrative op-
eratlons of departments in the nine
month period of 1880 were S.
lS2,637, 20. The same departments
spent only s4,636,461.S6 for ad
ministrative purposes in the 1891
period.
MAJOR decreases contributing to
the $546,O00 reduction we're: Com
merce department, including all of
us bureaus, $4,000; finance de-
partment, $4,000 savings in sal
aries and maintenance and s64.-
600 in purchasing operations; de-
partment of agriculture, including
administrative, state fair, dairy ano
food and animal industry divisions,
s333,OOO; health department. s22.-
600; prohibition department. s13..
600 in payroll.
Among the larger items reflect.
ing economies effected in admin
lstratlye costs of departments are
these: Print paper purchases re-
duced $10,587; banks and banking
department payroll decreased s13.-
557; building and loan department
payroll cut $7,474 and maintenance
costs reduced by $1,000; fire mar.
shals bureau payroll decreased
Sl2,O92 and maintenance s5.S42:
insurance division payroll reduced
SS,9O4 and maintenance s3.799. Sc
curltles bureau payroll cut $5,137
ana maintenance s1,659; public
utliltles commission maintenance
costs reduced $1,000; real estate
departmet payroll cut s2,716: ag.
ricultural department payroll de-
creased $13,102; Industrial rela..
'iols department maintenance ex-
pehse lowered by Slabs; national
guard maintenance charges reduce1
sl5l,7S0; maintenance costs Of
benevolent, penal and correctional
institutions cut s425,694: attorney
seheraFs department payroll reduc
ed S5,3l1; auditor of states main !
'ehahce expense decreased s2.45S.
publlc works department payroll !
reduced S12,0O5; payroll for oper.
atloh OF state buildings cut So
954 ~
Iotal expenditures from the gen
eral revenue fund for the first nine |
months OF 1881 were $32.775.976.~
90. This included obligations of
So,O50,396.74 incurred by the nrc-
cedlng state administration and
passed on TO its successors when il
.ui heo over the government last
January There remain s11Oe
Zo4.Z2 OF these carry-over incum-
Drances to be paid, making the to-
Tai or obligations inherited by nras-
ent offlclals from the previous in.
$7,156,264.22
Total expenditures for the same
period in 1880 were $3O.S25.123.
H. Principal increases in the total
seheral revenue fund expenditures l
IN the nine months of 1891 over
Lhe same period in 1880 are trace.
able to legislative authorizations
ana contracts incurred in 1890 over
"hlch present state officials have
lad no control. These include: Ed.
lcatlonal equalization expenses. bv Il
Nhlch the state gives financial aid
Q weak school districts, increased