The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-08-11
TAX LIMIT TO
WRECK STATE,
OFFICIALS SAY
Chaos All Over Indiana Is
Predicted by City,
County Auditors.

Predictions by Governor Harry G.
Leslie that chaos and collapse"
would result from the $50 tax
Limitation levy we're being echoed
today on their respective budgets.
Local officials joined almost
unanimously in condemning the
measure. Many counties and cities
are faced with the necessity Of re-
making budgets completed only a
few days ago.
Nearly all authorities are cycling
the loopholes provided for stepping
over the specified limit, and only a
few prepared to waive that right
and take the mandatory budget re-
auctions.
The measure will result in cha
otto and dangerous situation in
Delaware county the Muncie Press
commented. IF officials are held
strictly TO the limit it will be neces-
sary to reduce costs about so per
cent"
Dire Results Predicted
The Press outlined as possible re-
in Muncie the elimination Of
lights; removal of one-half
the fire hydrants; reduction of the
police force from forty-f1ye to fiji
teen men: abandonment Of four Of
the FIVE fire stations. and cutting
the department from ffty-two to
eighteen men.
Vanderburg county officials were
quoted by the Evansville Press as
. saying it virtually would be impos-
sible to have a rate lower than
$3.50. The Press pointed out that
several increases would be neces-
sary there, due to added relief bur
dens and decrease in valuations.
The Gary Post-Tribune assailed
the measure as Just fiction"
Taxpayers are going to have the
surprise of their lives If they think
they will have to pay only $1.50,"
the Post Tribune quoted Howard
Bell, auditor of the Gary board Of
education.
Law Is Ridiculous"
THE government can not operate
on this ridiculous maximum" Bell
was quoted. THE law is almost too
silly to comment on. The levy here
probably will be $3.50 or 1870"
Blackford county's new budget,
drafted after weeks of work, was
regarded as wrecked by Luther
Speidel, auditor according to the
Hartford City News THE law was
a bombshell and ruins our proposed
budget, which included every posi-
BILE cut in all departments" Speidel
said.
The Huntington Herald-Press pic
tured the outlook as "the greatest
dilemma of history" 1t quoted
county officials as asking, How will
the county limit tax collections to
approximately 100000, whereas last
year a total of S1,278,127 was paid
for operation Of township, city and
county Departmental"
Law Makes mo Difference"
City Attorney Carl BoneWitz was
quoted as saying that the provision
for appointment of an adjustment
board is an admission of proponents
of the bill that it will not work"
Allen county will have to turn
Immediately to the adjustment
board and seek an increase, the Fit.
Wayne News Sentinel quoted Coun-
ty Aditor F. William Ortlieb as say
ing. With the provision in the
law for increases if any emergency
exists, Ortlieb said, the law will
make no difference here, except that
in order to bring about an increased
levy, considerable time would have
to be taken"
The Richmond Palladium Item
was one of the few papers that did
not report concern among officials.
Tt said that officials were unworried
because of the emergency clause in
the law. 1t predicted that budget
makers would proceed to make
every reduction possible, but virtu-
ally would ignore the $3.50 limit.