Smyrna times., 1935-11-14
GOV. BUCK ASKS
CUT IN TAXES
Continued From Page One)


lief, said Governor Buck, is a grave
mistake, unless there were no other
way out. In place of the Federal
Governments plan of making gifts
to the States for relief, Governor
Buck said he would have loaned
them the money. Even if the loans
were repudiated, he said, the plan
would have worked for economy in
that the states would have been
trying to get along with less, rath-
er than trying to get more. Bor-
rowing in this case would be justi
fed, he explained, if the State
could not get along with the relief
problem by itself. Though he be-
lieves in transferring the multi
tude of county offices into consol-
idated State offices, and has sue
ceeded in this to large extent by
transferring road supervision and
tax collections to State depart
ments, Governor Buck insisted he
is unalterably opposed to a highly
centralized national government.
State problems simply cannot be
handled from Washington, he de-
clared. I'VE used to have State
rights" he said, "but all that has
been blotted out" The problem of
taxation in the Federal govern
ment is one of the gravest things
facing the nation, Governor Buck
believes. You and I have always
heard about high taxes; that's been
old stuff" he said, ''but now it
really is becoming serious" The
fiscal program mapped out by Gov
ernor Buck started moving into
law as soon as he took office. 1t
took first place over party consid-
erations. Tuesday Governor Buck
pointed to the following statement
in his first inaugural: Political ex-
pediency that is purchased with
public confidence is political sui
eide" In that conviction, he said,
is largely the explanation of his
administrations achievements.
These achievements include estab-
lishment of uniform cost account
ing system, elimination of indie
pendent spending by IL agencies,
establishment of yearly consoli-
dated balance sheet, improvement
in the States capital assets from
S35, 200, 900 in 1880 to some $780,
100000 in 1885 and the new sur
plus from S5O,000,00 in 1890 to
S57 100000 in 1885; reduction in
the funded debt from S12, ,351 900 to
S2,800,00O, and refunding of almost
all the remaining debt from issues
of A per cent to issues running
from 2.25 per cent to 2.75 per cent.
In addition, the State has built
SIS, 100000 worth of roads without
increasing the debt and under
plan that guarantees that one of
the finest highway systems of any
State in the Union will not be
burden to future generations. Un-
der this plan $3.50 must be appro-
priated annually for each mile of
improved road. Out of this, first
comes service of the debt, then
comes maintenance, and anything
that is left can be put into new
construction. BY State assumption
of county roads, Governor Buck
pointed out his administration has
been able to reduce the property
taxes from 40 to so per cent. Del
aware is unique, he pointed out, in
that exclusive of auto and COM
mercial taxes, "only IA per cent of
the people pay anything for the
maintenance of the State until they
die" There is one disadvantage in
this, he pointed out: it makes peo-
pie forget the cost of things and
leads them to demand more. For
instance, 85 per cent of the people
have been sending their children to
the best modern schools during the
last six or eight years without hav-
ing to worry about the cost of their
construction. A total of $10,987, :
900 worth of schools have been
built during Governor Bucks adj
ministration. Besides, a State
Welfare Home has been built at a
cost of $1,000 and a new capitol
at a cost of $750,00O. The cash in
all funds as of November / is S4,-
694 900, he said. 81 believe the
tide has turned upward" he said ir
this connection. 81 have consist
entity refused to be party to wild
spending orgies" he declared, fig
uring up that during his admins
tration he has vetoed SO bills which
would have appropriated 81 ,988, ,712