White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1935-03-28
WHO'S TO BLAME?

The cost of running our state government is
increasing each year; fact which is readily APP
parent to everyone. Since the legislature appropri-
ates the money for the various governmental
departments, a great deal of blame has been placed
on it's shoulders for this condition. In 1888 the
legislature was criticized for it's many nuisance
bills, designed to shift the burden of taxation
and to find new sources of tax revenue. This SEES
sion has been called the most expensive session in
the history of the state, and one which accom-
pished little in the way Of material benefits
The cost of government has been on the in
crease not for two or three years, but for twenty
thirty years. We cannot explain this condition
simply by saying that it is the men we send to the
legislature who are to blame
In 1915 it cost about one-third as much to run
our state government as it will in 1885 In 1910
it cost even less, and on. The increase has been
steady, through good years and bad, through
Democratic and Republican administrations alike
One contributing factor to this condition is
that each year the government has taken over new
duties, formerly administered by local govern
ments or by private industry. And with this
change has come regulatory functions, all of
which means more employees, more red tape, and
expenditures.
Back in the period of 191O-19l5, for instance
our highways were few and far ~between com
pared to today, the maintenance cost was nil
Then, rutty, mucky, often impossible roads were
not unusual. Today, our roads must be paved or
Oiled and free of any condition which would inn
pede our travel. Today, we need large corps of
patrohnen to see that we all drive carefully OBJ
serve the laws. Them the existing police forces of
the cities and counties could easily handle that
small burden.
Then, we took hunting and fishing where
and when we could find it; some paid licenses and
al -
they would be in the future. Today, our fields and
streams must be re-stocked annually, with game
Wa1dens in every locality to see that we do not
make game hogs of ourselves-which we would if
they not nearby.
Then, few of us enjoyed electric lights or cleo
tl1c power; the utilities were small and in but
few communities, Today, all enjoy these bene-
hts, and our utilities are vast, interocking
chain which must be regulated to prevent abuses
possible under such complicated structure.
Another contributing factor has been the prn-
clple OF taxing profitable industries in order that
less profitable industries would not be so handi-
capped Each time that an industry has reached
the point where it's overhead is low enough to sell
at lower cost than some competing industry,
the latter has urged the people of the state to place
an additional tax burden on that industry, on the
grounds that they are receiving more benefits than
they are paying for
The tendency has been to meet competition by
placing burden on the other concern rather than
endeavoring to reduce own overhead and pro-
ductiOn costs.
If we wish to reduce the cost of government, we
must realize that each time ask the government
to assume new responsibilities, new regulatory
duties, we are defeating our purposes but that if
we will conscientiously endeavor to assume our
individual responsibilities of citizenship we can
be instrumental in achieving an economical state
government
1t is plain of not being able to have ON.
cake and eat it too