Evening star., 1936-08-25


the man who meets in conversation
the argument, well, what would you
have done-let 'em starve?"
First of all, learned on investiga-
ton at Boise that the treasury of the
State of Idaho is in excellent condi-
ton and that it has done something
during the depression which will come
rs a surprise-it has actually retired
outstanding debt and has a nice sur
plus in the treasury. Yet notwith-
standing this, the State of Idaho in
the last three years has gotten about
e27,000,000 out of the Federal Gov
ernment for relief
Facts in Message.
II ever there was State which ap-
pears to have been able to get along
without such an amount of Federal
aid or to tax itself to pay its own
local improvements it Is Idaho. Most
of the information to substantiate this
contention can be found in message
communicated to the State Legisla-
ture Just about a month ago-July %,
to be exact. Here are few facts
taken from that message:
/. The State of Idaho had cash
balance of 1881 ,3e7 on December 81,
1880, and a current debt of s3,628, ,934,
or a net cash deficit of only S279,537.
2. After five years Of depression
December 81, 1935-the Governor
says that 1--WE find a cash balance of
e3,560,369, against which there were
no notes outstanding, and only s4O3,-
2el of warrants payable, leaving a net
cash surplus in the treasury of So
l57,o78."
3. AS for the long-term debt, it
was sS,211.632 in 1880 but after five
years of depreSsion-on March 81,
1936-there remained only $3.50, ,535
of outstanding debt, about which the
Governor says frankly: IF the pres
ent financial policy Of the State OF
Idaho is continued. by the end Of
1888 the total bonded debt Of the
State of Idaho could be retired"
Boasts Of Feat.
Now, what is the present financial
policy of the State of Idaho?" Again
one does not need to resort to argu-
ment but merely to take the words OF
the Democratic Governor himself. He
said in a public address on April S,
1895:
"The States around us had paid for
those who needed relief. Utah has
paid 100000 a year. Oregon and
Washington had paid their share, and
Wyoming and Nevada their share.
Idaho had not contributed and do
you know why Idaho had not con-
tributed and matched the Govern
ment money as Utah and all the
States around us? I don't know any
other reason but that we had q
Scotch Governor that talked them out
of it. We got by for two years and
Uncle Sam paid the bill"
And what has happened since? The
W. P. A. is still going on out here.
There were 1000 cases at the peak.
There are 5000 still on the rolls.
They had an excellent relief system
here before the Federal Government
took it over-nobody starved. Today
the Federal Government still pours
money into Idaho and yet the sales
tax imposed by Gov. Ross and the
other taxes has given the State treas
ury more money than it really knows
what to do with. So the last session
saw an increase in the bureaucracy Of
the State.
State Pay Roll B00mS.
The number of employees has risen
from 1000 to $500 on the State pay
roll. But even this leaves surplus.
The Governor reveals 1t in his recent
message, thus:
1.-THE receipts of the general fund
are running well over the budgetsry
requirements. The regular session
authorized a million dollar ad valorem
tax for each of the two years in the
present biennium. This $2,000,-
600 was thought necessary, together
with the estimated revenues from
other sources, to provide the neces-
sary money to meet general fund ex-
penditures.
"The actual receipts received will
II
and it is safe to say it will not be
necessary for the State Board Of
Equalization to place an ad valorem
levy of any kind upon personal and
real property for general fund pur-
poses during the year 1886; in fact,
the actual receipts of the first 18
months of the present biennium, plus
conservative estimates for the next six
months, reveals that there will be a
balance Of approximately $501,000 in
the general fund, over and above the
total authorized expenditures without
any 1886 ad valorem tax for general
fund purposes.
Therefore, after diverting that
portion of the sales tax revenue that
was originally intended for the gen.
eral fund to social security and relief
purposes, there should be q balance
in the general fund at the end of the
biennium, after all claims Of every
kind and nature have been paid, Of
approximately 100000"
The foregoining evidence would
seem to indicate that Idaho has and
has had plenty Of taxing capacity to
meet its own needs throughout the
depression but Uncle Sam paid out
s27, ,000, 900 because the New Dealers
in Washington didn't investigate the
financial capacity of Idaho with suf-
ficient care-or else, as is charged, they
thought that by giving Gov. Ross
what he wanted his political prestige
would rise sufficiently to enable him
to beat Senator Borah. Mr.. Ross had
a hard fight to win the primary, but
Senator Borah will be reelected. And
Eastern and Middle Western taxpay-
ers will pay for somebody's mistakes
in itIdpnent