The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-19

Haftf0fd, Dec, 1D-lOFD-| Connecticut may soon have the most expensive State gov- erBmeBt in the nation, the Connecticut Public Expendi- ture Council warned today.
 Connecticut now has a relatively expensive State e0veFnmeflt," the Council said. EssI0sdd the program Of State ald l1e expanded aDDFeciablg and De supeFimD0sed upon present eKpens dtttfes, Connecticut probably w01lo flfld itself leading the parade Dy q wide margin"
 Comparing Connecticut with seYsn other industrial states in the same bigtl per-capita -1TIc0me class, tsle Council found that t spent n1e most by A wide margin for general state departmental operations.
 Per Capita BIiI High
 C0nnectlcuts per capita expendi- tire WaS 124.52, twice that Of New York state and e more than the second hizhest state Pennsylvania. Five M the seven states ranked below the national average Of s1e.0S and all Of them spent Less than the New England average Of e1S.24. The other states compared were Rhode Island, Ohio, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
 Connecticut was said to be sec oDd in 0tit1ayS for general control, spending 223 as compared with the United States average Of SEA. The State ranked first in highway out. lays by a wide margin, spending A12, nearly double the national average Of t2.11 and e1O0 more than the New England average.
 Connecticut also stood first in expenditures for health, welfare and institutions, spending t11.01, com. pared with the national average of e7.s2 and New England average of S8.G2. IL vas explained, however, that a slzable portion of the burden fails on the State itself, whereas in many other states the costs are borne by counties and n1rntctpah- ties.
 For public safety, Connecticui spends SITE, second only to Rhode 1 Island, and SIS less than the Ta- tIonal average. The State also stands second in ositlays for schools, libraries, and recreation, w1th Sz.7o. compared to the national average of e103. This is the only category in which Connecticut spends less than the national average.
 Increased Expenditures Discassed
 The Council pointed out there ''ilaS been much discussion of the need for and desiTabiltty of tn% creased State expenditure with Less attention directed to the revenue re- quiremnse involved
 It vas referring in particular to these discomfortfng facts which confront Ooy.-elect James L. Mo- COnaughy as he vrestles with the bttdget:-
 The Iegislature is faced with
 an estimated gay of some SSO,-
 100000 between income and poS-
 sibIe appropriations. according
 to the Connecticut Chamber of
 Commerce.
 A veterans bonus. to which
 both parties are pledged, would
 cost an estimated $50! 100000.
 A s14.OOOyO0 plan for extended
 State aid to towns for schools
 iS being considered.
 The State Highway Depart
 ment, which plans to launch
 vast road building program,
 reports a deficit of S8IO0.OOO.
 The Sl6,OO0.OO0 postwar pur-
 poses fund built up during lush
 war years of which nearly all
 was ear-marked by the last two
 legislatures.
 Income from existing tax sources in dwindling.
 Proposals for a State sales tax, which the Connecticut Chamber of Commerce estimates would yield s2O .OOO, 900 a year and an income tax which the CO believes would produce $l2.OOO.00 yearly. are bound to meet with violent opposition II submitted to the General Assembly.
 In the face of this. the Council concluded, ''it is imperative that every effort be made to reduce gen. eral governmental costs for services now rendered so as to minimize as far ak FAOGsinle the Additional bur-