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Show box'eldS'co. "taxpayer asks important quesiions Wants Light On Expenditures of Public Funds; "And Ye Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make You Free..' (From the Boxelder Journal) Collinston, Utah, January 3, 1927 I EcV;. r Box Elder Jomtrnail: Over a year ago an article was published pub-lished c'n a prominent .paper of our .ia'.e citing foth figures of expense in our state government. The Wtniter made a -clippiing of said antkfle,- and 13 leading it ever now, at the eve ot a sesis.'ati of our state legislature, it occui ed to me that it might be hoth interesting and henefdeial to the public pub-lic to have it published again, to aether yvith a few pereonal comments on it and kindred topics; therefore I offer such hoping that you may i deem it worth space in yousr valluahie pa par. The clipping reads as follows: "Begin Pruning At The Top" "In any builldimg eniterprize the p'.ace to begin is at the , foundation. It, naitrnally follows that a tearing down or prur.Ong operation shooild begin be-gin at the top. The universal demand of tar.paye $ o" the state upon tho3e called to represent them in the state 1- '"ilatwe, is that flmndial 'budgets for the en-iuing biennum slian: toe s cut and ri luned as to come easily with in the state's ctima'ed revenue, then that the budgets so made shall he rigidly rig-idly adhered to; and since it its fro be 1 prumj i"- prcros, t'he lag-'ical method of procedvr.e would he to ibegtin in 'he aiT'per branches of the sitate government, gov-ernment, re'lnid'ng d'enar'.ment.al e-nense", e-nense", Ibofce prooeed'rr furrther. We note that, the Governor's salary is twelve thousand dollars; that of his secretory $7,200;. ot'hap office "alaries and wages $6,400; allowance Tor trsvel. $2 R0n; and in addlition an allowance of $6,100 for (the iwchase and maintenance of a new car; or a fotrnl of $34,200. "The office of Sec-etnrv of Pi'ate demands: for S'ei-ietary'n salary 9.00O; other salaries and wes $19,080 office expense, $4,000;' travel $1,000 equipment $200; or a' total of $33 280. "The Attorney General draws a $9,000 salary and wil'h other salaries a1 id allowances Ms department costs1 $41,280. "The state Auditor drawn a $7,000 salary and the total cost of his office is $36,600. "The Treasurer gets $6,000 and !ho total cost of his office is $32,590 "State Borvd of Equalization receives re-ceives is salaries $24,000 and the total ccsi of the department comas '.0 $44,100. "The Sitate Bank Commissioner draws $8,000 and the total -cost of trs department comes to $35,250. "Our State Board of Examiners costs $2,4 00. "The .State Chemists department draws $7,100. "Our District Cowts coot $252,000 "The State Fn-;ineei: has an $8,000 -a'.ary and with other -jahvries and expenses ex-penses his office coets the people of 'he stale $27,500. "In the department of finance an.i , p'ircha-e the director receives $8,001 ' other saian'es $20,000; incidental expenses ex-penses $3,800; or a total of $31,800. I "M.em'br.3 of the Industrial Commission Com-mission receive $24,000 in salaries; other saiaric3 $56,800, and other expenses $1 3,750; a total of $94,550 "T'he sta'e insurance department cont? $4 2,000, "The Juvenile court department, costs $42,000. "The state board of education cost ?22,850. "Our land commissioners depart-nie-i' costs $61,800. "The National Guard department coats $109 900: the department of rp.tir'ra'.ion $18,610; the state sup-rome sup-rome rnurt $74,300; the agricultural department $S7.650; the state board of healtn $59,460. "Thus the overhead cost6 of the varnus stn' departments amcunt to '1.161.S70.ini, which would seem to the ordinary everyday taxpayer like a verv expensive state government, -nlpr'ns tor the more important of-rp-- run from six to twelve-thousand dollars a year. Ei,rht and nine t.hous--.'.td do'lnr are quite common. Twolv: ;'noi:siid means $1,000 a mo it'r. ; nine liiousnnd means $750 a month, eight thoujand means $G66.C6; sever. :hou-.T.nd means a monthly salary of $583,33, and there are in addition to other allowances. For lilasttance; : Included in the mainbanance cost of , ;he offices ien.umerated,, allowances for travel expenses in nineteen de-' de-' parimenits amounts- to seventy five 'thousand dollais which should be sufficient to provide far considerable juaketlinig, with drawing room and d'ining -car attaohiments complete. "Looking over these fiigures and comp:ring them with average reward vocati ons of trade and bJlsi'.ieis, does it not strike the average taxpayei that his representatives in the state lefiislatu e would do well in pruning j ti e trees of st-Ce expenses, to hegin at the top?" Thus enda the published art.-cle nient'.on-ed Let us nn-w analize some of the ani'flin's t'liat have been mentiied. '"he fi'-rst Item of the kind is 'the gov-f'-nors sa'ary of $12,000 a- yen,- that indicates pretty good nay. Just $4,-'500 $4,-'500 a year mo'ie than a member of .0ng i--,-; has been getting and $2,000 more than a member wi'll got after he i-oent adyanoe. While the d-'irnity of the office -h n,u ifl be ui-held it iseems like that cculd consistently be dore 0 1 less opey. Tli,- gwerncr of New York ef!-, raly $10,000 a year, yvhiie his "'a'.e contain 03 about tvetntv fines he population of ours, and. .the awes- -?d wealth o" the Empire State is per-i per-i api coni'terahie m--re thin twenty f-ime; that n't L t: h. Ti-en look at the . add'.-'i I val cost o" that office, $22,200 is the amount reported." All of that money must come or.f of the taxpayers' taxpay-ers' pockets. Would it not be pleasing pleas-ing and pacifying to the common taxpayer tax-payer to know deta'l aibout such cost"'.? I for one, believe it 'would I "sVi'ld like to know wh,at there is in the i'cvernor'3 clerical work to rt-quiire rt-quiire a $600 a imomrh clerk. Next it is repotted $6400 a year for other office salaries and vvages.- It wou'.d sit much nicer with us if we knew for what purpose all that mon-1 'ey is expanded in connectio'n with the j $7200 a year for his secretary. As-long As-long as we, the taxpayers, must foot the b'ill, why should we not know more about it, or rather let me ask hy -.hould it. '.io-; he made easy forj us i'o learn prich things through local j nil Locations? Why should we not ask' 'or laiv-,'3 Qiv'.ng; li'.ght on such matter? j Is there a banker ot baker or can-uleestiick can-uleestiick maker who would rest sat-j sried with -'web ad aggregation of 'figures in private business ? In these; days of keen c -mpetiiliipn business men need to keep rjloe watch on every expenditure in private affairs, j and ju t so we cijir,rnt to know expend ex-pend it i'I'b 'in public affairs in as murh as these s'mmer down to private individual expenses when we have to dig into our pockets .to pay cur taxes. True enough, we have T.d't'i -i to check up -vich matters; but while the auditors k-'now, that 'do-' r.ot saVsfy the ordinary mind. 'Mon I'Vci to know for him3elf and :n matters of this k!id he Is entitled 'to know. They should 'be made plain rind 'rim-nle that "He who run may rcnd." for the poor taxpayer is often forced tj un and read when hlj pro- re'ty becomes advertized for sale on account of delinquent taxes, j Such publication woutd of course, r.o-nt somthing, but why speak of that in view of the hifh salaries we set up and the many add'tlonal expenses set forth? T' -re v-i-. ne ,' 1 roortcd $2,600 al-lov.nce al-lov.nce fnr travel for the governor, rerhn--, it is i''ht. but does not that i-r'n rai-e a ouery in one's mind to v. here and why he travels to t.ba'. extent fc the good of the State S-ni-" we pre cur''; 'line, or striviu' 'ft c'.ir'r-'l. e-penses. let us be free and frank enough to ?-ek inform.'!- 01 on vrli questions. What ex-cur-'ir; does he take for the benefit of the '""mmTiwenlth? Are not most f M-? t ''n-. of fit tuvitaHonal nature where b rrocs to r.-id influence and -id in s-Ti,, sit.ional or corporate W-"Ty-'ttn that las its own economic (Continued on last page ) TAXPAYER ASKS MANYJUESTIOMS ( CoiUiuued from firot page.) ui. angement to defray such expenses We here in Box Elder Co. esteemed I an honor to have him here at our ounty fairs last year and the one iefore, but no expense of that kind hould come out of the state funds; '.rt sayin."- th:it it did. Xext we come to the item of $6,000 is .reported for the purchase and naintenance of a new car. How loes such yum sit on 'the heart of a oor farmer who has. perhaps had lis laiul3 sold for taxes after a hard eor',3 toil? Is it not enough to make lis blood boil? It might be a ood ' lung that some of these things hava lot been generally known for fear' hat miig'ht lot in a little speck of the pirit of rebellion; but I believe we ire coming to a betteir day and many hinas will be known for (the better he good book says, "And ye shall now the trii'Lh and the tru'th shall now the truth, and the 'tiruth shall nake you free." -.So let iub not be lealy-moittlied or miincy-'man-nered bout it. Coring now to the office of Sec-ntary Sec-ntary of State we find it ireport.ed !),00 0 a year saflary. That Is going be old congressman one better to he tune of $1,500 a year, not con ' lidering the new law which some of "hem will not reach for a while yet. 'Ju.iely it seems like we are hitting a pretty high mark in these .matters. :l it be the will of the people, to 'maintain such salaries, the'n pardon the writer , for believing that this does indicate extraagance. But be 'hat as it may, we next come to the figures of $19,080 as mentioned for other wages and salaries in that office. It makes a common fellow wonder how and where that much money is pr'uidently needed. There ought to be a considiently detailed acedunting made and pivblished in every county in the state showing 'the manner in which state funds are expended. Without enumerating all the items in the list of expenditure:, for this office let it suffice to say that he published- figures are $24,280 jver and above the $9,000 salary. .According to same publication the Utotuey General's office costs $32,-'8 $32,-'8 0 over and above the $9,000 al-otment al-otment for salary. The Auditor's office is reported as osling the state $29,600 in addi-1 addi-1 ten to salary of $7,000. The cojt of the treasurer's office is 'Men as $26,590 besides $6,000 for salary. No need of repeating further the figures set forth in the article men-ioned. men-ioned. I would just ask however, hat the readers look them over a econd time aJd then settle down to L'hort period of serious thinking riard-inrj .politics . of a nonpartisn nature. Without commenting further on "gures. the writer would say as did he publisher that it' "Would seem ' o the ordinary everyday tax-payer ike a' very expensive state government." govern-ment." But whether it -be within he bounds of reason and consistency ' r not, let it be aired before the peo-ile peo-ile who have to foot the bill. Let is havd light on those matters and et us set ouch light on a candlestick Yid not let it be hidden uniir a bus-'1 el of b::is (hat baffle and bluff the 'ommon taxpayer. ' What i5 the remedy? : ; '. II Y RUM JENSEN, Collinsten',U. |