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Show Expense of State Governments on Increase At the present time the 48 state governments gov-ernments have a gross bonded indebtedness indebt-edness of $1,971,354,167, an Increase of more than 125 million dollars In a year. This exceeds by 62 millions the total public debt of the United States Just prior to the war. I The indebtedness averages $16.61 for every man, woman and child In tho '. country, an ' Increase of 85 cents as compared with a year ago. Five states in the Union have bonded debts in excess of $100,000,000 and, since 1920, the outstanding debts of 25 of the states have measurably Increased These statistics show graphically the trend in state expenditures. They show, as well, adequate reason for the present high taxes that burden most communities. Today state governments assume responsibilities, re-sponsibilities, make expenditures and embark in new fields of endeavor on a scale unknown 10 years ago. The result re-sult is steadily mounting tax rates, discouraging dis-couraging to industrial development and damaging to prosperity. The extravagance of local units of government is an outstanding problom of the times. If reforms are not Instituted, Insti-tuted, it must inevitably result in many communities being buried under a mass I of debts and taxes from which it will take years to recover. 1 - |