Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 237, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1914 — PROJECTED RAID ON STATE FUNDS [ARTICLE]

PROJECTED RAID ON STATE FUNDS

Coming Election Must Decide , $2,000,000 Outlay. ADDITION TO STATE HOUSE Democrats Want Mere Room for Job Holders Seek to Gumshoe the Thing Through—Referendum Vote Alone WWI Coot the State $30,00G Will Mean Another Big Increase In Taxes.

BY CHARLES G. SEFRIT.

Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 30. —A great many of the people of Indiana do not know at this time, although the electtea ta but little more than a month away, that the voting citizens of the state will be called upon to express themselves at the polls, November 3 on a proposal initiated by the recent legislature to appropriate $2,000,000 for the purpose of erecting another public building at Indianapolis to cost that sum of money. Ostensibly this proposed new state building is to be erected to serve as a memorial commemorating the centennial anniversary of Indiana’s admittance to the union of states. That is the talking point of the advocates of this measure. It is an appeal to a certain sentimental pride the state has in the observance of its one hundredth birthday. Really this appropriation asked Is to supply a building to accommodate the overflow of of- * fleers, newly created and prospective. It is to provide quarters for the new swarms of public officers that bach succeeding session of the legislature turns wut. tttorhi fact, to be an annex to the state house. Indiana’s present state house was finished and made ready for occupancy ip 1886. It cost the state $2,000,000. The architect devised the plans of the building on such a scale that it was believed then to be of sufficient size to supply office room for the state officers within the period pf the structure's life, which should ’be at least seventy-five years. Yet here, after only twenty-eight years, it is found to be too small, such has been the- tremendous, almost appalling increase in the number df state officers. So many officers have been added to the list contemplated by the designers of toe state house that the corridors of the building, which were devised for light and ventilation, have been partitioned off Into new offices, to make room for the constantly growing number. And these all are crowded. A waggish newspaper, I think it was the Princeton Clarion, recently suggested that the congested condition of the offices of the auditor of state is such that appointments to the. subordinate places have to be made from men and women with small feet, that in the pursuit of their duties these officers may not tread on one another’s toes.; Something of an air of mystery butbounds this scheme of the politicians for a two-mllllon-dollar appropriation for this state house annex. The bill which makes provision for a referendum vote on this subject was not introduced as a separate or an independent measure, but was tacked on as a rider to the act for specific appropriations. .. Therefore it is not easy to Ind It in the published acts of the legislature of 1918. But it is there, on page five hundred and twenty-six. It arranges for a referendum “Yes or No” vote, and provides for advertising, separate ballot boxes and the like, this referendum vote will cost the dfcte something like $25,000 or $lO,o®. Probably It is an illegal proceeding. That is, there is no law authorizing such a referendum vote. The bill Is so drawn, however, that if a majority of those who vote on this particular measure vote In the affirmative, even though but a few thousands of the citizens vote, the appropriation will,be held by its advocates to have carried. Therefore It is Imperative that those who are opposed to this appropriation should vote, and vote -No.” • Seemingly the promoters of .this pjan for a two-mllllon-dollar appropriation for an annex to the state house—the Democratic governor, the Democratic legislature that passed the bill and the Democratic state administration—hope to push the appropriation approval through by a gumshoe cam-, paign for it, as they have shown a disposition to avoid discussion of the subject Governor Ralston, several months ago, did in a newspaper interview speak In justification of the proposed appropriation, but since that time he has been silent. In view of the facts that the legislature last year made a not Increase in the tax levy for state purposes and •hat the state administration now Is borrowing money In sums of a halfmillion dollars at a time to pay the current running expenses of the state, the imposing of this new burden upon the taxpayers at this time would be tittle short of criminal negligence of tiie Interests of the great taxpaying population of Indiana. The sensible tiitag to do would be to cut out these scores of unnecessary and expensive state state officers recently •rested. Then the state house would be large enough to house the state . ’ ' •- - —/ -**

officers. • Suppose tor the sake of Illustration we make a few figures referring to the cost to the individual counties of .this proposed state bouse annex. The total df the taxable property of the state under the recent appropriation is $1,800,000,000, in round figures. Tn obtain a ■ revenue of $2,000,000 from this sum of taxables would require a levy In excess of eleven cents on foe SIOO. * I use the eleven-eant fignsc for the purpose of clearness, although that wquld produce but $1,980,900 which is $20,000 short of the required sum. Therefore each county, to supply the funds for this building, must submit to what would bo equivalent to a levy of cloven cents on each 9100 of Its tax valuation. Space forbids the tabulation of all the ninety-two counties, bat a sow are given herewith: Knox county, with a tax valuation of $86,400,009 would have to pay a total sum for this building of $99,000. Vanderburg county, with $48,700,090, a total of $43,570. Allen county, with $81,000,000, a total of $47,000. Brown county, with $2,100,000, a total of SJ,800. Lake county, with $64,400,000, a total of $78,090. Jefferson county, with $8,600,000, • total of $9,400. And seen. It will be easy far any taxpayer of a county not mentioned hero to find how much his county will have to pay, by multiplying the total tax valuation of the county by elevon. Likewise tee may ascertain by simple calculations the cost to his own county that other schemes for additional expense in governmental matters will entail. The newspapers of Indiana should take up this subject and discuss it,' that the people may be informed. Then, if they dhall vote to appropriate this Immense sum, after they have come to understand jt, they will be doing so with their eyes open. But they are not likely to vote in the affirmative, if they know it Is nothing but a movement by politicians to obtain, more room for more public offiThey will vote "No.”