Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1916 — SHOW BIG SAVING IN STATE EXPENSES [ARTICLE]

SHOW BIG SAVING IN STATE EXPENSES

Annual Report of State Auditor Makes Showing of Business Economy. - FIGURES ARE FROM RECORDS Not a Penny of Debts, No Advance Call on Treasurers of Counties First Time Since the Civil War —Democrats Did It.

BY WILLIS S. THOMPSON

Indianapolis, Oct. 23.—The state of Indiana spent $324,766.54 less, to run its entire government, institutions included, in the fiscal year ehding September 30, 1916, than in the preceding fiscal year. These figures are from the annual report of Auditor of State Dale J. Crittenberger, who will turn over to the public printer, the first of next week, the copy for his printed report. The report further shows that the general increase in the cost of living, which has had its effect in every home in the country, has been felt by the state in the way of increased institutional expense. But the increase is much smaller than would have been possible, except with the best of management and most rigid economy. The gross increase in expenditures in the Benevolent Institutions fund for the fiscal year just closed, over the previous fiscal year, was only $294,328.09, for the entire group of benevolent, correctional and penal institutions of Indiana. In the fiscal year ending September 30, 1915, the expenditures from the Benevolent Institutions fund of the state totaled $3,160,691.43; in the year ending September 30, 1916, the total was $3,455,019.52. In the General fund expenditures for the past year, however, the proof is extremely strong that the democratic administration is living up to its promise of economy. The General fund is the fund from which salaries are paid, also general departmental, board and commission expense. It is the so-called “political” fund. In the fiscal year ending September 30, 1915, expenditures from the General fund totaled $3,873,282.99.

Careful handling of departmental, board and commission business resulted in a remarkable decrease in General fund expenditures in the past year, as compared with the preceding year. In the year ending last September 30, total General fund expenditures of the state were only $2,241,169.53—a decrease of $1,632,113.46 compared with the preceding year. This remarkable decrease was made, too, with the smallest general fund levy since the present constitution of Indiana was adopted in 1851. The present general fund levy is only 7 cents on the SIOO. It has been that low since the Legislature of 1913 reenacted the tax levy law. That this decrease in expenditures in the total funds of the State and in the general fund was not due to the fact that the State did not have the money to spend is shown by the fact that the total receipts for the past year were $217,098.01 in excess of the receipts for the preceding year. The money was there to spend—and the Democrats saved it, instead of spending it. At the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, 1916, there was a cash balance in the treasury of $2,149,765.26.