10 THE FISCAL PROBLEM IN MISSOURI are attributable primarily to varying capital expenditures for highway construction. The importance of highway ex- penditures in the fiscal program of the state is shown in Chart 1. Cuart 1: EXPENDITURES OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, 1923-1928 MILLIONS OF DOLLARS 5 7 | Smal a A . 3 ee Par 3 54 DEBT —REDEMPTION— a Ti I INTEREST —— = . TEE 27 mE 1€z4 1223 19<0o 1927 1928 Education ranks second on the basis of percentage of total state expenditures. During the period 1923 through 1928 state expenditures for education amounted to $59.8 million, or 22.6%, of net state expenditures and more than 20%, of the gross total. Of the years for which data are presented in Table 2, educational expenditures were the largest in 1926, amounting to $10.7 million. The variation in the amounts annually expended for education from 1923 through 1928 was relatively small, and such expenditures were on a much lower level in 1913 and 1918. Unlike highway ex- penditures, disbursements for educational purposes were predominantly for maintenance. In only one year, 1923, did capital outlay for this purpose exceed $1 million. Educa-