Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-01-14

balance in the Treasury, and outstanding
taxes during the year ending Both Novem.
ber 1876, of S414,199 80
This statement demonstrates that the taxes,
and other revenues assessed, and accruing
within the year, were less, by the above sum,
than the demands upon the Treasury during
the same period.
The financial operation of the year, ending
on the goth of November, 1916, also exhi-
bits a like deficiency, but less in amount
Thus,
The balance in the Treasury on the
1st December, 1S45, was $3S4,SS 90
And the estimated amount of
available taxes outstanding
at the same period, was s74,544 so
Making an aggregate amount
of balance in the Treasury,
and outstanding taxes, on
the lSt of December, 1S45,
of 1,249,43O SO
The balance in
the Treasury
on the 1st
Dec, 1916,
was S3s4,679 70
And the estina-
ted amount of
available out
standing taxes,
at the same
period was 542,6ss Ga
Makingan aggre
gate ofthe BAL
ance in the
Treasury,and
outstanding
taxes, on the
1stDecember,
1916, of 927 1867 "a
Showing diminution Of the
balance in the Treasury, and
outstanding taxes during the
fiscal year ending on the
30th November, 1916, of $352, ,063 IS
1t thus appears, that the taxes assessed, and
the other revenues accrulng within the fiscal
year Just ended, were insufficient to meet the
demands upon the Treasury, by the above sum.
1t will be perceived that the balance in the
Treasury on the first of December, 1916, was
greater than was estimated in the last annual
message, and that the amount of the outstanding
taxes has been reduced below the estimate then
made.
As it was apparent that these recurring def
ciencies would soon exhaust the balance in the
Treasury, and all the arrearages of available out
standing taxes, was impelled to urge upon the
General Assembly, at their last session, with so
much earnestness, the Indispensable necessity of
providing some additional revenue, to place the
finances Of the State upon permanent basis
Near the close of the session, an act was passed,
entitled An act to provide for the reduction of
the public debt" which embraces some addition
al objects of taxation and contains provisions for
enforcing, more efectually, the intention of the
act of 1914. 1t was, however, passed at peri
cd OF the session when there was no time for de-
Liberation, and contains some provisions which,
III my estimation, ought to be modified. 1t seems
to me that, an attempt to tax book accounts, and
moneys due on contracts, will only prove vexa-
tous to the citizens and officers, without adding
substantially to the revenue. AS the act of 1916
has not yet had time to produce any practical re-
suits, no certain estimate can be made of the
amount of additional revenue it will produce; but
1t Is believed that this law, together with the in
crease of the value of property, since the last tri
ennlal assessment, will, if the present trennial
assessment is fairly made, enlarge the revenue
derlvable from real and personal estate to an
amount equal to the deficiency that occurred in
the accruing revenue of the last year. The loss
OF tolls, and the additional expenditures upon the
public works, occasioned by the extraordinary
food OF last Spring, is q subject which may be
properly noted here. BY reference to the report
of the Canal Commissioners, it appears that they
have estimated the loss oftolls occasioned by the
delay IN opening the navigation, at the sum of
Sl5O,OO0, and that the cost Of extraordinary re-
pairs, required IN consequence of injuries by the
flood, was $ll1 ,515 making the aggregate loss
to the State, by this unusual casualty, $26l ,5l5.
Ii this disaster had not occurred, the accruing
revenue, exclusive of the balance in the Treasury
on the first of December, 1914, and the taxes
then outstanding, would have been nearly equal
to the demands upon the Treasury during the last
fiscal year.
From the Canal Commissioners Report it ap-
pears that the receipts from Canal and Railroad
tolls, and charges from motive power we're
For the year 1s43, $l,0l7,s41 l2
For the year 1914, l,l67 SOB Az
For the year 1915, 1,l96,979 43
For the year 1916, l,295,49 76
Showing gradual and steady increase, during
the above period. Even last year, ,notwthstand-
ng the delay in opening the navigation, they ex-
;eded those of lS44, by the sum of $S9S,5l5 80.
There is good reason, therefore, to believe, that If
he public works shall continue to be conducted
with the same degree of skill, industry,and integ
-ity,with which they have been managed tor