Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-01-24

sponded nobly to the calls made upon them
by the Government, and have giver it assis.
tance and support as necessary as that rem
dered by the soldiers in the field. Six humid
red thousand gallant men. Of whom twenty
thousand are from our own State are in arms,
giving their labor, thcir health and their
lives. for the country, and now the call comes
to us who are at home, and we are asked to
give little of our substance to the same
good cause . ...... .. ....r
have caused to be prepared from docu-
ments in the office of the Auditor of State a
table, hereto appended, giving some interest.
ing information touching the taxes paid by
our people. II will perhaps be matter OF
surprise to many that the taxes for the sup
port of the State Government bear so small a
proportion to the entire amount of taxes
paid. 1t appears from this table that the
whole amount of taxes for all purposes for
1861 was 81 roo, 900, and that Of this amount
only 100000 was expended from the State
Treasury for State purposes, while 81 ,40O,-
600 were expended from the several county
lreaSurers tor county and other purposes. !
regard this table as useful, for this among
other reason, viz: that the people have been
lead to believe that the great bulk Of our
taxes was caused 10y the expenditures of the
State Government under appropriations made
by the General Assembly, and they have
been taught to look to reduction Of State
expenses as the means Of relief from taxation,
This table shows clearly and conclusively
that OF every $500 paid by the people OF
the State as taxes, bnt one dollar reaches the
State Treasury or issued for State purposes,
while the other S466 are retained in the
counties and used for county and other pur-
poses. would not desire our people to re-
lax their vigilant supervision Of State eXpen-
scS, but | am of opinion this information
may lead them TO give as vigi'ant supervlS-
ion to the expenditures of their respective
counties where equal vigilance is, in my
Judgment, equally needed. 1t is evident
from an inspection of the table, showing the
amount of taxes paid and the purposes FOR
which paid, that il it be deemed desirable to
decrease our present expenditures by an
amount equal or approXimating TO the amount
OF taxes required by the General Govern
ment, much the greater amount OF such re
duction must be made in the taxes levied
for other than State purposes.
In some particulars the expenses IF the
State may BE- materially less for the next than
for the last two years. The appropriation
of Sl9,500, for the Revised Statutes was
temporary and will not again be required -
The amount appropriated for past indebted
ness Of Ponitentary, 3S, 800 has nearly paid
that Indebtedness, and but nominal sum will
be needed for that purpose. The amount
appropriated for the general support of the
prison has been so well nas,ed that the
amount thereof uncxpended is deemed by
the Warden sufficient for the next two years,
so that the amount Of S35, 900, appropriated
at the last regular session for that purpose
need not be renewed in whole or IN part. OF
the amount of $4,000 appropriated at the
last session for finishing and furnishing the
Centre and East wing of the Insane Asylum,
about $4,000 remain uneXpcudcd. which
balance with 500, 600, now asked for is deem
ed sufficient to complete the whole building.
SO that the appropriation needed for con
Struction account in that inStltution may he
$4,000 less than at the last session. The
RliHd Asylum 1t Ninton is now under cover
and rct Table to injury from the weather,
and if you should deem it advisable not to
make any appropriation for its present com
pletion, $4,000 may be be deducted from
the amount OF the appropriation of the pres
ent session as compared with that OF last
There has been paid curing the last two
years to Agricultural Societies the sum Of
about $4,000. you think it advisable to
withhold any appropriation for this purpose
for the next two years this sum may be saved
The foregoing Gums amounting in the aggre-
gate to Sl76, OG0 are the expenditures for the
objects named for two years, and if withheld
will be saving of $SS.0o0 per annum from
the amount of State taxes. This amount, |
doubt not, may be increased by a careful cx-
animation Of our State expenditures and
strict economy, to $l0o,0OO and il IA pro,
portionate reduction Of county and township
expenses can be made, the entire amount Of
the tax required by the General Government
can be raised without increasing our present
taxation. | commend the matter to your
most earnest and careful examination
In order to make the revenue Of the State
more certain, recommend that the County
Treasurers be required by law to pay the
State Treasurer, at fixed times, certain pro-
portions Of the amount Of revenue due to the
State, until the entire sum for each year is
paid, whether the County TrrasurerS have
received the entire amount Of State tax or
not. AT present the State is wholly help
less as to its revenue. 1t has to depend
wholly upon officers of counties for its col
lection and transmission, and if the county
officers are inefficient, the Statcis remedless.
Each county is now liable by law to the State
for the amount Of State tax assessed in it,
but this liability, without any means of max
ing it practically effective, is useless. ifthe
counties were required to pay the revenue
due the State, whether collected or not, the
County Supervisors would be to stimulated
to require Of the Treasurer strict perform
ance Of his luties and If, in addition, you
Should SO change the present law as to give
County Treasurers, in lieu of salary, per
centum on the amount Of money collected
md disbursed or provide for township col
cctors, to be paid in the same way, our tax
IS would, in my opinion, be more punctually
paid.
also recommend that it be made the duty
,f the Board of Supervisors ofcach county to
employ a competent accountant once in each
year to examine the accounts of each county
,fficer, and state an account between each
,fficer and his county, and between officer
md officer and also that county Treasurer
ind all other persons who receive public
moneys be prohibited, under severe penalties
rom using them IN any way, or placing them
With others to be used for their private bcne-
it.
. The law Of Congress imposing n direct fax