The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-01-21

be deducted from the amount of the ap'
propl iation of the present session as com
pared with that of the last. There has
been paid during the last two years tc
Agricultural Societies the sum of $4,000
If you think it advisable to withhold
any appropriation for this purpose for the
next two years this sum may be saved
The foregoing sums amounting in the
aggregate to $4,000 are the expendi.
lures for the objects named for two
years, and fwithheld will be saving oi
1888, 900 per annum from the amount Of
state taxes. This amount, doubt not,
may be increased by a careful examina.
ton of our State expenditures, and strict
economy, to $4,000, and if proper
tionate reduction of county and township
expenses can be made, the entire amount
Of the tax required by the General Gov
ernment can be raised without increas-
ing 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 proportions of the amount ol
revenue due to the State, until the entire
sum ior each year is paid, whether the
County Treasurer have received the en-
tire amount of State tax or not. AT
present the State is wholly helpless as to
its revenue 1t has to depend wholly
upon the officers for its collection and
transmission, and if the county officers
are inefficient, the State is remediless
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 making it practically effective,
is useless. II the counties were requir-
ed to pay the revenue due the State,
whether collected or not, the county
Supervisors would be stimulated to re-
quire of the Treasurer a strict perform
ance of his duties; 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 and disbursed, or pro-
vide for township collectors, to be paid
in the same way, our taxes would, in my
opinion, be more punctually paid.
| also recommend that it may be made
the duty of the Board Of Supervisors OF
each county TO employ competent ac
counlant once in each year 10 examine the
accounts of each county officer. and stri Ike
an account between each officer and bis
county, and between officer and officer,
and also that county Treasurers aud all
other persons who receive public moneys
be prohibited, under severe penalties,
from using them in any way, or placing
them with others to be used for their
private benefit.
The law of Congress imposing direct
tax for the support of the General Gov
ernment gives 10 any State the privilege
Of collecting the amount of tax assessed
upon its people, and allows such State to
retain fifteen per cent. of the amount, on
condition the State shall assume the pay
ment OF the balance of the tax. There
upon arises the important question
What shall the State do in the premises
Ii must be remembered that il the State
assumes the tax, the entire amount less
fifteen per cent, must be paid by the
State, whether the State collects the tax
or not Keeping this in recollection, lei
us ascertain rs nearly as may be our
precise position This State has expend
ed for the General Government about
$780, 900 and has been repaid the sum
Of $4,000. The Stale has sold hel
bonds TO the amount Of about 100000
The proceeds of said sale, Sl84, 900, and
the 100000 received from the General
Government have been applied 10 paying
the expenses incurred by The State, leay
ing unpaid and due wholly. | believe, tc
our own people, about $4,000 for
which they hold, or can receive warrant:
drawn on the War and Defense Fund
If the amount expended by the State
which is to be reimbursed by the Genera
Government, be S450,00U there is now
due the State 1870, 900, and If the FEEDER
al tax should be S650,0oo, aud the State
should assume ii. there would be due th,
General Government the sum of S182,
500 being the entire amount of the tax
less the amount now due the State, ant
the fifteen per cent, for assumption anc
collection which must be assessed upor
and paid by our people.
But we must provide also for the pay
ment of the amount due our own citizens
This must be done by assessing th,
amount as a tax, and by either actual
collecting the money and paying il 10 tn,
holders of the warrants 10 surrender
them TO the Auditor, and TO receive it
lieu of them other warrants of tn
amount of five dollars each, which shal
be receivable in payment of the FEEDERS
Tax. These warrants being of small
amounts, and being all receivable durin
the present year for taxes, would be near
/ ly or quite at par, and would be niue
more valuable TO the holders than tn
present ones. Should this course
/ deemed advisable, il will be necessary
in order 10 me the demand made upol
Us by the Federal Government, to levy
tax Of about 1868, 500, Of which Sl82.
500 must be collected in money, an
/ $4,000 may be paid IN the warrant
outstanding against the War aud Defens
Fund. Our State debt will have bee
. l.. SDaA nAn IL