The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-01-13

lI0 UdlunCc Ill tH0 SldlC Treasury
on the 10th of November, 1868, was
S570,I20, Is; the receipts during the
last fiscal year were S4.7Sl,6 40 !;
making the total amount of available
funds in the Treasury during the year
ending November Is, 1869, S., ,35l 1885,
"a. 5... jaas 3st
The disbursements during the year
have been -$4,9l3,675 10, which sum
has been paid out of the Treasury
from the several funds, as follows:
General RI! e!enue Fund $. .577 221 is
Canal Fund Al 7S3 "a
National Road Fund .............. 22.O69 SO
sinking Fund !3s @ 3S ssS % %
Bank Redemption Fund d.......... % II
Total -. 81, ,s18675 10
Leaving a balance in the Treasury,
November 15, 1859, of S43S, ,O60 IA
The estimates of the Auditor of
State of receipts and expenditures for
the current year, are as follows:
Estimated receipts from all sources,
including balances. IL. ..... 81 7s1 .1A 80
Estimated disbursements for all pur- :.
poses Observation-Disclosures. At, 500 &C
Leaving an estimated balance in
the Treasury, November is, 1870, of S313 ,244 90
= The amonnt of the public funded
debt of the State, November Is, 1868,
was S10,532,675 43. During the last
year the Fund Commissioners have
redeemed of the various loans $780,
093 81, and have invested in loans not
yet due $160,643 SO, leaving the total
debt yet to be provided for $9,855, ,938-
o., -. r-~-
The whole amount of taxes, inclu-
ding delinquencies, collectable under
State laws during the year 1869 was
S2l.006,332 A. The Auditor of State
reports the total amount of taxes, in
cluding delinquencIes, collectable du-
ring tie current year, at So, 2,S10,6 S4
an increase of the taxes of 1870 over
1869 of 81, ,804,353 40. 10 .aBa gsfr
In 1869 there was collected for the
Sinking Fund, to be applied to the
payment Of the principal and interest
of the State debt, the sum of Sl,370-
l0l II. In the present year there will
be collected for the same purpose the
sum of $808,S26 81, or $56l, ,275 81 less
than was collected last year.
a large proportion of the taxes col
lected from tho people are for county,
city, and other local purposes, and do
not pass through the State Treasury,
but are disbursed within the counties
where they are collected. During the
current year the taxes, exclusive of
delinquencies, to be collected for all
State purposes, except for the Com
mon School Fund, amount to $2,542,-
OPS 27, while S18,1S7, 400 80 are to be
collected for local purposes. a-,sfi
The foregoing statements, from the
report of the Auditor of State, show
that the taxation of this year for State
purposes other than for payments on
the principal and interest of the State
debt, exceeds the taxation of last year
for the same purposes by. the sum of
S609,60l 30, and that taxation for
local purposes this year exceeds that
of last year for the same purposes by
81 ,692, 725 38. The local taxes this
year are about A per cent. greater
than they were last year.
The increase of taxation for State
purposes is in part due to the amount
collected for the Asylum Building
Fund, which exceeds the amount re-
quired last year for building purposes
by almost S3O0,000. Making due al
lowance for this, the important fact
remains that both State and local tax
es have largely Increased.
A remedy for this evil can only be
had through the General Assembly.
The most important measures TO pre-
vent this rapid increase of taxation,
which have heretofore been recon-
mended, are a revision of the financial
system of the State in accordance with
bills prepared by a board of commits
sioners appointed for that purpose, in
pursuance of an act passed March lS,
1861: short sessions of the General
Assembly; Adequate fixed salaries
for all State, county and. municipal
officers, without perquisites; and
definite and effectual limitations upon
the power of county commissioners,
city councils and other local authori-
ties, to levy taxes and contract debts.
a The Constitution makes it the duty
of the Legislature to restrict the pow
ers of taxation, borrowing money and
the like, so as to prevent their abuse.
respectfully suggest that the present
laws comforting these powers on local
authorities require extensive modif-
cation in order to comply with this
constitutional provision. Two modes
of limiting these powers have the
sanction of experience. All large ex-
'penditures should meet the approval
of those who are to bear their burden.
Let all extraordinary expenditures,
therefore, be submitted to vote of
the people, and no tax be levied un-
less approved by majority. of all the
voters of the locality. to be affected by
thetax, at q special election-the num-
ber of voters 10 be ascertained by
reference toathe votes cast at the
State election next preceding
such special election. Another
mode is to limit the rate of taxation
which may be levied, and the amount
of debt which, may be incurred. 1t
has been said that with such restric-
tions upon the powers ofloeal author
tiles, the Legislature will be impor-
tuned, and its time wasted in hearing
applications for special legislation.
The ready answer to all such applica-
tions by local authorities, will be to
refer them to their own citizens for a
decision of the question. The facili-
ty with which affirmative votes can be
obtained under The pressure of tenn
popary excitement upon propositions
authorizing Indebtedness, may require
further restriction upon the power to
borrow money. 1t is therefore sug-
gested,, for your consideration, to
limit the amount of debt for a single
porpose, and the total amount for all
purposes, which any local authority
may contract, to a certain percentage
of fhe taxable property of such local
ity,.s,.tr maj ..
The evils here considered are not
new. Fourteen years ago, Governor
Medill, in his annual message, used
the following language, which is as
applicable TO county and municipal
affairs now as it was when it was
written: HThe irresponsible and ex-
travagant system of administration
which prevails in some of our coun-
ties and cities furnishes the principal
cause for the exactions which are so
generally complained Of, There, pub
Ilo contracts are given to favorites,
which occasion the most lavish oex-
peuditures. There, also, we find Off
GERS with incomes which shock all
c0rract idaoe of rul1lic o0mnenSatiOn