Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-01-23

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connection it is also a cause of pride
and congratulation to the citizens of
| Iowa that the finances Of the state,
| as shown by the reports of the Au
ditor and Treasurer, are in most
favorable condition, and promise to
supply every necessary demand up
Oh the Treasury without embarrass-
ment to the people or recourse to
other measures for an increase of
revenue.
FINANCES.
The report of the Auditor Of State
shows that during the fiscal term
there was paid into the general rev.
enue fund OF the State, the sum of
S2,l29,577 81; and there was dis
bursed theretrom the sum of $780,
10000; the expenditures thus ex-
ceeding the receipts s50,523.lS,
which amount deducted from the
balance on hand, November 9th,
1871, viz: SS1,740.s4. leaves $751;
2l7.66 in the Treasury to the credit
Of the general revenue at the end of
the term. The total balance on
hand of all funds was S57,22S.04.
Last winter, for the first time in sew
raj years, the Treasurer of State was
compelled to indorse warrants for
want Of funds, and before the mon
eys ill the Treasury allowed oftheir
being called in, which was done as
soon as practicable, interest had ac-
crued to the amount Of s2,sO7.65,
which has since been paid.
Special appropriations should be
draaon as assual.-Attention is invi
ted to the paragraph in the Audi
tors report recommending that in
special appropriations designed for
enterprises extending over the bien-
NAL period, provision be inserted
preventing more than onc-half ofthe
money from being drawn the first
year. The reasons given for this
restriction are clear and unanswer-
able, and l not only indorse them
but my judgment would lead me to
go step farther, and to say that
the money in such cases should be
drawn on vouchers, as necessary
forkuse in the purpose to which it
is applied, and that not more than
| onc-half should be drawn the first
year. Such provision in our law
in the past would have saved nearly
if not quite all the interest paid on
| warrants during the last fiscal year.
Estimated receipts and eapendi-
tures.-The Auditor estimates the
| receipts of State revenue in the next
two years at $l,973,s0O, and the ex-
penditures now provided for by law
at 81, 900; which will leave a
surplus of $499,8OO to be applied to
such special purpose rs the General
Assembly may deem wise. In this
connection l would heartily indorse
his recommendations respecting re-
forms in the collection of State rev.
enue. do this the more confident
ly and emphatically because his for
MGR suggestions respecting the man
agement Of the school fund were Il
foundation for legislation which alb
soluteiy wrought revolutionin the
treatment of this important trust, to
a considerable degree indemnify
ing the blunders Of the past, and Sc
curing the future from the possibil-
ity of their recurrence. In addition
to his recommendations in refer
encc to changes in the management
Of the revenue, l will suggest
whether it would not be well to col
lect the taxes semi-annually instead
of annually as now required by law.
This would not only. benefit the tax
payer by relieving him from the ne
ccssity of raising all the money at a
single payment, but would leave
one-hali the amount of his taxes in
his own hands for use six months
in each year, whereas otherwise it
would remain idle and non-produc-
tive in the Treasury. Governor
Chase suggested this reform to the
Ohio Legislature during the strin-
gency for money following the finan-
cial crisis Of 1857, and It has been
found to work so admirably that
the practice has been continued.
Xoao tile money goes.-Thc inter-
esting tables upon taxation, compil-
ed by the Auditor; show that there
was levied in the State for all pur-
poses Except the municipal taxes
in few cities incorporated under
special charters), in 1871, the sum
of $l1,267,5 ,562.l3, or 1923 per cent
OF the valuation, and in 1872, SlO,-
7ll,925.49, or 2.94 per cent. OF
these amounts less than one-thir-
tcenth, or, to be exact, $l,6o6, 49,
"a, was for State purposes. These
are suggestive tables, and worthy
of consideration by representatives
of the people. They indicate with
tolcrablc clearness "where the mon
ey goes," and prove that taxation is
largcly-almost entirely-local and
self-imposed; and that, when it be-