The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-01-30
ONO FINANCES.

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The report of the last fiscal year
of State Auditor Williams is a well
ARRANGED, comprehensive and impor-
tant document. Its exhibit of the
public deot, and general finances Of
the State, of which a synopsis was gia
ven in the message of Governor
Noyes, is clearly and suecintly made.
Among its leading facts are these:
Total funded debt, $S,211.O62 To-
reduction of the debt the past year,
$372,4S4 q; receipts from all sour
ces during the year, including baIan-
ces, $6,8l4,3I7 so; disbursements
for the same period, s6,6s4,7S1 OS.
Total taxes on the grand duplicate
for local purposes $2O,653, ,493 9S;
total for state purposes, 5,477, ,859
"a. Grand total of taxes for all pur-
poses, including delinquencies, $685.
474, ,459 SO. Total taxable valuation
of property on the duplicate in 1872,
ISL, ,524, 1928, l4S; in 1873, $1,567, ,274,-
$50; increase during the year, most
ly in personal property, nearly $43,-
100000. The taxable valuation of
property not in cities and towns, has
decreased during the year $6l3,0I3.
This apparent depreciation is attrib-
uted by Mr.. Williams to the ineorpo-
ration of lands into cities and villa.
ges, by additions, and the apparent
increase he believes is also largely
due to the increased efficiency of the
county auditors and the assessors in
seeking out property for taxation
There can be no doubt, however, that
there has been large actual increase
of property in the State during the
year.
A new feature of the report is a
tabular statement of the debts of
counties, townships, cities, villages,
and separate school districts, show
| ing the aggregate amount of such
debts to be$2O,O3S, 1882 AN increase
over last year of 81, ,442,575 05. The
net debts of cities, including their
school debts, amount to SIS, ,188O,95,
90, or seventy-fye per cent. Of the
local indebtedness of the State. OF
this amount. the debis of Cincinnati,
Cleveland and Toledo, aggregate $40,
275, $40 p, or sixty-seVen per cent.
of all the debts of cities.
On the subject of local taxation, the
Auditor observes that notWithstand-
ing the increase OF sixteenths of a
mill on the dollar for the current
year, the States proportion of the ag-
Igregate tax is only one-ffth. The
truth about the matter is that the
load of taxation is local; eighty per
cent of the whole tax, in addition to
1.-THE special taxes not upon the dupli-
Icate, is purely local. Mr.. Williams
adds that is no unusual thing for
1.-THE county town or village, to rival
the largest cities in the State in the
rate of the tax levy; for example, in
the village of st. Mary's, Auglaize
Icounty, the rate is higher than in Ell
Ither Cincinnati, Cleveland or Colum-
bus, and the State tax is only about
one eighth of the smount paid in said
town."
These observations, together with
the figures above given, furnishing
sufficient proof that the one great
financial need of the state is some
better system and more effective re-
straint in the levy of local taxes.
THE trouble with the present ar
Irangement appears to be a want OF
proper responsibility and informa-
tion, the General Assembly usually
granting whatever local levies are
asked for, on mere request, without 8
particle of Investigation as to their
usefulness or necessity. This crying
Ievil of special legislation has been
Iswept away in Pennsylvania by the
now Constitution of that State, and it
lis high time we were rid of it in Ohio.
The proper function Of the General
Assembly in the matter of local tax
ation is to fix its maximum limit, all
further power over the subject being
relegated as directly as possible to
those who foot the bills.
Another new feature of the report
is a summary of all the grand dupli.
cations from 1900 to 1873, inclusive,
together with a statement of the rates
of taxation for all property on the
Implications of each city, village,
township, and special school district
of the State. If we might suggest
any addition to the Auditors excel
Ilent exhibit Of the State finances, it
would be the extension of this sum-
mary so as 20 include a tsbulation
showing the aggregate State debt
and rate of State taxation for each
year during abe same period. We
might see at a glance the fuctura-
tion in the rate of taxation and a.
mount of the debt since the organi-
xation Of the State, without hunting
for it through a long series ofreports,
as it is now necessary.-State Jour
lnnl.