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

INDEPENDENC-
their ordinary revenue Yet the en-
tire receipts Of "insane dues" at the
Treasury from the counties amount
to only $226,25O.l2. 1t is evident
that taxes have in many cases been
levied ostensibly. for the support Of
the insane, but really for other pur
poses. One county for instance
levied nearly $4,000 for this pur
pose, yet the entire charge upon the
county for the care Of it's insane, in
cludipg amount due in 1871, as am
informed by the Auditor of State
was less tnan s3,lOO, and it Still
owes the State on this account 5000
Another levied over $4,000 to mee
obligations amounting to some $3.50
a third over $4,000 to pay $3.50; and
a fourth imposed taxes amounting
to 81 mills in the two years to pay
a little over $500 of insane dues
On the other hand, Linn county
finds levy of mills sufficient tol
county, poor and insane funds
That the excessive amounts are di
verted to ordinary county purposes
is well understood, yet it is clearl,
unlawful, and should not be tolera
ted. If it be found that the maxi
mum county levy is too small fol
the ordinary expenses ofthe county
let it be increased as much as may
be needed; but there should be ne
taxes levied under fraudulent grab:
and especially when such wrong
doings mock the States liberality
and pollutes her great charities
The proper remedy to be applied
leave to the wisdom of the Genera
Assembly, with the remark, howev
er, that maximum levy for this
purpose of half a mill is more thar
ample for the support of both hospi
tails.
TREAsURER's REPORT.
The report of the Treasurer Of
State is placed before you. Itgives
in a compact form the receipts and
! disbursements during the bienniun
closing November lst, 1873, and
shows clearly, and by well classi
fed arrangements, the condition OF
each fund at that date. A sligh,
discrepancy will be seen between il
and the Auditors report in the re
ccipts and disbursements Of the
general revenue. This occurred
from n balance found due the State
from BIackhawk county. by the ad
iustment of an old swamp land
claim, which the Auditor secured
during the last year in Office of the
predecessor of the present Treasu
rer. BY mistake this had been cred
tied to the wrong fund. 1t, howev
cr, may be easily transferred, and
even now does not affect the gener.
al balance, which will will be found
to compare.
PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND.
The amount Of permanent school,
fund is put by the auditor at s3,294,'
742S3-an increase since 1871 OF
Sl33,250.S2. The state holds $243,
O56.l5 of this fund, on which it pays
interest at the rate of eight per
cent. per annum. Under the law Of
1872 the funds in the custody
of the counties will hereafter pay
the same rate, the state looking tC
the counties only for the interest
and leaying to the latter the whole
matter of collection, for which they
will receive Que fifth the interest, in
Guiding what may be found uncol.
lectable. This look upon as one
of the most salutary changes made
for years in the management ofthis
fund.
During the past two years | have
sold Of the Eads lands 80 acres il
Jackson county for $4,000; and
some city lots in Keokuk and Des
Moines for s2,35O.
| THE CENSUS.
The twelfth State census, takel
last spring, and compiled by the
Secretary of State in pamphle
with much other useful information
is before you. 1t shows q popula
ton of l,25l ,333-an increase since
1869, when the eleventh State
census was taken, Of 2lO,5l4, but Of
only 1913 over the footings o.
the Federal enumeration Cf 1870
The latter meager increase has led
many to suppose the State census
entirely unreliable. A comparison
however, Of this and the previous
enumerations taken by the asses
sors, with the returns Of the schoo
population, as ascertained by tht
district secretaries, shows sucl
uniform proportions between the
two classes of enumerations as to
inspire confidence in the substan
tial correctness of the State census
Tried by similar test, the fedora
enumeration shows dispropor
tlonately large aggregate, as com
pared with the school population
That there was such dispropor
ton is probably true to some ex
tent. The construction of railroads
so actively prosecuted in 1870
brought among US its attendant pop
ulation composed largely Of ,mcr
without families, whose numbers
would help to swell the aggregat.
of population, while their presence
would be scarcely observable in the
school census. This will doubtless
account for part of the dispropor
ton; the remainder would seem t.
be excessive enumeration. The
difference III the modes adopted by
the Federal and State governments
respectively, for taking the census
| cannot but think favorably to thu
greater accuracy of the latter. The
enumeration Of every township
town and city, by local officer res
ident therein, who is often person
ally acquainted with much tn.
greater part of the population, es
pecially in the rural districts, is GER
tainly more likely to be accurate
than one taken by an official whose
| ranpa Of 6utv covarS several town