The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1875-01-16

ialtd Gr lhe ocu,mney NJ 0nig mie Nv.
innle, The number c1uilnel IN The
priaon walls dives three C6nVlctA ~ n
r,ll, aud Tie remainder ~ them afo
gn,lIDyed anHide. Additional ar
for The custody ~ copyIctr
are ner essafy, aud the state i not de-
Ihrf, ~ her contract Win The le-seer
from making such arrangements ~
may be deemed best by the legislature.
He recommends the construction al
another penitentlnry, and such changes
In our penal system IA VIII serve mol
only ~ punltory. but refoTmal0ry,. rs.
ppclally US regards the more youthful
offenders, and for this purpose house
OF correction Is recommended.
FINANCIAL.
The account of the treasurer shows on
hand, slSS,04l ~, currency; 81 ,b6O 10,
specie, Of special funds, aud a debit OF
state revenue to special funds OF sl2,-
$40 II.
The report OF the comptroller, shows
the entire public debt Of Texas, up to
January /, 1875, excluding from the
computation about SS00, 900 due to trust
funds of her own creation, the obliga-
tions for which are In the vaults Of her
treasury, to be S4,0l2, 42l q. or this
amount the unbonded or floating debt
Is S976, 1857 81.
: Deducting the amount of the float
ing debt from the total entire debt,
aud the balance, S,O35, 433 80, IL the
amount of the states outstanding
bonded debt. The increase In the pub
lie debt since the report in January,
1874, Is represented by the bonds and
certificates granted to the revolution
ary veterans of Texas, by act of April,
1874, amounting to $685., 1889, and . few
thousand dollars OF miscellaneous in
debtedness. The remainder was in-
Cured before January, 1874, and IL due
to school. teachers and others for ser
vices in 1874. The estimated deicien-
cies for the present fiscal year are,
S332,574. To this must be added tire
expense of the present session of the
legislature, aud that Of the anticipated
constitutional convention.
TAXATION.
The net proceeds Of the taxes for
1875, after deducting all cost Of collec-
ton, the usual per cent for Delinquent
cy, and one-fourth belonging to tne
school fund, are estimated at 81 ,2S9, 34S,
being an excess over estimated expendi-
lures of $2lO,O53, and when the esti-
mate for expenditures Is properly re-
duced, the estimated receipts will ex-
coed ut least S3O0.OOO, and probably
more. The estimates for cost OF COM
mon schools for the same years are
1857 $50; and of receipts for available
school funds, are $7l5,129 70, being an
excess over anticipated expenditures
of S147,570 10. These estimates are
based OH certain and reliable data, and
will unquestionably be verified. The
.entire value Of taxable property in
Texas, as actually assessed for 1872,
was 500, 1920, $50 for 1873, was 1923
4lO, $40, and for 1874, was $24l ,S4l $3.50,
and the amount for 1875 Is estimated
at S275, OOO, 900, and upon this estimate
is based the figures given for the tax
receipts of that year. If the tax law il
amended in accordance witt sugges'
lions that will be made, it 10 believed
that the next assessment will not fall
short of $500, 1000
THE TAX LAW.
Attention IL called to the many de-
fects in the tax law. Taxation should
| be equal and uniform, but under this
law il il believed that two.thirds OF
the property Of Texas pays all the ex.
penses of the government, the other
third contributing nothing. Those
who pay the taxes, are citizens whose
property is in sight, who produce, who
cultivate the soil, and improve real es-
tate in the towns and cities, and create
the wealth of the country. One OF
these rarely escapes taxation. A large
proportion Of the personal property.
money, bonds, bills, notes, stocks and
other valuables ia the state, and Ofthe
assets of banks, banking concerns
trust, insurance and other companies
and corporations, not visible to the as.
SCISSOR, Is never assessed and pays moth
ing. A vast amount of real estate,
chiefly unimproved, also escapes tax
alton.
lam informed by the comptroller that
no tax is being paid on about 81, O0O,OOl
acSes of patented land this amount he
knows OF, how much more he cannot
tell. The fundamental error In the
present tax law is in the provision fol
assessment. There are five assessors
for each county, and they are paid five
per cent. for their services until their
fees reach respectively 81 200, and after
that they get nothing. The fees will
not pay competent men to take hold
of the business and make thorough as.
sessments, and besides after each one
has assessed $40, 900 worth OF property,
his fees amount to 81 900, and although
he might assess one million dollars
worth after that he receives not one
cent for it j; all inducement save the
the satisfaction which Is found in q
conscientious discharge of duty, is
taken away for doing additional work.
PUBLIC DEBT INTEREST.
The interest on the public debt of the
state has been paid promptly, war
rants are being generally paid on pre-
sentatiOn and readily command nine
ty-eight cents on the dollar.
sPECUIATING sHERIFFs.
/ call to your attention the practice
which prevailed extensively twelve
months ago, and which have good
reason to believe, still exists to some
extent, for some sheritfs to keep out
of the treasury money collected from
the people for support of the govern.
ment, and in collision with other par
ties, to use it for purposes of private
speculation to the detriment of the
public interest. Public money has
been used repeatedly to buy up treas
ury warrants at o discount, when II
that very money were in the treasury,
as 1t ought 10 be, these same treasury
warrants would be cashed at the treas
ury counter, instead Of the holders be-
ing compelled to sell them at dis
count. These officers, who thus abuse
their trust, and their confederates who
furnish the facilities for the operation,
and share the spoils, are guilty Of a
fraud against the state, her revenues
and her creditors. / ask that your
honorable bodies put on the statute
book stringent enactment, which
shall brand these transactions with the
stigma which should be affixed to
them. and put upon all parties con.
cerned in them, such penalties as will
protect the state and people against
their depredations in future.
A number of minor matters are re-
forred 70 hint tho ahova embraces the