The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1875-01-16

1921 iHnfHFtH ~ fINHfinn iiHWHff
8n thls impoverished propie. We wil
cIte these pfftiau 8f' tisiiiet
IN fs5J fha STATE lavy 49, ~
eens on fbe hundred dpilifs ~ a..
apessad etIra n lands.
FIf tho year 1911 II was rrur
fimss NJ grcaf fr the year 1913
h was twclvs and half tima' ~
great. ~ fhs gear 1914 it was
i1nffeH fuoa w. great o. II we Nv
1869 Tho tnS levy nj 1874 was th-
ltrgotf State tex ever lcvled In MIs
/ .''ipd. and 10 day the people are
p1Oref thsn ever before.
/ II ia tfue that npw, becluse of d/
minished property and depressed val.
ues, tho percentage of TAXATION must
be incrcgstcd to the amount Ot fcvo-
nue. levied in former times bat what
VIC complain Of u that the aggregate
amount Of taxes levied 90 ~, in our
poverty, greatly exceeds the AMOUNT
leyitd IN prosperous days. The
crormity Of this great increase in the
percentage, will become more PLAIN,
il we consider the fact that our press
cnt assessments very greatly exceed
the market values OF the property as.
se.sed.
Thus az the people become poorer
are their -hurlhcns increased
In many cases the increase in the
county levies, in the same period, has
been sill greater.
But this is not all. A careful esS
,imate shows that during those years
OF increasing and most extravagant
tax levies, the public debt was in
creased on an average annual Y over
$664 000-a sum of itself sniiicen
to deray the entire expenses of the
government economically admins
tered That is, the State spent on an
average this large sum each year,
over and above the amount collected
on those mOnstrous tax levies ! What
may be the excess for the year 1874
is not revealed. All that we know
is, that many Of the very large APPS |
preparations for the year were some.
tine since exhausted.
The like extraordinary results
have followed the operations of the
Boards Of Supervisors, at least in
many of the counties. Whether
these facts prove a lack OF economy
in administration, or are TO he re-
garded as sad proofs of the rapid cx.
of the means of the people,
md their consequent inability to pay,
they are painful to contemplate.
Tho present year has been most
lisastrous to all engaged in agricul-
ure, and consequently to all other
pursuits. Hall The crops raised in the
State this year we're sold at present
market value. the proceeds of the
,aIes thereof would rot, rs many es-
innate, pay the cost of production
md the taxes. In many counties the
.esull was still more disastrous. the
,rops being on almost totel failure.
Z is a sad truth that in some parts
# the State many Of our people are
beginning to suffer for want of food,
md very many more are restricted in
heir poverty to very few of the nec-
ssa-ies of life. These Affections fall
eaviest at present on the verv large
lass of our poor citizens but all
lasses suffer more or less from this
ommon calamity, and the year Of
heir probation Of want and suffering
) but just begun.
We ask the earnest attention OF
our honorable body to the following :
in which by proper legi,> ,
,tion very large sums may be saved. !
The Public Printing. by the gross
ess of its excuses, amounts to pub {
C robbery. We submit that such is
he practical result, whatever NAV be
he motive on which the extraordna-
v system is tolerated. Let examples :
e cited in evidence.
For the five years next preceding q
he first OF Jannary, 1861, the aver I
ye cost of printing for the State did i
OF exceed $4,000 per annum.
For the five years commencing with :
he fiscal year 1870. the average cost )
the printing for the State has ex-
,eded $4,000 each year, being an
verage excess each year on the I
'rmer OF S65,000. q