The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1880-07-23
THE COusTY INDEBTEDNESS.

payer, on the subject OF County FL
nances," is printed in another column.
Il conveys the idea that an article
which appeared on the same subject in
the SILVER STATE of last Tuesday, was
not exactly in accordance with the
facts. Taxpayer collates his state
nent Of the county debt, from January,
1872, to January, 1880, from the Au
ditor's reports, and there is no mistake
in his figures Now, let us. see if the
facts warrant his conclusion, that the
debt has been steadily decreasing since
1878. In l874 the Courthouse was
completed, and the debt increased from
S6,66l 70 TO. $65, 500 Il. During the
years 1857 the debt increased to
$4,000. In 1878 it was reduced to
ST 1872 Sc, and on the 5th of January,
1880, the Auditors report showed it to
be $74, 1857 rs. This report, however,
did not include claims against the
county which had accrued i'll the last
quarter Of 1879, and which amounted
to 50. 1853 SO, as appears from the re-
port Of the County Commissioners for
the January term of 1880, making the
indebtedness at that time $84, 4l0 SO,
instead Of $74,657 Is, as appears in the
Auditors report.
Again, Taxpayer says: Gin the
matter of increased valuation of prop
erty, last year the taxation did not
amount to as much, perhaps, as was sup
posed, from the fact that the rate of
taxation. was decreased little from
that Of the year before"
The Assessment Roll for 1878 shows
the amount of taxes for that year for
county purposes to have been $40,-
$40 q. and the Assessment Roll for
1879 shows the amount for that year
to have been $50, Sal 46, an increase
for the year Of Sl2, Up %. This, it
should be observed, is exclusive of the
States. proportion of the taxes for both
years In july. 1873, the debt was.
SS7, 709 So; in July, 1879, Sl0l 1897 IL;
in July, 1880, SlOO.667 10, or s72O 81
less than, it was last year, and $l2,-
958 63 more than in 1878. Consider.
ing the fact that the revenue from tax
alton for county purposes in 1879 was
$42,7l2 % more than. the revenue
from the same source in 1878, and that
the county indebtedness is now over
$i2 900 more than. in 1878, it will
hardly be disputed that the expenses
of the county government are increas-
ing, and that the debt cannot be ma.
terially, reduced without increasing tax
,ssion while the expenditures are so,
heavy, until the resources of the county
are more thoroughly developed. The
fact that county scrip. is higher now
than it was when the debt was less,
only proves, what was stated in these
columns several months ago, that there
is plenty of money, but moneyed men,
owing perhaps to the dull times which
prevail all over the coast, prefer good
securities, like county scrip, at low
rate Of interest, to more risky invest
nents at far higher rate, L. should
bs borne in mind, however, that $52,-
coo of the county debt could not be
cancelled to-day, except at the option
OF the bondholders, if the money for
that purpose was in the Treasury. The
Assessor informs us that the tax
able property will not fall much, if
any, below what it was last year.
When the taxes are collected this Fall
several thousand dollars of the floating
Indebtedness will be paid, and it is
possible, though not probable, that the
January statement of the Auditor may
SHOW slight reduction Of the debt.
However that may be, Humboldt coun-
ty is, perhaps, as prosperous as any
county in the State. The growing
crops in the agricultural valleys are
represented as being above the average,
and the mining interest, though de-
pressed in consequence of the decline
III Comstock stocks, is liable at any
4 ala To falSc q kI,rn fo,c tho LnLA.. III