St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-10-22
State Revenues.
IN. o. DemOcrat.l

Facts present an eloquent commen-
tary upon the financial, policy of this
| State.
In 1880 the Legislature passed the
revenue bill on the 10th of April. After
that the books, blanks, assessment rolls,
| etc, had to be printed and the work
OF assessment set on foot. AS conSe-
quence, the tax collectors did not re-
ceive their rolls and begin operation
until September or October, and the
only revenues received at the treasury
during the year were the collections
of the months Of October and Novem-
Der made by the two city collectors. 1t
was not until January, 1881, that the col
lectlons for the previous year began to
be paid into the treasury. Here was a
case where the State government ac-
tually existed one year without any
revenue, and it is not improbable that
it would continue to exist for the four
early months OF 1882, prior to the as
sembling of the Legislature. In 1881,
up to the LIST day of August, the amount
OF taxes paid into the treasury for the
account of the general fund was 81 81,
and hence it is evident that if the re-
venue legislation now in force as to
1880 and 1881 had been extended to in
clude 1882, no funds for the expenses Of
that year would reach the treasury
before the time fixed for the assembling
OF the legislature, to-Wit: May, 1882.
1t has been a defect in the financial
legislation OF the State that while the
expenses begin to accrue ON the 1st of
January Id each year, the State does
not finish her assessment rolls before
the month Of April or May, and does
not enforce the payment of taxes until
the 1st of December. Her bills paya-
BILE, in the shape of warrants, are put
upon the market on the first Of each
month after the 31st of January, yet no
steps are taken to collect her bills re-
ceivable, in the shape of taxes, until
ten months after her obligations have
began to issue. Is it any wonder that
the credit of the State suffers under
the operation of such system
Is it any wonder that each year
the commonwealth sinks deeper
into the slough of insolvency,
and that the discrepancy between the
expenses and the actual revenue widens
with the fight Of time!
The remedy for this unhappy condi-
tion Of things lies in system which
will insure the making out OF the as
sessments at the end Of each year, and
w HlCu W liI IudhC litACS CA1SIUlC OL GuC
1st of January. Penalties should be
enforced after the 1st Of May, and from
that time forward vigorous collection
Of the taxes should be prosecuted. The
Legislature of 1882, besides doing this,
ought to pass new license bill, which
will yield the treasury at least 100000,
instead of the miserable pittance now
secured. 1t is our deliberate conviction
that the poor man, having but little
and that generally in one place and in
the form of visible property, is assessed
up to the full value of his possessions;
but the rich man, through his influence,
the diversifcation of his interests and
the facilities he has for concealment,
escapes the burden which, by every
consideration Of justice and propriety,
fall upon him.
Verify, the most imminent and urgent
need of Louisiana is a revenue law
which shall be wisely and equitably
framed and impartially enforced. We
have not such law at present, and in
its absence every public interest Ian
guishes, every public obligation is neg
lected.