The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-03-07

THE EXTRA SEOSlONs
The Governors latest proclamation
has been pretty generally circulated
thanks to the newspapers. His sugges-
tions regarding timely subjects for leg
islation are now being discussed7and
criticised. The comments of the papers
are varied and at times amusing. Some
Of them accept the proclamation as a
whole, evidently regarding the sugses-
tions as wise and practical, simply be-
cause they come from the old alcalde.
! Others, more thoughtful, are disposed
! to cnticise and consider One paper,
! the Fort Worth Democrat, whose editor
is a memb9r of the legislature, ihus COM
ments:
The governor asks for appropriations for
supplying water and making other necessary
improvements to the lunstic asylum, and other
public buildings at the seat OF government. -
Large appropriations We're adr at the regular
session fo- these purposes, and tn ~ were made
for two years. The same is true of the peniten
t!ary, the agricultural and mechanical college
and normal schools. 1t would not be wise In
our judgment TO open the doors for apprOpris-
tions that should have been made at the regular
session. If the legislature failed in the full
discharge OF its duty let it bear the blame ana
20 before the people with its short comings
These ere certainly pertinent consid-
erations and the Fort Worth editor will
doubtless take care to emphasize them
when he gets to Austin. 1t is true there
is plenty of money in the treasury, but
if sufficient appropriations have already
been made for the purposes above
specified the legislature will surely hest
tate to spend more money thereon,
merely because the state has a large
surplus fund. But perhaps the most
problematical of the Governors sug-
gestions is that with reference to taxa
tion, which We quote from the proclama-
ton:
Tenth-To reduce the taxes, both adralorem
and occupation, so far as 1t may be found con-
sistent with the support of an efficient state
government.
a general and sweeping reduction of
occupation taxes appears feasible
enough; and belieying, as We do. that
such taxes are in many respects di-pro-
portionate alike to the needs of the
state and the ability of taxpayers, we
Ire induced to hope that a thorough
'evision viii be instituted With ad
7alorem taxes, however, the problem
S not SO easy Of solution. Under the
constitution the rate of county taxation
9 absolutely dependent upon that of
he state. If the two systems of taxa ,
ion, state and county, are divorced it
must be done by a constitutional
mendment An extra session cannot
ropose and submit constitutional
If we assume, for argu- :,
lents sake, that the Governor proposes t
reduction of the state rate, say from t
'rty to thirty or twenty-five cents, t,
e at the same time assume that h
g is either ignorant of or ii
different to the needs of the counties, G
hich cannot levy more than One-half n
the current state rate Many of the u
'unties are struggling along as it is, $
I'd with IA further reduction of the state n
tc they must either go in debt or be Il
n on parsimonious scale that impails u
e efficiency of their governments, The Il
lemma Is inevitable until the constitu- 10
)nal article on taxation is changed, IN
hich cannot he done until the latter ~
irt of next year. On these accounts ic
{ are not prepared to believe that Gov iy
nor Roberts will recommend, at this -
sion, "A reduction of the ad valorem al
X. If he should, there are numbers Of 81
'untes, materially interested in the T.
after, that must in self-defense pro- in
At. The occupation faxes, however, m
esent favorable fell for action, and III, ia
Is to be hoped the field will be occu- m
I'd, for occupation taxes are unneces- nj
lily high. ."