The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-01-10


considered. Il s9sras ne pissnrs - sa@ply
with your request and answer yoar inquiries
upoa The subject q laxatiaa You d.sizs ~
know the causes thai apers,sd ~ lacreuss ne
taxes during The last session q shs LeEizlz1nre
and how loag ssch Incss.ss wi cmsiaur.
In order 10 secure proper apprscizlioa and
understanding II he questioa. q b nses.nzy 10
| 20 back 70 January, 1871, whea the pr@zi ~
lifIcal organisation sssamed coairu e ~ sale
Government At thai time the State NJ Wm
over twelve miIl& TIE Legislature w@ DESTROYS
Of reducing The same, bat differences q opisioa
existed a 70 the proper redncfion % b. made,
and that body adjourned lsaving the law - hey
found H. In October Of lh2i year. 00venoT
Drew, asceFtaining that rsdncti1n cSuld be
made, directed The collector, through The Comp
trolIer TO collect ten mills In place Of ihe twelvs
and fraction authorized By law. In August
1874 he directed furthsr rsducEioa q one NIL.
and the collectors were directed 10 c0lleci nine
nails for that year. Thus The matter stood. with
nlnemill lax, when The Legislature ausemblsd
In January, 1879.
The question Of Q reduction Of taxes again &C
cupied The attention Of thai body. Governor
The COMMITTEES the necessity Of having eight miIlH
and requested them not 10 60 below that figure
II they desired the State kept upon . cash basis
and the interest upon the public debt punctnnlly
met. They thought, however. that by suspend
ing the sinking fund tax for two years, seven
mills would he sufficient 70 carry tlse State
through on o cash basiA Hence = seven-min
tax was passed and The sinking fund tax sus-
pended for two yean- This was the rate assessed
and collected for the years 1873 and 1850.
When the Legislature mel In January. 1881.
and entered upon the discharge Of The duties Of
Governor, we fSund. notwithstanding the mosl
rigid economy, that The Stale Was behind over
one hundred thousand d0llan The de6csenci@
for 1880 and previous years. which had 70 be
met amounted to 81. eS5 -1s-tsee acts Of 1881,
Chapter Gas -hoaIing debs. e5Ss625; juror
and witnesses certificates outstanding, IS ISL
g.; interest on bonded deba due January 1st,
1881, e53, 5000; salaries Cor the last quarter Of
1880, 41S,0e800; making . total Of s182 go ~
thai was due. with only &29. o6sl Is in the treas
Dry 10 meet the same In other words. aflsr iry
ing O seven-miIl tax for two yearz ssstk 1ls SAX
f,g find suspended, the State was un1bls By
1t may be said that ne have had the taxes Of
1880 10 apply 70 the expenses Of 1881. buI every
one familiar with the practical 6n4nciAl Opera
tons Of the government Tor yean knows fhai
the expenses at each curFenl year are rr4Ily mel
with the occupati0nal taxes Of than year and the
property taxes OF the preceding year; and mar.-
over IL win be remembered thai he Legislature
was In session In 1881 and in expenses hid 10 be
and were met out Of the taxe Of the previous year
Are we surprised, then, that Governor Drew On
January s, 1881. the day before he left the Exec
utive once, addressed the following emphatic
language 70 the Legislature:
These deficiencies were anticipated and he
necessity OF increasing the assessmeuf urged
upon the last Legislature, bat they faled 10 czTy
out the suggestions then made, and 30 tl1B inct,
N well as Go the increased demand The several
appropriation u due the scarcity Of funds IN the
treasury. In private interviews win promineni
members Of the last Legislature / urged fhe Ex-
ing Of . sliding scale rate Of TAXATION upon the
ground that II the assessment was increassd
largely, as anticipated the rate could Be dimin
ished; or if IL failed 20 be increased as much -
expected q rate higher enough ~ raise suElcieni
money 10 meet the interest and pay al appropri-
atoms could be Gxed. But this they failed 10 dn,
and fixed the rate n seven mills, expecting the
assessment 90 run MP 20 So 900 900 Or A4000e.-
600; bal instead Of this II reached only So 80
2o9, rendering Il absolutely Necessary Tor myself
and Cabinet In order Ia maintain he credit and
keep The State nc . cash hmaia. 30 borrow m cur
own responsibility enough money IN pau %
meet the interest On the State bonds fsr January,
1880, and for the interest, $50 "a On the mmuunt
borrowed, which win require an appruprials1n-
ii tie prsaeaf ealn1fion ~ pr1psrE and
rate q sazason. Tie 6Gzs oannst BE- kspe az eaaA
basis and Tie iRtersss On tke Publie dsbt paid
Such was The condition Of our finances whsn
the present administration entered upon its du-
ties, and the Legislature In session, with the IN
creased expenses necessary TO the nesting 0f
that body.
The question was then, should the Legislature
allow the Stale 70 90 hack Ia a scrip h4ss, and
its credit depend upon the greed Of scrip sp-cn-
lstors. and its expenses be nece@arily increazsd
theFeby-0r should they place an additional mil
for one year and keep the State On n cash bazis 2
I think the Legislature pursued The proper
course under the circumstances. II l. much bei-
upon his hundred dollars Of prnpersy 6or enc
year, and thus maintain the Stale upon a ezsh
basis Than n allow iis credit 10 deprcciair. with
al The attendant evils af an sv~r-issue al scrip
To pay rs y,u %" 10 q homely adAgs. bui enc
equally applicable and beneficial % States - -
individuals win ma discuss the evils Of The
credit system, n illusinAsed by scrip issue be-
yond The inenme az the State The e0oooo
which we arc called upah yearly Ia pay IN &c
shape Of Interest upoa ouF State dsbl h. N \
great part, The legitimate and nrcsssary odspring
Of such policy. and should be a warning thai
the most Ihoaghiless should heed.
As 10 your saconl Enqulry-haw long sail IN
crosse win coniinus-I can give y0u he mai
hopeful a2urAnceA Owing 10 tie increased
development sf the State, the assessment fnr lnsi
year shows considsrshs iDcrease: % mnch %
that iel warranted In exercising the authnEiiy
given me By the lsst Legislature ios rsdncs ahs
laxea TIE necessary lnssruciiDns viii be giEsn
10 the azsezsors Co make The reucsion ard The -
ssssmsnt this PEAR win b reduced - seven mia
But this 10 unly the brginning af the god wuEk- |
The disencnmbering q 0ar Internal ImpsuVs-
meni Fund VIII nos only place ksur mIlIioa neres
upon he Gar books. bui tie great impssns n Us
gives % railroad buiiding win isrssass ths tn
able value a. lhai character Of ps0psrU. In ID
AiiIan % thia. = - - he E0aEs are buIli khey
coms into pnsssssioa q ~ lsnds EFaaisd den by
the Legislature, which win probably nos be lu1 |
than fIur milliua ncres in tie nsxi sEhissn
m0nlh4 Ihis also wlll % upoa me H. and ws
thas have tAe ps1npset q snms eiEht q Zen NJ
Hon ncles a. fhe pablIc danntn beoumlnN 3 /