The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-11-08

ended, with tax OF 30 per cent. on |
the dollar, the revenue balance on |
hand is S345, 154 %, difference of |
S18I, 400.39, showing that to meet the |
expenditures of the year ending Aug |
ust 81, the whole of the receipts dur |
ing the year WAS used, and in addi- |
ton S1Sl, 400.39 of the balance on hand |
at the beginning of the year.
The idea seems to have obtained in |
the public mind that notwithstanding |
the deer ease of the taxes from 10 to |
80 cents on the dollar, the cash bal |
ance to the credit of the general rev.
enue account has been constantly in
creasing. That the reverse is the fact |
the foregoing statements show.
Referring to the table giving the
losses on the assessment Of 1881, il
will be observed by your eXcellency
that the collections have been very
close. Out of an assessment of ad
valorum and poll taxes for 1882 of
81 ,699, 1858, the loss including the cost
of assessing and collecting this
amount was S351, 1888, or a little over
20 per cent. OF the whole assessment.
The greater proportion of loss is
shown in the poll taxes. Out Of an
assessment of 1895 there was re-
turned as insolYent $126, 167, loss of
2S12 per cent. of the amount assessed.
The assessments of the past year,
| together with all occupation taxes
collected and all collections from ali
sources have been accounted for, eX-
| cept say $4,000, considerable por-
ton Of which is represented by lnSol-
vent lists and unused occupation
tax receipts, leaving balance yet to
be paid in, say $4,000.
The greater portion Of this amount
will be collected at an early date
without recourse to the extreme meas
ures of the law, showing creditable
to the efficiency Of the collectors gen.
orally.
Reference to the tables giving the
assessments for the year 1888 will
show an increase in taxable values of
$107, 800 900, indicating not only gen
eral prosperity but also greater eff
| fciency on the part of assessors, as
well as more intelligent supervision
on the part of the boards of equaliZa-
| ton of the several counties.
The report urges the propriety of
the appropriation year being made to
conform to each other and both to be-
gin September of each year, so that
the appropriations will not have to be
devided to arrive at the condition of
the states finances. This change,
however, cannot be effected, till the
appropriations already made, expire.
The balance Of the report discusses
and recommends the eXtentiOn Of time
for the redemption Of lands sold to
the state for taxes for reasons of the
comptroller, which have already been
given in THE STATESMAN.
The Texas & st. Louis narrow
gauge railroad company has not yet
made its annual report fer the year
ending October l, 1888.
The report of the Sunset route was
received yesterday. 1t makes, among
others, the following exhibits:
Passenger Receipts. ..-....-....... $59S, 80 90
Erelght :..;.... ................. 1871 ,S0S w
Capital Stock ,3S3, 900 90
Amount paid in. ...................2S,33 1888 294 40
Expenses. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 2,569,3Il 81
Number of men employed, 1885,
The Mexican Pacific extension, from
San Antonio to Ell Paso, 635.5 miles,
with branch to Eagle Pass, 35.4 miles,
total 670,9 miles, has been completed,
at cost of $50, $4,000.
The comptroller yesterday pur-
chased $4,000 of the 6 per cent. Gala
han county bonds, getting them at
par.
| LAND DEPARTMENT.
The land agent of the Texas & Pa
cific Railway company reports that
Mr.. Paul McComb, who was en-
ployed on the part of the state to re-
run the lines of the company's land
reservation, finds the Kuechler south
ern line correct. This line Land Com
missioner Walsh had been led to be-
lieve from reports and affidavits of
surveyors, was five or six miles too
far south. If the report is true. many
localities on the strip of land in queS'
ton will be worthless. Commissioner
| Walsh, however, is of the opinion
that Mr.. McComb has not had time
to run the line, and that he had only
found the initial point OF the Kuehler
| survey.
THE STATE UNIVERSITY.
The following: students matric 5da
ated since our last report, L., 100
registered to date: StoneWall Jacn-
son Ellis, Beeville Willis Whitley
Glass, Waelder John Edward Roper,
Austin; David Moore Killough, La
Grange, Texas.
Capt, Cook, contractor for the new
building, was paid $5625 on account
of his contract. Material is being
used between the ceilings and floor
| ings to deaden the sound, so as to pre-
vent noise in walking across the floors
of the building.
| rIrEcOAv