The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-02-07
State Finances.

Thanks to Auditor-General Roberts
for a copy of his annual report for Fis-
cal year ending Sept 30. 1882. Total
receipts, s755,88l.44. This includes
s42, 900 derived from the Fertilizer tax
ION the farmers); $500 from the own
ers of the w. n. L. r. r. to pay interest
on bonds 500, 466 from the dividends
accruing on the States stock in the n.
c. r. r. These sums deducted from
the Total Of Receipts leave 1924, 92l. A
as the amount derived from ordinary
sources of Revenue. Total disburse-
ments, s629, 1927, including s43,5OO
paid out to run the Agricultural Bureau,
and 358, SIS interest on the mortgage
bonds of the Western n. c. II. r.
The total valuation Of property in the
State, real and personal, is put at &c.,
73s ,C39,-which is a falling off Of more
than tco millions behind the prerious
year, The actual figures are s2,l78,-
26S decrease in ralue of property since
1851!
DdsrIs this a fact? Is the old North
State falling off, OF like a cows tail
advancing backward ?" The items
are thus stated =
Valuation of Land, 375
Town Property,............ 2O,667,5 $50
Stock, cattle, and Sheep. Is, 1913, 934
Cash, solvent credits, depos-
its, farming tools, etc.,. 44,S71, 1914
HsrThere are at least three Yankees,
possibly more, who could buy North
Carolina,-''lOck, stock, and barrel,"-
with every foot of her magnificent do
main GOO miles long by 200 broad ev-
cry dollar of her property, in town and
in country,-and all of her boosted
Resources, buy it all any day Of the
week and still have enough cash left to
buy another State or two! Vanderbilt
and Jay Gould are each worth two hum
dred millions of dollars. And the al
mighty Dollar" is the American God!
1t wears the picture of the Goddess of
Liberty by way of showing that even
Liberty is a silvered sham.
p. S.-Since the above was penned,
we have Charlotte Journal with some
comments az follows:-
1.-THE most interesting part of the
Report is to be found in the Addenda
which shows the average valuation per
head of horses, mules, cattle, hogs and
sheep, and the value of land per acre in
the various counties /; a statement never
before published in any Auditors re-
port, and worthy the study of every in
~telligent taxpayer. 1t furnishes an
overwhelming argument for a board of
equalization for the State, and every
county.
Six counties in Eastern North Caro-
lima show a difference in the valuation
of live stock from so to 200 per cent.
and in the valuation of land of $50 per
cent. In six counties in Middle North
Carolina there is a difference in stOckOf
334 to IS per cent, and in land of near
ly 200 per cent, and in six counties of
Western North Carolina there is a diff
ference in stock of from about 40 to
more than 100 per cent, and in land of
over 100 per cent. OF course in each of
these counties there is the widest dis
crepancy in the valuations.
Take the tax on town lots. There
are two counties, (Currituck and Dare)
which are not credited with one cent on
town lots, Graham county pays ella,
and the others from this figure up to
$4,000, the amount paid by New
Hanover, but there are only five coun-
ties in the State, viz; Craven, Forsyth,
Mecklenburg, New Hanover and Wake.
which pay as much us 1909 tax on town
lots.
Take the purchase tax on liquors.
Out of the 90 counties in the State, %
give in 10 tar UhGteUer under the head
dealers in spirituous, vinous, or malt
liquor" and of these 90 counties Is are
located west of the Richmond and Dan
vile railroad.
Take next the item of met income
and profit" The whole amount of net
income and profit for the State is $685.
4S0, and, therefore, the tax derived
from this source is only 2,754.8O.
There are fifty-six out of the ninety-six
counties that do not give in one dollar
OF net income and profit for taxation /!
1t is, Of course, a simple impossibility
that there shall be no taxable income in
Sc counties of North Carolina"