The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-08-22
G0LLECTTOE or STATE
TAXES.

eac c1iiSSeaOhH Vi hhAoS sAtohi bbS bGAl
II8TT up TO August, 1885, which vii
prove Of interest to our readers, anC
at The same time show that the people
Of Louisiana, though burdencd witt
the yoke of Ring" rule, as some Of
1.-THE papers oflthis State please to style
the present State Administration, are
no worse of than in other States, and
at the same time establishes a fact
(which the enemies of the McEnery
government have labored to disprove
viz: that the taxes are collected and
turned over to the Auditor, and moi
stolen by the collectors, notwithstand'
ling the fact that the majority of the
collectors are friends to the Admins.
tration:
/ Taxes Of 1877, collected in 1878 TO
January /, 1879, 81 ,O46, 900, or Al Is
per cent out of a possible collection of
50, 532, 900.
Taxes of 1878, collected in 1879 to
January /, 1880, $946,0Oo, or 481 per
cent ont Of a possible collection of
$l,950,000.
The tax collections to date for the
years 1880, 1881, 1882 and 1888 aver
age about from IS to So per cent.
Taxes proper of 1884, collected TO
August, 1885, 81 ,o21, 900 ont of a
possible colleetionot about$1 200, 900.
AS the year is only a little over half
ont the collections will no doubt be
largely added to.
The taxes of the same year in liti-
cation Ind being carried over on ac-
count of overflow, is estimated at
$4,000, and the errors, insolvencies
and property sold to the State for IN
paid taxes will amount to an equal
sum.
In examining the reports of Audi
tors of other States, Capt. Steele finds
that delinqaeneies are as great and in
many cases greater than in Louisiana.
For example: The Auditor Of Indi-
ana saws, in making his estimates for
1884 and 1885: 1.-THE total amount
of taxes possible to be collected is 60
per cent of the entire amount, leaving
40 per cent delinquent, which is the
average annual payment and delin-
quency each year"
The Auditor of Arkansas also says ::
ALLOWING for delinqueneies, commits
sions, etc, we may reasonably hope
for the collection of $4,000 out of
a total of 100000" In this State
the tax is seven mills on an assessed
valuation of Sl3s, 100000.
The State of Tennessee, ont of a
tax aggregate for 1888 of $668,00O
for general purposes, reports having
collected to January l, 1885, about
$5s8,O00.
Texas, Kentucky and other States
are reported as not having realized
enough from their tax collections to
meet their obligations, and have been
compelled to borrow to sustain their
credit, a fact which confronts their
Irrespective legislatures with the i'm
portant question of how they can best
cut down their expenditures so as to
bring them within their receipts.
Auditor Steele considers the clause
in the Constitution prohibiting the
borrowing of money by the State and
the combining of Legislative appropria-
tions within the amount of the actual
revenues, certain Of collection, each
year, to have worked great good. He
says the wisdom of this constitu-
tional restriction has been shown in
the confinement of Legislative appro.
priations to a great extent, fact sus-
tanned by the announcement that there
are no outstanding warrants for the
years 1880 to 1888 inclusive, and that
only a small amount in excess Of
100000 of the warrants against the
general fund of 1884 remain unpaid
In the opinion of Auditor Steele, even
these outstanding warrants could have
been retired had not the Legislature
transferred the general funds of 1885
and previous years to other funds in
stead Of applying them to the pay.
ment Of the outstanding warrants
drawn against the general fund oi
1884.
| The Auditor considers the large pei
cent. of taxes collected for 1884 anG
previous years, show remarkable
promptness on the part of the prop
erty-owners, notwithstanding the dis
asters from overflow, short crops las
year and the general financial depres
sion that prevailed throughout th,
State.
In speaking Of the assessment roll
for 1885 Capt. Steele states that the,
will be, in every way, a decided i'm
proyement on those of previous years
and will greatly facilitate the collector
in the discharge Of their duties, a
they will have fewer errors, thus at
fording less chances for litigation
The assessments for 1884 aggregate,
a little over s2oO,eoo,ooO, and it i
the opinion Of the Auditor that the,
win this year reach about s2l4, 900,
900 or $2l5,00a,o00.
II With regard to the tax collectors
Capt. Steele asserts that they hay
been unusually prompt this year i
making their settlements, and that a
Of their accounts are in satisfaction