The Louisiana Democrat., 1886-02-17
STATE FINANCES.
EDITOR DEMOCRAT:--

session the discharge of the duties of that
place gave me some familiarity with the
finances Of the State. I propose to exam
inc the charge above made somewhat in
detail, not because l consider that l am
personally any more interested in the mat
ter than any other member of either
branch Of the Legislature, but simply be-
cause happen to have made particular
study of the subject. did not have my
way about either the Appropriation OF
Revenue Bill while they were under dis
cussion by any manner of means; and as
to the General Appropriation Bill, which
came from my committee, nearly all the
items are fixed by the Constitution and
laws or are established by precedent and
necessity, SO that there, was but little
room for difference Of opinion as to that
bill. Bills neutrality-suspicious. of
private nature usually go to the Commit
tee on Claims OF to whatever may be the
committee having charge of that particu-
preface l shall 60 in medias res.
DIFFERENT STATE FUNDS.
l shall not stop to say anything about
some of the minor funds such as the Char
ity Hospital Fund, Militia Fund, Judicial
Expense Fund, etc, all of which are spe-
cial funds supported by particular reve-
nues, such as the $40, 1000 from the Lottery
Company, which goes to the Charity Hos
pital, or are subdivisions of the four gene
raj funds amongst which the six mills of
State taxation is distributed. These four
general funds are The General Fund !;
the Current School Fund the Interest
Fund and the Engineers Fund, which
last is really the Levee Fund. Nor need l
consume time and space here in any dis
cussion of the three last named of these
general funds, since they are virtually
special funds, supported by special distri-
button of parts of the six mills taxation
and which realizes to each fund just what
| is given to it and no more, by the rate Of
taxation fixed for it's support, and in none
of which ought there to be either sur
plus or a deficiency. The amount real
lied for the School Fund, is, or ought to
be, apportioned as it is received, or by
quarterly pportionments, as I believe is
the custom now in practice. The Interest
Fund is fixed ore as to amount, because
the rate of interest is fixed by the amend
ments to the Constitution, and the amount
of the debt, $12,OOO,OOO in round figures,
is known. The amount necessary to pay
the interest falling due january LIST and
July 1st, 1885, was $3.50, 900, and for 1886
was $240, 900, under the reduced rate. A
simple calculation of the rate of taxation
upon the assessed value of taxable prop
erty in the State, making necessary allow
ances for delinquent taxes the cost of col
lecting, double assessments, ETC., shows
what it is necessary to raise for this pur-
pose. The Levee Fund is special fund
in which a large portion Of the State is in
terested, and it gets what is given it and
10 more can be expended than is received.
The Revenue Act of 1884 apportions the 6
mills for the two years 1884 and 1885 as
follows, viz: For 1S84-Interest Fund II
mills; Levee Fund mill; School Fund
II mills; General Fund mills. For 1885
Interest Fund q mills; Levee Fund
mill; School Fund II mills; General
Fund mill.
THE GENERAL FUND.
This is the only fund which is made up
from other sources of revenue than the 6
mills taxation, except some of the above
mentioned special funds, such as that of
the Charity Hospital and the Levee and
School Funds, which last get the proceeds
of the sale of swamp and school lands, etc.
The General Fund is by far the largest of
them all and is made up of whatever it
gets of the mill taxation, the licenses,
rents of State property, sales of property
forfeited to the State for non-payment of
taxes, and other miscellaneous sources of
revenue enjoyed by the State. Out of
this fund has to be paid all the expenses
of the State government, salaries of State
officers and expenses Of their Offices, the
whole expense of the Judiciary system,
the support of all the charitable and pub
lie institutions, the expenses of elections
and registration, the support of the mill
tia, the support of the Bureau of Agricul-
ture and Immigration-and generally all
expenses and appropriations not other
wise provided for by special funds
It is as to this fund, no doubt, that the
complaint is made that the appropriations
exceeded the revenues. Let us look at
that complaint. But first must observe
that as to what the appropriations were,
there is no difficulty in ascertaining their
amount. They are all to be found in the
printed Acts of 1884, and any one can add
them up for himself. The only difficulty
is in knowing what the revenues will be
and this is no great difficulty if the rev.
enues of the previous year, which are
known, are taken as a guide. The assess
ment of property has steadily increased
from $l97, All, 1914 in 1882 to $202, 1885,
S62.06 in 1888, according to the Auditors
report for those years, and now the Treas
urer says in the interview published in
the States, that it is 1920, 10000 in round
figures. He says also that 80 per cent of