Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-01-25

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has already been made for meeting them nv fhs
issue OF new -FOUR per cent tWenty-year bonds, to
De sold 70 the Permanent School Fund. under
the terms of an act OF the last Legislarure No
other bonds OF the STATE are due and payabIs pricF
APPROPRIATIONS FOB THE CURRENT YEAR.
There are some facts in connection with thu
financial condition Of the state which 1t is neces-
In mind. The current fiscal year ends on the SOth
Of June next. The tax levies for this wear sre
already made, and the assessment of property
values Is on the taL-rOlls- Neither of these can
now be changed. The assessed valuation OF all
year, aggregates S35S, 24S, 1872 and the state tax
of three and One-half mills, levied by the last
produce a revenue of s., 2S6 1853. The appropria-
lions made by the Legislature of 1887, payable
out Of the general revenue fund for the current
hscal year, aggregate S1,1O3,S4O
If, therefore, the entire amount OF the tax levy
could be collected and paid into the State Treas
ury before J une SOLh. II would exceed the appro-
priations already made only $3.50 Expert
ence has shown, however, that there IS lnVar1-
collection OF the tax levy, resulting from double
and erroneous assessments, that have to be cor
rected, and nom dellnquencles IN payments. A
similar deficiency, this year, would aggregate
S6l.8I leaving IN the general revenue fund, IN
excess OF the appropriations already made, only
81, pa. A few receipts from miscellaneous
sources VIII probably swell this amount some
what But the aggregate appropriations of the
revenue fund for the current fiscal year, cannot
exceed $4,000 without creating an indebtedness
vided
The State has steadily adhered to the wise pol
icy Of making the revenues of each fiscal year
meet the appropriations for the same year. 1t is
reasonably certain that the assessed value of
property, for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1890
viii not greatly exceed that OF the current year.
The percentage OF taxation should not be in
creased. The financial condition of the people
fOrbids this. 1t is important therefore, that the
facts above presented shall b. kept IN view in
making the appropriations for tho next two fiscal
years. The revenues or the State VIII be ample
TO meet the ordinary current expenses of all the
departments Of the government, and to pay for
all pu5hc buildings absolutely necessary to &C
commOdate our public charities. But the strict
est economy IN appropriations is, at the same
time, imperatlvely demanded, and should be
rigIdly adhered to.
MoNEY RECEIVED FROM THE UNITED STATES.
The Governor is made the agent to receive from
the United States all moneys due the State.
During the past two years L have received
Treasurer, for the following amounts: January IA,
1887, on account OF expenses OF the militia IN
1864, S2S7.O1; November %, 1888. on account of
hve per cent. on sales OF Government lands
MUNICIPAL DEBTS AND TAXATION.
In my messages to the Legislatures OF 1888 and
1887, called attention, at some length, to the
enormous aggregate of our municipal debts, and
limitations be put upon the debt-creating and
taL-levying powers of counties, townships. cities
and school districts. In my message to the Leg
lsIaUure OF 1881 pointed out the IacJ that these
municip pal debts were largely created by voting
bonds to aid IN building railroads, and urged
That all authority to vote or issue such BONDS be
revoked. except IN counties having no railway
lines within their limits
The Legislature of 1885 took no action on this
subject. The Legislature of 1887 enacted a law
reducing the limit OF such aid from four thou
sand to two thousand dollars per mile, but un-
fortunately this law, by its own provisions, did
not so into effect until the 1st Of July, 1887
The steady and enormous growth of our mu-
nlCipal Indebtedness amply luEtlhes ell the rec
concentrations touching this subject made IN
the messages referred to. On the 1st of July,
1851 the county bonds and warrants outstanding
aggregated So o. 1889; township bonds and
Warrants 50 $50 O8O 90: city bonds aud warrants.
. nl-0iE Gndv
rants, s., 748 ia 50-nalCiug an aggregate munic-
ipal Indebtedness Of Si5 81, 92g IS. On the first
bad increased to Sl7.7T9299 r. ana on the first of
July, 1888, 1t had reached the appalling sum OF
making the net municipal Indebtedness to be
yet provided foc, $50, 7SS, 934. 81.
The county bonds outstanding on the first OF
July, 1883, aggregated Sl8,zOl 1920 and the
county warrants, SIS2, 983.57; township bonds
Outstandlng,. 81, 1921 02.65. and township war
rants, So SJ8 33; city bonds outstanding, S5,2t4
BOZ 40; and city warrants 1854 1896; schOOl-dis-
Trlct bonds OUTSTANDING, - 90, and school
district warrants, 81, 1898. 65-making q total, as
above stated. OF SSI. lO7. G46 90 In other words
the municipal Indebtedness of Kansas has been
doubled since, IN j anuaTy, 1882, called the at
uention of the Legislature to this subject, and
urged that the most stringent restrictions and
IlLnlLalons ne put opQn the .deDr-creaUlng and
taL-levylng powers Of all municipalities.
1t seems to me, IN view Of the facts and figures
presented, that 1t is the imperative duty of the
Legislature to at once repeal every law authOriz-
ing the creation OF municipal debts, for any pur-
pose whatever, except perhaps, the building Of
henceforth, the motto Of every municipality of
RAILROAD BOND VOTING.
Fully fOur-htths OF all the county, township
and city bonds issued have been voted to aid in
building railroads. 1t IS reasonably certain that
three-fourths of the railway mileage constructed
during the past four years. would have been built
If not single dollar of municipal aid had been
voted and it IS an unquestionable fact that
every mile of railway built in Kansas during the
past four years, for which there was any legiti-
mate demand, or that has been of real benefit or
substantial value either to the business of the
larry welfare of the railways or their stockhOld-
ers, would have been constructed without the
stimulus OF a dollar of municipal bonds.
q, Kansas long ago passed the. period when
ing of legitimate railroad lines. The
decade OF war ended in 1865, and that of doubt
OF experiment closed IN 1919. from that year TO
United States has ever questioned the resources
or doubted the prosperous development of Kan
voted during the past eight years. to stimulate
the building Of railroads, has been useless and
managers and builders understood. perfectly,
what an inviting field Kansas offered to common
carriers and they would have occupied this held
promptly and systematically, the rapidly IN
creasing commerce OF the State demanded rail-
ways Tor Its transportation. And. If the recon-
incubation made by the legislature of 1885, touch
ing municipal Indebtedness, had been favorably
acted upon. Kansas would have had, to-day, all
the railroad lines necessary or Important in
transactlng her commerce, while on the other
had her municipalities would have been burden
ed with fully SIG 10000 less Of bonded indebted
ness.
1t is a fact capable of exact demonstration, that
railroad building in excess Of the Legitimate de
mands of State commerce is a curse, instead of
benefit to every interested party-tO the state as
we'll as railroad stockholders. to the people
well as to railway managers. What all classes
of people are most interested in and benefited by
is a steady and rapid reduction of freights and
fares 10 the lowest possible minimum But this
result ls inevitably prevented or delayed by rail-
way building in excess of the legitimate carry
ing trade of a country. The transportation rates
OF all railways are largely regulated by the vol
uIne of their business Public sentiment or law
VIII soon force a reduction of rates when II can
be shown that the business OF
railway is earning for it large profits. But
when two railroad lines traverse cOun-
try whose carrying trade is sufficient to maintain
only one, transportation rates viii inevitably be
high. The operating expenses OF the two roads
ara double those OF one; the capital invested IN
them IS doubled; and. at the same time, the