The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-01-18

APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE CURRENT YEAR
There are some facts in connection with thu
| financial condition Of the State which il is nee
essary that the Legislature should bear con
stantly in mind. The current fiscal year end.
on June 81, next The tax leyies OF this yea
are aireacy made. and the assessment OF prop
erty values Is on the tax rolls. Neither Of thest
can now De changed. The assessed valuation
Oh al the property OF the State, for the hsca
ear, aggregates S3oS,24S3fs, and the State tax
OF S's mills, levied by the last Legislature fol-
general revenue purposes, will produce O
revenue OF I2s6.s69. The appropriations made
oy the Legislature OF 1885,, payable out Of the
general revenue lund Tor the current nscal year,
aggregate sl,lo3sp.
Ii, therefore, the entire amount OF the tar
levy could De collected and paid into the State
treasury before June ~, 1t would exceed the
appropriations already MADE only tlSooa. Eek
Perience mas shown, however. that there Is In
sariaoiy denciency OF abont per cent.
~ Tue couection Oh the tax levy, resulting
from oouoie ana erroneous assessments. that
nave 10 De corrected, and from delinQuencies in
payment similar deficiency, this year, would
aggregate sjI,s'S leaving in the general revenue
iuad, IN excess OF the appropriations already
made only sh-s4i. lew receipts from mis-
ceIaneous sources viii probably swell this
amount somewhat But the aggregate appro-
prlations OF the present Legislature payable
go % Iuo general revenue iuno Ior Inc current
o,an., 80, s"n not eAeeeu s,s''oo "ilnou.
-, s an ihueoteouess ior Tue ayneht Oh
TN So. e. 10y ''n oe pros,ueu.
-,a,;o,, - as s,oau'iy aunereu W .ne WISE
-. - -. .,'e .ue .e'enues VI eaeh nseaa
=, - ~ toplia,ons ,or Tue satne year.
- ,s.. liaoiy ,er.alh ,nat tne assessed value
ISL, ,,Ti ~, ~. an1 nsoal year ehuns JUNE
-, W. IT, IoS srea.ts eAcseu llat Oh tae curreh.
he irra ne r1'1 IN, o. taxation snouu not
$3.50 $50, .i.I nii .i oouui'ioh Vi 'he
- - D9 LIS ~ 70 niipot .an.' 'uere'o'e'
80. =. .'I.s 100 prescnteo shaii oe hept IN
80, a INC nppfopria'ious ior 'he next
~, ISL yeais. ing revenues Oh the state
80 " pc ~ me- tie ordinary eurrSht eA
p 30. VI a.. aue uepI,'inen,s oi see uoVern'
inta,r nn.. " p-s ~, a.. puoas uune' aoso
$50. " aooonnioua'e our puoilc
un n:n..I ou. ,he s.rictest economy IN appro-
aanaoa - q, W. salie lii inperasEeiy oe-
,,nSrv n 80 Oe buy ouueu ~.
Tn ~ o,S.-.N.' =. ~. me oNi.hn siA t>
-, ~ IIa e .i"uo tne agent 10 receive
So, 'A no o'a'es an moneys aue tue
80, ,u.. S S"st wv years nave re-
81 g. rs,.. 49, 80 oe.I 'utieu o'el W
Iannar,. =, 90 ~. WY lne "liouh,s.
90 ,o'. .,a ou aoSouh' VI expenses Oh the
count =, = -. -, s,as =, .oeo, VI ~.
49, %, - ~. - seA'' oA saies VI Ho'efnmen'
MUNICIPAL DEBTS AND TAXATION.
IN my messages 10 the Legislatures OF lSS1
anu 1850 caiied attention, ut some length, to
'ue enoriuous aggregate OF our municipal DEBTS,
ana earnestly urged that stringent restrictions
ana limitations DC put upon the debt creating
ana TAX iefyins powers OF counties, townships,
ciues ana school districts In my message to
lne Legislature OF lSs, l pointed out the fact
tnat these municipal debts were largely created
and urged that all authority TO vote or issue
such bonds be revossd except IN counties hav-
ing no railway lines WITHIN their limits.
Inc Legislature OF 1879 took no action on this
sublect The Legislature OF 1887 enacted law
reducing the limit OF such aid from SO0 to
s'ooo per mile, but unfortunately this law, by
Its own provisions did not go INTO effect until
the lst OF July, 1855.
The steady and enormous growth Of our mu-
niripai Indebtedness amply justiies all the
recommendation touching this subject made in
the messages referred to. On the 1st of July,
1854, the county bonds and warrants outstand-
ing aggregated sS06i,74S29; township bonds and
y 30; city bonds and warrants,
81 4si, S6l1. and school district bonds and war
rants, s., Notwithstanding an aggre gate NUM-
cipal Indebtedness OF si5,95l,9,9.S On the 1st
Of July, 1SS6, the aggregate OF this Indebtedness
had increased TO sl7 9. a99 is, and on the 1st of
s., lC1.64dsl with 1913, 1l20S in sinking funds,
making the net municipal indebtedness to be
yet provided for, 3393AS1.
The county bonds outstanding on July /,
1888 aggregated Sl3 sD1, 265.25, and the county
warrants, S13 ,963.S7; township bonds out
standing, Sa,l6s, 81. and township warrants,
sl2,5SS 81 city bonds outstanding, S1,24,3G.40.
and city warrants sl64, I6s.66; school district
bonds outstanding, $i,5l3.e3i.59, and school dis
Snf, nj
above stated OF S31,10a $3.50 In other words,
the municipal indebtedness of Kansas has been
doubled since, In January, 1855, called the at
tention OF the Legislature to this subject, and
urged that the most stringent restrictions and
be put upon the debt creating and
tax levying powers OF all municipalities.
II seems to me. in view Of the facts and fig
ures presented, thai 1t is the imperative duty OF
the Legislature TO at once repeal every law
any purpose Whatever, except, perhaps the
building OF school houses. Pay as you 60
ought TO be, henceforth. the motto Of every
municipality in the State.
RAILROAD BOND VOTING.
Fully four-hfths OF all the coun ), township
and city bonds issued have been voted 20 aid in
building railroads. 1t is reasonably certain
that three-fourths Of the railway mileage con-
structed during the past four years would have
peca puAie Il AoI d siusic 0o1iar Oi municipal
aid had been voted. And IL Is an unQuestiona-
BILE fact that every mile of railway built in
Kansas during the past four years for which
there was any legitimate demand, or that has
been Of real benefit or substantial value either
to the business Of the State, the prosperity Of
the people, or the pecuniary welfare Of the
railways or their stockholders, would have been
without the stimulus Of dollar Of
municipal bonds
Kansas long ago passed the period when the
fictitious stimulus Of municipal bonds was nee
essary to secure the building OF legitimate rail-
way lines. The decade OF war ended in 1865,
and that OF doubt or experiment closed in 1879.
From that year to the present time no intelli-
gent citizen OF the United States has ever ques-
toned the resources or doubted the prosperous
OF Kansas Every dollar of mn.