The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-03-08
Cash in treasury
Difference. ...-.-...........-....Is ) so4, 400.

10 III Otdto taxes. Inc treasurer eSLlmateu
that $500, 5000 would be collected in 1889
That was the amount that in the ordinary
course of the business of the State would be
collected for the whole direct tax of the
State for 1888 was only about $685. 900, and
considering that there are always back taxes
the treasurer estimated that he would collect
about $3.50, 900 in 1885,
But the report made yesterday makes
the taxes collectabe in 1889 the large sum Of
S9i0,559. As the whole State tax for year
is less than 100000 1t is evident that this
great receipt is to be made by raking ana
scraping the State for every cent in order to
raise the revenues for special purpose.
Coming to 1890, the report made yesterday
morning shows that the estimate for the
State tax to be collected that year is S649. .497
This is the Identical sum of the State tax for
the year 1889. That is, this tax is to be col
lected rigidly; and there is to be no 'back
taxes" at the beginning OF 1891, as there is
usually at the end of every year. This is
how in the report yesterday morning 1t was
possible to reckon fiom State tax for two
years revenue about 100000 larger than
the amounts of those taxes for the two years.
The tax payers are to be drummed up for the
emergency. But even with all this squeezing
it will be impossible to make both ends
meet If the Capitol and other appropriation
bills now pending are to be rushed through
A better idea of the great increase of the
expenditures of this legislature which will
result. If the large appropriation bills now
pending are passed may be obtained by COM
pairing the expenditures of 1889 and 1890 with
those Of the last nine years. The appropria-
tions already made or absolutely necessary
for 1889 and 1890 amount to s2,45S, ,399.3S. Ad-
ding to this the $685. for enlargement of
the Capitol and other pending matters we
have the gross sum Of S2,S15, .3S for the
next two years, or an average of 81, ,407, ,974.69
for each of the two years. 1t should be re-
membered that the above includes only the
small sum Of $4,000 payable on the principal
Of the public debt in the next two years, and
but $4,000 Of interest on the public debt is
payable in 1889, and $4,000 payable in 1890.
In other words the interest charge of the
public debt in 1889 is more than 500, 900 less
than any amounts paid for the same purpose
in any one of the years from 1880 to 1885,
But let us compare the average yearly ap-
preparations which we shall have for 1889
and 1890 Qf the large resolves now pending
become laws with the expenditures for each
Of the nine previous years. In 1888 the ex-
penditures were S1,127,393, or more than
$3.50, 1000 less than for 1889 or 1890. In 1887
they were 81. 16S, ,544, or more than $3.50, 600
less than for 1889 or 1890. In 1886 they were
S1,245,0l5. or more than $4,000 less, al
though in that year over S452, 900 were paid
in interest and principal of the debt and to
the sinking fund, against an average of
S150,000 of such expenses for each of the
years 1889 and 1890 In 1885 they were ST.
321, 1853. or more than $50. 600 less. although in
that year the expenses of the
public debt were over S443,OOO
In 1884 they were S1,202, ,932
or $205,042 less, although that year the charg-
es incident to the public debt amounted to
over $4,000. In 1888 they were S1,773,7S4
or S365,000 more, but on that year the expen-
ditures for the public debt amounted to the
great sum of nearly 100000. In 1882, they
were S1,099,S3o. or over $30S, 900 less, though
in that year the amount paid out for the
public debt, exclusive of the sinking fund
was nearly $4,000. In 1881, they were
S1,435, ,45o,or about S27 600 more. but the pub
lie debt cost thatIyear over $4,000 exclusive
of the sinking fund. In 1880, they were
S1,5S1, 1896 or about $4,000 more, but that
year the public debt took over S620,OO0, ex-
elusive Of sinking.fund.
That Is, if the large pending appropriation
bills become laws, this legislature will, at a
time when the cost of the public debt is down
10 an average Of $4,000 yearly, go into ex-
pense deeper than any legislature since 1880,
three years only being excepted, and those
were years when the cost of the public debt
ranged from nearly half million up towards
a million.
In 1889 it will take but $4,000 on account
of the public debt, and in 1890 but S95, 600.
But If the Capitol and other appropriations
become laws the expenses of 1889 and 1890
must exceed those Of years when the public
debt was costing upwards of half million
yearly.-ED. PREssl