Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-11
FINANCES.
The Expenditures of 1889 WI Exceed
the Receipts CT 1888 By Large
amount.

In compliance with this duty respect
fully suggest that questions of a financial
character and bearing, involving the
mode and manner Of providing revenue
to defray the expenses of the state gov
eminent, and the purposes and objects to
which it should be applied, furnish sub
jects worthy of your highest ability and
properly entitled to your first considera-
ton.
The constitution provides that no
money shall be drawn from the treasury
but in consequence of appropriations
made by law, and the legislature is in
vested with entire control over the public
purse. By the exercise of this power you
are required to define and limit the other
departments of the government to the
sums expressly provided for their pur-
poses for the time fixed, and while these
departments should not be permitted to
create necessity for expenditures in ex-
cess of appropriations, nor to engage IN
reckless extravaganza of public funds, on
the other hand, as this important power
is delegated to you and its exercise can
not be avoided, you should not vote ex-
penditures or impose burdens and then
fail or refuse TO provide ample ways and
means to meet the obligations as they
mature. This would not only be unjust,
but it is unwise, because eXtravagant ap-
preparations will always follow when
those who authorize the eX-
penditures feel no responsibility in pro-
viding the means of payment, and then,
too, those who hold the obligation of the
government for services rendered must
suffer loss in waiting until their just de-
mand can be met by deficiency apprOpri-
ations.
As this is one of the most serious ques-
lions awaiting the careful attention of
your honorable bodies, [ submit herewith
the report of the comptroller, which not
only exhibits a trained and systematic
knowledge of his department, but fur
nishes elaborate tables and figures, and
presents ample information, on which
your safe and judiciOus action may be
based in providing for present and future
exigencies of the public service. From
its tabular statements you will observe
that estimated receipts from the 10-cent
levy and all other sources, with the ex-
listing cash balance in the treasury, when
applied to the current operating expenses
estimated upon the basis called for by the
different departments, and when further
depleted by the unexpected ap-
preparations made by the spe-
cial session of the Twentieth
legislature will leave only 500 ,4S0 68
as a cash surplus in the treasury on
August 81, 1888. And this does not in
clude the amount you may deem neces-
sary for the current expenses of the re-
formatory nor does it anticipate an APP
preparation for the Agricultural and
Mechanical College or the normal schools.
Assuming the same estimates as a basis
of calculation, it is further shown that
the 20-cent tax levy
WILL LEAVE A DEFICIENCY
of S172 1854 on August 81, 1890. 1t is
well to remember, also, that these esti-
mates are based upon the idea that the
same close collections will be maintained
by collectors during the ensuing fiscal
years. And in addition we can no longer
expect to derive benefit from the usual
collections of back taxes, which on
August 81, 1887, amounted to 1862 1886 10
for 1885 and prior years, and which to
that extent swelled receipts beyond what
was considered in basing estimates of
current expenses.
Apprehending that the legislature of
the special session of the Twentieth legis-
lature whereby the ordinary expenses
were so greatly increased by the creation
and establishment of a reformatory, deaf
and dumb and blind institutes for the
eolored youth, new court and an or
phan asylum, and the requisite sum for
the proper care and keeping of the capt.
toll building, together with the other lib
eral drafts upon the surplus in the treas
ury, would result in putting our state
government in a straight-jaclzet and start
it upon an impracticable course from
which the wise enactments on revenue
and taxation passed by the regular ses-
sion had contributed so much TO redeem
it did not consider the reduction made
in the tax levy consistent with sound pub
lie policy, and endeavored to graft my
conclusions upon the appropriation bills
aud prevail upon the legislature to adopt
what deemed safer policy, suggesting
as a precaution against the danger of a
reduction of receipts below the requisite
margin absolutely necessary to enable
the treasury at all times to meet the just
demands upon it, that they leave the
rate OF taxation as it then was, and by