The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-02-13

viduals that receive funds from or pay
money into the state treasury, and
has, under the direction of the board
of education, the oversight and invest
ment of the trust funds, aggregating
many millions of dollars. The exact
condition of the finances of the state
and all the accounts with the state
can be ascertained ut any time upon
an inspection of the books of this de-
partment.
The business OF this department
necessarily and materially increases
with the growth, development and
prosperity of the State, and it is hoped
that brief summary (here submit
ted) of the mass of business transacted
for the public during the past year
my not be without interest.
There are now POI organized coun-
ties in the state. In these counties
there are about 1000 state and
county officials who have constantly
more or less business with this de-
partment of the state government.
The assessment rolls of each of
these counties are filed here. The
correctness of the work done by Il e
tax assessors in making up these rolls
is verified by this department, work
which requires much care and labor.
The tax collectors OF the various
counties are charged with the aggre-
gate taxes assessed on the rolls of
their respective counties. Occupa-
ton receipts, representing every char
acter of occupation upon which tax
is imposed, are printed and furnished
the collector by this department and
charged to them on their accounts
with the state. Monthly and quar-
terly reports are required by law to be
made to the comptroller by these tax
officers, which are carefully and criti-
cally examined, entered in record
books provided for that purpose, filed,
etc. Final settlements are made
yearly between the tax collectors and
the comptroller for the state, which
settlements embrace the entire trans
actions covering the collection of the
previous years taxes. The uncol-
lected taxes are as infinitely accounted
for as the taxes collected.
either by sales to the state, insolvents
or erroneous assessment. All of such
returns are approved by the commits
sioners courts of the respective coun-
ties from which the returns are rem
dered. These lists OF credits are care
fully compared in detail with the rolls
on file, with which the tax collec tors
have been previously charged. Hence
the settlement is complete and l
might add the system almost perfect.
The accounts for 1888 taxes are
itemized and tabulated in this report
under the proper heading, table No.
81, to which special attention is di-
rected. The status of the account Of
every tax collector in the state and the
amount of taxes collected in each
county, cost of collecting, etc., is shown
by this table.
l here take occasion to say that the
settlements during the past year have
been without exception prompt and
satisfactory to the state. can only
outline this character of work done in
the office. The business and details
are voluminous.
There are forty-four unorganized
counties in the state. The comptroller
by law is made the assessor and col
lector of taxes for these counties, and
the clerical work incident to the assess
ing and collecting of these taxes con-
stitutes, within itself, an immense
amount of work. Non-residents pay
taxes on property in every organized
county in the state at this office; this
branch of the business also keeps quite
a corps OF clerks we'll engaged from
three to four months of the year.
The disbursement by the state
treasury during the past year from
state revenue, school fund, ETC.,
amounted in round numbers to$5 ,OOO,'
600. In disburing this money the
comptroller drew l3,50S warrants on
the tire lsury;a moments reflection
only will be required to judge OF the
great care an time necessary to prop
erly examine and audit the various
kinds of claims that are presented be-
fore warrants can be issued.
During the past year q, 1881 bushes:
letters were received that required
official attention. The vast number
OF reports, statements, ETC., from tax
officers, fee bills of sheriffs, clerks anC
attorneys, are not included in the
number stated. Now take into con
sideration the business done through
agents in Austin, the number who
visit the department daily in person
on business, the immense transaction
in bonds, the collection of annual
interest due special funds, and some
idea may be formed of the inner work,
ings of the comptroller's office, yet the
full extent of the volume of business
in all its manifestations can hardly be
comprehended in so brief an outline
The appropriations made by the
last legislature to enable the bust
ness of this, the "mud sill" department
of the state government, to be carried
on, aggregates about $4,000 annually
This covers salaries, printing, postage
binding, tax rolls, etc. This is men
| toned in connection with the above