The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-01-17

lOtRl expenses per ScNCQ ilc..... SS, H-.l5
Detcleucy......,.............. -. l,2.,U5 q!
IT will DO seen that at the present rate of eS-
penditure and receipts the deficiency to accrue
before the proceeds of another assessment can
become available will he SlT2 ,9U5. 81.
Article II. section j, Of tho constitution IA as
follows:
The legislature shall provide for au annuni
tax. sufficient to defray the estimated Ordinary
expenses of the state for each year, not to OK
coed IN any one year = mills on each dollar of
the assessed valuation of I'LL taxable property
IN the state. 10 be ascertained by the last as
sessment made for state ana county purposes.
And when II shall appear that such ordinary
expenses shall exceed the income Of the state
for such year the legislature shall provide fur
1evyin9 G. tax for the ensuS.e year, sufficient
with other sources of income to pay the de-
flcieilcy of tho preceding year together with the
estimated expenses o! the ensuing year. And
for the purpose Of pnying the public debt the
legislature shall provide for levying a tax an
nually, sutli ient to pay the annual interest
and the principal OF such debt within ten years
from the final passage of the INV cren ing tho
debt, provided that the annual tax for the pay
ment Of the intereset and principal OF the pub.
lie debt shall rot exceed in any one year =
mills on each dollar Of the assessed valuation
of all taxable property In the state as ascer-
tanned by tbs last assessment made for the
state andIcouuty purposes"
While the second clause OF this section Is
somewhat ambiguous in meaning. the first and
second clauses taken together, plainly limit
the amount Of the yearly ordinury expenses in
tho state to Il sum TO be creuted by q tux of
mills on each dollar of the assessed valuation
OF all the taxable property in the state. interest
on the public debt NOT Being included in the
term ordinary expenses as appears from the
last eluuse Of the section. Now when it is re-
membered that the ex-nuditor's estimate of TO-
ceipts for the current year, before set forth Is
based upon e levy OF , mills on ench dollar of
taxable property, according to this iate territor-
ial statute, we $50 that the direct taxi; for the
year 1890 will BIO ono-third less than the csti-
mate for the current year, making the estilnut-
cd total receipts for the coming year S237 ,975. %,
and the defci' as at the present lete OF eXpeDs.
es for the year. S270, 257.Z5. From this amo Mt
We may deduct the interest on state debt, $685.
537. 50, leaving thus o deficit OF ; So, 7l9. Is.
The popular wsy out Of Il financial dilemma
by borrowing is only partially open TO you, as
shown by article 49,. sections , and 3. of the
constitution, which is as follows q.
"SEc. 2, For the purpose Of defraying eSfta-
ordinary expenses ana making public improve:
ments, or to most certain dehci's or failures In
revenue, the state lnry contract debts never to
exceed with previous debts i4 tho aggregate of
SlOO, 900. and no grenter indebtedness shall bo in
Cured except for the rurpo.o of re-
ion, Or defending the state or the United
States In war, md provision shall be
made by law for the payment Of the interest
annually. and the principal when due, by tax
which law providing for the payment Of such
interest aud principal by such tag OF otherwise
provided, however, the state OF South Dakota
shall have the power to refund the territorial
debt as stunned by the state Of South Dakota"
1t is thus seen that the legislature may law
fully provide for tho issue of bonds to cover tho
territorial indebtedness assumed by this
sta 1,o and may tb further smon 'nere 81 s tbs 9
o % md sese the powel of the Legislature to
create ipdebtedeo. 81 ceases, and still there will
be a deiloiG Of '&fSSi III -, allowing for the
expense of another session Of the legislature in
1891.
To meet the emergency it is recommended
first, to annul NIL appropriations made by tho
territorial Legislature und to cover into the gen.
eraI fund nil pnexpended balances remaining to
each account on the 1st day OF January, 49, @.
Then ascertain, as near es pay be, the floating
Indebtedness of the state at Che date OF its ad-
mission into the union, and provide 1or it's IL
quotation by the issue OF bonds and proceed to
make q careful estimate of the amount that will
year, and also the year ensuing for ordinary ex-
penses. Then it ia advised that you take the
list Of estimated expenses mad provide first for
those actually indis pensable under careful and
economical manageme.t Il. and divide the re-
msining sum available aarnLng the other public
institutions and administrative departments 60
permitting q deficiency to exceed tho limit OF
b1OO, QUO permissible by the co%nstitption.
Penal and Benevolent Institutions.
The rsports of the penitentIary at Sioux
Fells, the rcform school a. Plankinton and the
insane asylum ct Yankton, nre herewith SUBJ
mitted or your inspection as to the manage
ment OF these institutions.
1t is thought the labor of the prisoners ut
Sioux Fells can be made more ramunerative to
the state and that decisive steps should be at
once taken having in view this object. The
QuarTleb III Tue pEiSoA &UOIS Hre DelloVeu 10 III
ford means for bringing about this lesult. From
observation OF It's practical operation tf4e eaecu-
tive Is strengthened In u former conviction
that the fixing OF tho punishment of criminals
within the discretionary limits allowed by tho
statute slould be left to the Jury rather than OF
the court. The treeman's right to a trial by his
peers is believed to owe its value as much to
this principle as to the determination of the
question of his guilt.
It would seem the peculiar and fitting prey-
ince Of the jury to fix the term of punishment
upon the sliding scale which must ever modify
judicial sentences. It is believed such verdict
is more readily acquiesced in by the criminal.
that punishnle t is thus rendered. more uni.
form and more in accord with the popular Nv
Ing sentiment whose sanction 3is SO necessary
to tho support of criminal %stntutes.
The reform school at Plankinton Is In its sec
ond yeaS of ope atioD. Ills believed that in some
instances Its Inmates have been committed
rather as to On orph Nor founding asylum
than 10 o penal reformatory,
1t may be o proper subject 0finquiry whether
the infringement has not erred In this direction,
tending somewhat to divert the institution
from p penal reforIaetory school, and whether
4 mcfI9ytal .f6duOfdOR At nIpAUAog may not be