Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-06
A Reduction of License Fees.

at what they would be under the laws now
in existence. Should the act passed at the
recent session of the Legislature, diverting
the licenses to counties, become a law, this
amount will be materially reduced, say not
less than s40O, ,0OOannually. also place in said
estimate our receipts from the United States
Government at what they were last year,
but in case the commissioners of the sinking
fund should find it necessary to sell bonds in
order to redeem loans maturing next Feb
ruary, there would be some reduction in
what is receivable from this source.
On the 3lst ultimo there was in the State
Treasury, applicable to the general revenue
fund, 2,527,G7 80, and there was in the
Treasury, applicable to the sinking fund,
duced perhaps $350,0G0 by the payment of
amounts due charitable institutions for the
quarter that ended on May 81, 1891 and for
the payment of judicial salaries for the same
quarter, and other claims on the Treasury
for the same period, so that it is safe to say
that the net balance in the Treasury appli-
cable to the general fund on June l would
be s. 177,277 80. In the sinking fund the bal
ance remains without diminution.
THOMAS MoCAMANT, Auditor General.
Would Cause Reduction of SsOo,OOO.
If the Governor should approve the bill
providing that all revenues derived from
retail liquor license fees be given the
counties, cities, boroughs and townships of
the State, the estimated receipts for the
next two years (S16, $40, ,00O) would be re-
duced at least 100000, and the ability of
the Treasury to meet the enormous demands
on it lessened to that extent. The general
appropriation bill, which includes an ap-
preparation of S10,000,OO0 for the public
schools for the next two years, provides for
an aggregate payment of $13, 1886, 716 90.
The Governor has already signed bills call
ing for a total sum of 81 ,0S5, ,661. These two
amounts aggregate ST., 1925, 377 SO.
This sum is considerably in excess of the
estimated revenues, but there are before the
Governor, awaiting his action, bills ap-
propriating nearly S2,OOO,OOO additional for
the next two years. The appropriation
would exceed the revenues over $4,000, 900
if the appropriation bills were all approved.
But there is available in the general fund
of the State Treasurer nearly $4,000, 900,
which would increase the paying capacity
of the Commonwealth to about S18, 600
Even with this great help the anticipated
revenues would fall short of the demanded
appropriations about 100000. 1t will
thus be seen that the Governor will be
obliged to vigorously apply the veto axe on
much of the legislation involving the dis
bursement of moneys by the State.
To Make Both Ends Meet.
There are two ways of making both ends
meet, one of which would involve the ap-
proval of the wholesale liquor bill, with the
increased license fees it authorizes in cities
of the first and second classes, all of which
are payable into the State Treasury, and the
disapproval of the retail license bill, which
proposes to take from the State the one-ffth
portion of the fees which it receives under
the Brooks high license law. This is the
bill which it is estimated would increase the
amount of the liquor license fees in Phila-
delphia about $500, 200 and in Pittsburg
nearly 100000.
The Boyer tax bill affects every subject of
taxation, according to the Auditor General
He estimates that it will increase the tax on
capital stock from 81 2,0OO, 900 to S.. 500. .0O0
But this increase of 81, 100000 will be re-
dueed $450,0OO by provision allowing
counties three-fourths of the personal
property tax money and the State one
fourth. This provision increases this tax
from to mills.s Under the law in opera
tion the State receives two-thirds and
the counties one-third. This tax will