Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-03-24
MISSOURI TAxATioM.

/
| A Message from Gov. Francis to the LeS
talature on the Subject of state Taxa.
| According to the State CONSTITUTE
| There Must be Reduction.
| JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, March Il.
Gov. Francis this afternoon sent the lo4'
| lowing special message to the Senate
STATE OF MISSOURI, ]
ExEcUTIvE DEPARTMENT., {
| Cry OF JEFFERSON. March IA, 1877
| TO the Thirty Sirth General Assembly:
The constitution of Missouri, in section o.
| article 10, fixes Zoe on the 500 as the maximum
state tax on property exclusive of the tax ne.
| essary to pay the bonded debt of the state'
ana the same section provides that whene'e..
the taxable property of the state shall amour.
to $500 600 the rate shall not exceed 15c. IL
| is the duty of the state board Of equaiization'
consisting OF the governor auditor, treasure,'
secretary of state and attorney genera,
to adjust and eQualize the TAXA
BILE property of the state. That ooaru
| IS now in session equalzing the valua-
| tfons of the county assessors on which tne
taxes of 1892 are to be collected. The board
has not yet completed its work, but the as
sessed value Of the taxable property in the
state will certainly exceed S9000OO,0OO. Sectlon
1909 of the Revised Statutes of 1889 fixes ONE
fifth of per cent or 2Oc on the $780, as the an
nual levy for state revenue. The same sectloh
also fixes zoe on the 500 the interest levy TOT
the payment OF all state indebtedness, but
subsequent section tS652), enacted in 1887 re-
duced the interest levy to one-tenth OF per
cent, or 10c on the 500. In order that the
statutes may conform to the limitations OF the
constitution, recommend that section 7oS
be amended that the tax levy for
state revenue shall be reduced to lac on
the sl00; and that said section oe
further amended so as to accord with sec
ton 1859. 1t is true that the de-
crease of Is per cent. in the state revenue law,
as herein recommended, will result in diminu-
ton of about $3.50 600 per annum in the receipts
of state revenue, as compared with 1891, but the
constitution requires that this step be taken,
and section 1909, fixing the revenue levy at ac
on the Slo0, If not amended, corld not be on.
forced. The constitutional provision quoted
above does not determine the rate of taxation,
but only the maximum thereof, and Legislation
is consequently required to fix the tax levy: IL
will not be necessary, in consequence of this re-
duction in taxation to diminish that proportion
of the general revenue which has for the lasi
six years been devoted to the use oil
the public schools although 1t has been
one third of the state revenue instead
of one fourth. the minimum fixed by
the constitution for that purpose
The appropriations of your honorable body,
passed at the regular session OF 1891, were wise
and liberal, and placed all Of the state institu-
tons in such good condition as not to require
additional appropriations for repairs and i'm
provements for several years to come. OF the
S2913, 478 appropriated by the Thirty fifth gen.
a
Sl91, 77h3l reverted to the treasury unused on
May 81 1891; of the So 159, I'll AZ appropriated by
the Thirty sixth general assembly, in bill ap-
proved March q, 1891, an equal If not larger
sum is likely to revert in March, 1898. The APP
preparations for the maintenance of the elee-
mosynary and penal institutions of the state
are largely in excess of requirements; lunatic
asylum, No 2. at St Joseph. has not up to this
time drawn one dollar of its maintenance ap-
preparation, and Of tn. $4,000 appropriated
for fho or no
tiary, at least $4,000 will revert to
the treasury; in fact the institution would have
been almost self sustaining but for the fire
which destroyed one of the shops May %, 1891.
There will be no necessity In 1898 for an appro-
priation of S150,OO0 for state exhibit at the
Worlds fair The receipts from fees. licenses
and other sources are increasing from year to
year, and there is good promise that the rev.
enue Of 1893 and 1924 will be ample to defray the
expenses of the government economically ad-
ministered, to maintain in a proper manner the
eleemosynary and penal institutions, to provide
literally for educational interests, and sufficient
TO enable the state to fulfill its moral obliga-
tions and keep faith with her people, which is
of far greater Importance even than reducing
the rate Of taxation. In any event, the Thirty
seventh general assembly will convene in time
to revise the revenue law Of the state if neces-
stiles should require.
This recommendation would have been in
Guided in the proclamation calling you together
had it been definitely known at that time that
the assessed value of the taxable property Of
the state would exceed s9OO.OO0,OOO reduc-
ton of Is per cent in the tax levy for state rev.
enue will be the last and browning act of the
Thirty sixth general assembly 1t will be the
second reduction in taxation under the present
state administration, which found total state
levy of 4Oc. on the 81 600 imposed for revenue
and interest and will leave total state levy for
revenue and interest of Csc. on the $l0O-a re-
iuction of 37l2 per cent. During the same Pc
Rod the assessed value of the taxable property
Of the state has increased from $789, 900 900 to
over 5000, GOO 600. And under the same admins
tration the bonded debt of the state will have
been reduced to the extent Of at least So $685..
100
Trusting you will see no objections to promptly
complying with this recommendation am, re-
spectfully, DAVID r. FRANCIS. Governor.