Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-01-05
STATE FINANCES
The Decrease in the State Reve-
nue. Discussed.

The Decrease in the State Reve-
nue. Discussed.
A Problem for the General Assembly ia
solve-The Expenses of the state win
be Greater Than the Revenue
What Can be Done.
81. LOUIS. Dec. 2e.-By reason Of the devel.
opment of Missouri and the growth Of her In
terests the demand upon her finances for the
support of the state government is annually
increasing, while the receipts are being de-
creased by operation OF the constitutional 70.
Quirement reducing the state tax whenever m
assessed valuation Of SOC. 10000 should be
reached.
The constitution declares that "the state tar
on property, exclusive Of the tax necessary tc
pay the bonded debt OF the state. shall not ex-
coed ~ cents on the 500 valuation. and when
ever the TAXABLE property shall amount to $780,
100000 the rate shall not exceed Is CENTS
In other words, the trainers Of the constitu-
ton believed that the state would be so pros
porous that when the &000.00O,000 point wae
reached the receipts for state purposes could
be maintsinsd even with . reduction of taxa
ton. But they neglected to consider the fact
that states growth carries with 1t CORE
spending increase OF expenditures. and . con-
seQuent necessity for increased revenues.
It is fair to presume that when the constitu
ton was adopted, sixteen years ago, the receipts
into the treasury were ample to meet all de-
mands. This is proven by the fact that there
have been no deficiencies, except in the matter
OF costs in criminal cases. But the time has
come when increased expenditures appear to
be . necessity. and while the revenues have
been ample for state purposes and might still
be sufficient, the constitution requires u large
reduction of taxes. In view, therefore, of the
constitutional requirement, the state board of
equalization finding the $500 O0O0UO limit
reached in the way OF assessment. proceeded
last spring to declare the fact, and also the
further fact that the taxes for state purposes
were Of necessity reduced from twenty to If
teen cents
This made decided difference in the esti-
mated amount of receipts. and will have an i'm
portant bearing upon the future OF legislation.
IN other words, the general assembly will be
compelled to cut its garment according to the
cloth" and the cloth will be decidedly narrow.
The total amount of real. personal, railroad
and telegraph property for 1891 taxes was ST.
722.GOO, which, upon basis of - cents on the
hundred dollars valuation. yielded a revenue
for state purposes of 81, s55. iii
The total amount OF real, personal, rairoa
and telegraph property for 1s9. taxes was $751;,
59l, 600, which on the new assessment of Is
cents yielded q revenue for state purposes Of
only 81 1857. 766, a difference in receipts be-
tween the years 1891 and lS9. of $685.. 657
This means that the revenue for the ensuing
two years will be s775 s15 less than for the pre-
ceeding two years.
The state auditor, in his report for last year,
says:
1T is evident at a glance that levy of Is
cents on the slGo voiustion on an assessment Of
transfer of third of tina receipts into the
revenue fund appropriated for 1882 by the
port Of public schools and to pay the expenses
Of the state government The difference be-
tween the taxes raised on this sum at this rate
will be $780, AS less than 80 csnts on the 500
S877, ,778, the total assessment. for 1891 taxes.
This is q serious problem which must be
mands on the revenue fund With a REDUCTION lon
OF $39O.445 in the receipts.
In view of this fact it is proposed to reduce
the appropriation for the support of the public
schools, or rather to restore it to the constitu-
tional limitation Of one fourth of the total
this should be done by the general assembly 1t
would save to the revenue fund for the years
1854 about si75. OO0, which would be ava1labl,
for other purposes.
With = loss Of three quarters of q million
dollars in receipts for two years, what can be
accomplished in the way of supporting the
state government in the way it ehould be sup
portedf The state auditor estimates that the
new receipts will be sufficient for ordinary
purposes. And by ordinary purposes" he
means all those expenditures now provided by
law such as the civil list, assessment and col.
lection of the revenue, contingent funds and
such other expenses as the existing laws direct
shall be incurred and met. But IL It is
desired to rebuild the state university,
to construct new wing
some one of the state institutions, that
would be construed as an extraor-
binary expense. and would have to be provided
tor accordingly. The appropriations made by
the last general assembly for the years 1891
were s.. 159 I'll. against nearly all of which war
rants have been drawn, or will be drawn before
the time for the Iapsing of the appropriations
occurs. leaving an estimated deficiency Of $31,-
100. It is reasonable to suppose that the forth
coming general assembly will find it necessary
to appropriate both in an ordinary and extra
ordinary way to an amount somewhere near
these figures And in that event the necessity
arises as it must inevitably arise, for thu rails
ing of an additional amount Of revenue.
The appropriations Of the last legislature