Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-10-07
THE STATE LEVY LEGAL.


The refusal Of the authorities of some
Of the counties Of South Dakota to make
the levy which was ordered by the state
board of equalization, on the ground Of
its illegality, has developed the fact that
during the session of the last legislature
the supreme court rendered decision
to the effect that any levy made by the
board for the purpose of meeting de
ticiencies would be legal. Commenting
on the deficiency tax, and the necessity
for making the levy, State Auditor Nipple
recently said;
1t is quite interesting to note some Of
the comments made by state papers on
this deficiency tax made by the state
board of assessment, and especially
some who claim that the republican
party is 10 blame for the whole situa-
tion. The fact of the matter is that all
parties have had men in the legislature
| who have aided the state very materi-
ally toward getting in debt. The chief
| worker on the appropriation bill two
years ago was democrat, and the inde-
pendents and democrats had a majority
! on the committee. The past winter
some of the hardest work done for pub
lie institutions was by democrats and
independents. AS result the state has
deficiencies to meet. The whole trouble
started with statehood. In the first
place the constitution limited the levy
TO an amour. insufficient to meet the
demands OF the state. In the next place
the public institutions were SO scattered
that the prestige brought about by the
combined efforts of the representatives
, of the various counties where they are
located secured appropriations which
could not be met by the revenues Of the
state. The state board OF assessment in
1890 made a horizontal raise of assess
ment or the state would be in debt more
| than IL is. Then TO follow this the ap.
preparations were greater every year
| than the income of the state. Some
people seem 10 think that the state
! officers and th-ir Offices are much of
| these, but close comparison will show
that no state in the union runs as cheap
ly rs We do. The salary Of the state
officers and supreme and circuit Judges
is just $4,000 per annum. To Offset
this the state auditors office through the
insurance department turns over about
So, 900 II year and the other offices about
| $1,000, SO that virtually the state only
pays for the expense of running the
offices, and that amounted the present
fiscal year to S33, 1925. The next great
expense is the asylum for the insane
which has an appropriation of 900,
but which sum is offset byabout $50 900
special tax by counties. The peniten-
.iary with S32,3 ,366, reform school with
$20, ,3i6 and school for deaf mute with
| $4,000 appropriation, a total of S66,62l
are necessities. This sum added TO the
expense of the state department, and
the $50, 900 for the asylum which is not
met from taxation by counties makes u
! total of Sl20,4l4. A session Of the legis-
Iature every two years adds an average
Of S35, 900 year. The soldiers home
which gets $25.725 a year, the public
examiner &, 100 year, and computing
this amount you have SlS3,229 and have
not considered the expense of convey
| ing convicts 10 the pc.i::entiary, burial
Of deceased soldiers, insurance on stale
buildings, compensation for land office
clerk, expense of state board Of equal
ization, together with a few minor Lec-
essities and you have fully 100000 ex-
pense which is absolutely indispensable.
The assessment Of the state is $l35, 900,
900. A mill levy of all collateral
would return s270.000 but with the usual
loss in collections, $2250O is all that
can be reasonably expected. You can
easily see that it takes $4,000 TO run
the branches referred to and that you
have about $25 900 from other resources.
How is the state to pay S2S, $50 for uri-
versity expense, S29, 400 for the normal
schools, Sll 300 for agricultural college,
sl0,925 for school Of mines, $4,000 fol-
militia, $1,000 for board Of charities and
corrections, $500 to state fair aid,
$500 for railroad commissioners, 81, 600
for commissioner of labor. 81 500 for en-
gineer Of Irrigation. 81 900 for board oI
health, $1,000 for maintaining blind
pupils, and have about forty five other
appropriation laws in effect giving boun-
ties. etc, and then allow these same in
stitutions to run up deficiencies all out
of S25OO0? We want to see these
figures. The fact of the matter is the
state has got to do two things to run on
a business like method. change the con
stitution, allowing a larger levy, ther
cut off some of the aid to the various
institutions and make the institution.
run within their means.