The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-12-14
STATE AUDITORS REPORT.

TIVE DAILY LEADER is in receipt OF
State Auditor Nipples biennial report
for the years 1892 and 93. 1t Is
the largest and most complete report
ever issued from that Office. 1t Is
a valuable document for the student Oh
South Dakota finances. An excellent
feature and improvement on former re-
Lorts is the little matter OF placing at
the head OF the disbursements q
fund the amount of the appropriation
for that fund. This has been a much
felt want in former editions or This re-
port. The statements OF warrants Drawn
for the two fiscal years, the abstracts OF
assessments of the TWO years, the reports
of the insurance departments and the
auditors personal recommendations Tor
the benefit Of the next Legislature are all
concise, complete and systematic. The
auditor recommends a consolidation OF
MANY of the minor funds with others,
which would simplify and cheaper the
cost OF keeping accounts as we'll as pno'
fishing: also that a time should be liked
after which no warrants should be is
sued against any appropriation and tnaI
every law appropriating money should
provide how vouchers should be approx
ed and not make it obligatory upon the
auditor to pass upon them. The audi
tor reviews at considerable length the
subject of assessment and equalization
showing itsweaknesses and shortcomings.
Since the beginning of statehood the
treasury has fallen behind regularly
every fiscal year in whichthe Legislature
has met about an even 100000, more as
a result of shrinkage in assessments by
not complying with the provisions OF law
and the habit of county commissioners
in RENTING taxes. He calls the atten-
ton of the coming legislature to this BIZ
eunlally recurring deficiency and the
necessity of devising some way
and means to obvlate 1t. he
says three methods suggest them
selves; first, cutting down appropriations
to meet receipts; second, by raising the
valuation of property sufficient to make
the two-mill levy and other sources OF
State income, meet its demands; third,
by amending the constitution SO as to
permit of a higher rate OF levy, say three
mills instead of two, the present limit
He further recommends the abolition oil
the school poll tax al being an unequally
imposed and collected tax. The provis'
ions of the law for collecting personal
property taxes are also radically defect
i've and should be changed. The low
rate of interest charged on delinquent
taxes operates against their collection
and the mode Of the assessment and col
lection of taxes in unorganized counties
OF the state is an entire failure. Yet, in
view OF all these discouraging features
the following paragraph from the audi
tors report shows wildly that the state
is not in very bad financial condition
after all:
The amount of funding warrants out
standing June 30, 1894, was 100000. II
the balance OF SAG, 594.9O on hand in the
deficiency fund and the balance of sls4,
$500 in the general fund had been uses
TO pay the outstanding warrants, there
would nave been left IA balance ON hant
with which to begin the fiscal year O
1894, l1,430. This, it is believed, make
very favorable showing for the fisca
transactions of the state for the pas
two years"