Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-05

worth Of property for whole year
with the value OF a good Mexican ci-
gar Wiiile doing this they made very
large extraordinary appropriations
over and above the past usual expenses
OF the government that had TO be paid
out OF the money on hand. such as
10000 for publishing two constitutional
amendments; defending Greer county.
$4,000; codifylng laws. $500; equipping
and maintaining the San Antonio asy-
lum. $4,000; extra Improvement OF
other asylums. Siss, 800: railroad com
mission, slS9, 100; addition to state uni
versity, $4,000; improvements at the
Agricultural and Mechanical college.
$4,000; maintaining and operating the
medical university at Galveston, s74,-
900; financial agent, $1,000; improving
the reformatory, $1,000 supportin
the Confederate home, s45, 900; improv-
ing She penitentiaries. si1 900; 10 pay sal.
aries OF judges and district attorneys of
new districts, $4,000; for wolf scalps
IN the west, $4,000; aggregatins over
100000.
The Legislature to blame.
"rhe necessary annual expenses OF
these new offices and institutions OF
course must be borne by my adminis-
tration. Imposed on my administration
also was the payment out OF the gem
eral revenue Of s2b0,0O0 old state bonds
many years standing.
when the taxes were thus reduced,
the new institutions started, the extra
ordinary appropriations made and the
public debt paid, the prediction was
freely current among flnanciers that a
deficiency would necessarily regult by
the end of the year, This was believed
and asserted without any charge OF eN-
trava gance No deficiency occurred
Lac
January of last year by general mes
sage urged the leveling up OF taxable
values and pointed out other methods
Of supplying the revenue 10 defray
governmental expenses and TO avoid
deficiency without resorting to the in
crease Of taxation. Had these sugges-
lions been adopted the treasury would
be easy today Property values have
never been justly assessed In this state.
In this lies n great evil and | tried but
failed to have the legislature remedy
II. The census for 1890 shows that the
aggregate value Of property In Texas
for that or the preceding year was 81
10b $40. 7G6. The real estate then alone
was valued at sl,220,4iT77l, For the
same period the same property was
rendered to the state for taxation in
the aggregate sum OF only S7S2,1l1,-
$50 or about one million and quarter
dollars less than the truth warranted.
doubled they would fan short by half
billion dollars Of the true value, but
the present very low rate OF
taxation would be reduced to 10 cents
and cash in the treasury would be
sufficient for the economical admins
tratlon of public affairs.
Come school statistics.
INSTEAD of raising taxable values or
Increasing the tax rate the last legis-
lature added additional extraordinary
| appropria tons TO the amount OF nearly
| half a million dollars for the improve
ment OF public buildings and other
purposes. The records show that /
vetoed over S360OO0 OF these items. In
| preparations the Legislature also
charged to the general revenue account
| the expense OF the department OF edu-
| cation including the various higher
educational institutions, amounting In
the aggregate 20 over s225O0O which
fore was paid out Of the available
public free school FUND.
"Under the present rate OF taxation,
| ~ man has property assessed at
| $4,000 he pays TO the state on II each
| yenr for general revenues 1916; for
| free schools, s312 L.; revenue poll, 90
J cents, and school poll, 81, making in
/ all IS. 81 1-2.
II he has two children In school he
gets from the state public free school
= fund 81 so for each IN the payment
| of their annual tuition, or little over
| so cents more than his taxes. What
| state or country can produce such a
record? Not another. Why should the
property owner complain? He pays
| low taxes Why should the man who
| has no property complain? He pays no
taxes and gets his children educated
free. Why should the merchant who
occasionally sells to the state COM
| PLAIN He Is not compelled to furnish
supplies, and thousands OF others are
willing and anxious TO do so;
''why should the bondholder com
plain? His interest and principal will
be paid when due. why should the
officials or employees complain? They
get about ali the money. anyway, and
, can resign for better paying Jobs at
| any time; or the election Is not far
on and the people will not force them
| TO stand for another term. There is
| no excuse for anybody 10 complain eN-
cept the enemies OF Texas and the an
tagonists OF the Democratic party.
/ Their complaint may go on; II VIII
prove harmless. Upon the whole, every
| impartial, sensible man who is n friend
OF Texas and good government must
| admit that the truth Will commend
my administration as prudent, frugal
and economical, instead OF Joining In
the irresponsible. malignant misrepre-
sentation that II has been extrayagant
in any particular"
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