The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-02-02
AN IMPORTANT STATE PAPER.

The Biennial Report of State Auditor Sci.
bert Ready for the PubIic-A Com 2Iete
financial Exhibit of the Workings OF the
state Department.
Inc biennial report of State Auditor
James NJ Seibert is out of the hands of
the public printer and ready for dis
but to the members of the Thirty
eighth general assembly and 20 the
pnollc. This is the most important OF
all state papers, as it is a complete
exhibit of the workings Of
the state government.
The subject of criminal costs is dis
cussed and attention is called to the
TACT that the unpaid bills of 1894. now
on hle in his Office, amount to Sl17.-
5000, which, with the S525, 600 esti-
mated for payment of bills in 1866,
make a total of S642. 426. so to be pro-
vlded for by this legislature. This item
OF public expenditure, he says, has
been about equal to 10 cents per capita
OF the population during the past fifty
years, and suggests, very pointedly,
that II the laws were so amended as to
bring o the more speedy trial of
persons charged with crime, limiting
continuances and changes of venue, the
effect would be a very material reduc-
ton of this expenditure. He does not
believe that the fees of the officers
charged with the enforcement of the
criminal code can be safely reduced,
since they are already lower than are
allowed for similar services in civil
cases.
The balance in the treasury on Jan
uary l, 1898, was $780,, 277.As; the re-
ceipts from all sources into all the
funds in 1884 were 81. 93s, 35G. Il: the
disbursements for all purposes, 81, $50
sos. ~: and the balance on January /,
1895. was S7I9, 725.43. 1t is worthy Of
notice that only 81, 543. 955. ST of the
S6,93s.3J6-1 came in from collectors of
the revenue for taxes and licenses. and
that the balance of SI.394. 400. 80 was
derived from foreign insurance COM
panies, Incorporation tax, interest on
state deposits, earnings of the convicts
IN the penitentiary, and from n
collected by the treaSurers of the elee-
mosynary institutions, etc.
The receipts into the revenue fund in
1s93-95 were S4,O34, 6s1.4G, and the dis
burSementS were as follows:
Expenses. state government. 1893. 81 :257. 6I7 81
Expenses. state government. 1884. 1905. 2s3 IL
Support OF public schools, 1893. ..... 61O.g = II
support of public schools. 1885,. 6l7,0T -
Partial support. Denitentiary. 1893. l.2l7 IS
EleemoSynary institutions, 1893 Gee. 1920 IS
Eleemosynary institutions, 1894 ... l59,s57 81
The state interest fund received ST.
955, SGs.64, which was used as follows:
Interest on bonded debt. .......... s5I3.O75 81
Interest on school and seminary GER
tlnclteS. a'0,Ig9 81
Transfer to sinking fund -. ........ s9l .9g3 IS
The disbursements from the sinking
fund We're for purchase of $50, 900 of
unmatured e per cent. bonds, redemp-
ton of $4,000 of 81 per cent. option
bonds, and the payment at maturity
of $4,000 of 6 per cent. bonds.
The state debt on January l is given
as follows:
Six per cent. $50. 900 90
Three and one-half per cent. option
bonds 5.0s6.00l 90
School certlhcateS: 3liO.UO 90
Seminary certificates. I,lgs. 95S %
Total ...... 90. $40. 81, 95s %
In 1894 the sum of S6.424, $50. 80 was
expended for support of the public
schools, derived from the following
sources:
Interest on capital school fund.- 5l7.65I p
state school T7. I76 36
Direct taxes in iStrictS............ 4.5S3. $50 go
In 1884 the 5,257 dramshops in the
state yielded the following license tax:
For the state 3I2. 74s 81
+ OF the COuutleS-----.-. ..-.--- l,G3N 90 81
For cities and towns -.--.-..... 457. 6Si 30
The bonded debt of the municipal
governments on July l. 1894, was as
follows:
Counties 9-23I1I6 %
Iownships------- $500. e. 29$3Goo o.
1915 $3.50 81
Add state bonded debt........... e.0l6.OOJ 90
state certificates. i-SS.95s 23
Total bonded debt 81. $50 3Os IS
1t appears that the total amount of
taxes and licenses collected from the
annual settlement of the collectors in
March, 1894, wa as follows:
State 2.0G5. 633 O5
County revenue. -................ S.353. 6O6 IL
Roads and bridgeS............ o.. 332.s SOS o.
Township roads and bridges......- 1895 "a
TOWNSHIP taxes $500 ---.-..-...-. 2l2.06l o.
Interest on local bondS....... 51s.JG5 IL
Payment Of AS. 705 Is
School 1885,. 9g 81
Total. SIG S9.esI IS
Auditor Seibert. in commenting on
this aforementioned table. SAYS in his
report: Il am decidedly of the opinion
that the amount of state and municipal
taxes now collected from the people is
ample for public uses and should not,
under any circumstances, be increased.
1t is needless to say that this can only
be accomplished by limiting the ex-
penditures to the present revenues.
Our taxable wealth is steadily increas-
ing, and, when possible, the rate of
levy should be cut down"
State G~lesnings.
The PRESBYTERIAN church at Mem