The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-03-07
AN IMPORTANT AND DIFFICULT
QUESTION TO HANDLE BY
TUE LEGISLATURE.
HAT Will BE THE OUTCOME?
wpTT pOSTED MEN ON THE
STATES FINANCES SAY THE
TAX RATE MUST BE
RAISED TO AT LEAST
THIRTY CENTS.
n Additioa to Increasing the Laws Gov
erning I,aneipts from Other Revenue
Sources Will They Do 1t and Put
the S,ate ON Firm and Sound
C9sh-Paying Basis?


1# The grAyest and most important ques-
. ions to be considered by this legislature
bre finances and revenues, and there are
MANY who lave never given the matter
.fue and proper consideration. The ap-
Precipitation wear has closed ON the 2Sth
HAY of February and the condition of
34he general revenue fund is properly I'M
y dersrtood by only very few. The States
Y man reporter has been fully investigating
this matter Tor some time, gathering cor
rect data and information regarding
thereto. ............... ..
There were $21S,OO0 in outstanding reg
istered warrants at the close of said year
/. which Rad not been called, but the treas
urer hoflng since called another thousand
numbers 60 ering the surplus of cash on
hand, agcre yating $4,000, virtually leaves
S132,0O0 worth of registered outstanding
warrants on March 1, 1895, the beginning
of the new year. There is also a detici-
ency in the preparations made by the last
Legislature amounting to $4,000, for
which appro priations have to be made.
In other words, the state starts in with
\ registered deficiency of $132,OO0 in
warrants and S195,000 in certificates,
while on the contrary there should be a
cash balance on hand at this thine of at
least 81 600 900 in order to tide over the
months from March to December, as the
receipts during this time will be very
light, derived principally from occupation
taxes.
A Teat many do not realize and under
stand this m alter, but think that as there
only remains about $130,000 due, and
which amount will be called for payment
before the close of the present month
tnat the trGa sury is soon to be on sound
md cash laying basis. And this is the
very fact hich the conservative and
knowing ones will have to contend with.
4 lumber Of the newspapers have been
bOasiiug that the state will soon be on
sound and cash paying basis again, never
explaining though they will realize that
it will only be for few days or weeks
at the very longest.
There are no appropriations for the
expenses ul the state government after
Feb. % 1885, except for the Legislature,
consequently whatever receipts will accrue
to the state revenue fund from March l
until tie cgislature makes new appro-
priatioD fOr the ensuing two years, they
will be aDplied to the payment of the
present outs landing registered warrants,
ne also for additional warrants which may
vet be issued by the comptroller for eX-
penSes incurred under the old approprla-
ton prior 10 Feb. %, and the further eX,
penses of me legislature. 1t is believed
the receipts will be sufficient to resume
cash payments for all of such warrants
before or is the last of this month, and
that She lrrasurer will continue to pay
cash for yya rants when issued until the
approDr8ton bills are passed.
From past experience the appropfllIlon
i IS generally the last one passed by
the legis.uure, so it is very probable that
the bill win not be passed before May 1.
In addition to the regular expenses ior
fine ersnuc two years, an appropriation
will have no be made for the DEFICIENCIES
now pZistinl in appropriations of the past
two years, amounting to $l9oOOo as 1ur-
nished BIS Comptroller Finley to the
finance committees. ~,
Nov. copsidering the appropriation Dlll
viii he passed May 1, there will then be
5r, bv ,ha state for which warrants VIII
nj once be issued, two months expenses eeS
of the go5egnment and the sald ploo,oV!uu
deficiency appropriations. This Will
aCo;n sf1rt the treasurers register at
once and al future warrants VIII nave "
he registered, as the surplus revenue re-
ceived oy.r and above current warrants
dTr;ne he months of March and April
,ciil no NOR than pay the above Sl9o,OOO,
leaving a1 amount at least equal to TWO
months aspenses Ito be registered at the
Now, let the situation be considered
from another standpoint, taking the en-,
sniug wear only as a basis. -.
The house finance committee n s,vo
6nisbpd thrr labors and after nearly Two
montbs examinations and close invesstiga,
Hons, cutting here and there. and not
f f,GIi' to prune the yoor clerks salaries
a5 t, viii present their bill to the house
tomorrow. in which they recommend t the
foll0wing Total appropriations for the
yeor beginning March 1, 1898, and enuing
FEB. Is, 1896: