The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-12

The incoming Republican state legis-
lature will fall legitimate heir to the
sins of the outgoing Republican terri
torial legislature and its committees
on ways and means will be under the
disagreeable necessity of raising funds
TO meet the expenses incurred by the
old body.
Treasurer Whitehead estimates that
when he leaves his office and turns
the state treasury over to the careful
| guardianship of Treasurer Chapman
there will be a deficit of at least $780,
600, which will be outstanding in war
rants and must be met, either with
bonds or with taxes. Asked for the
reason he said that it was a simple
proposition. The legislature has made
appropriations without providing the
funds wherwith to meet them.
Funds have been coming i'm this year
more slowly than any year before.
Counties that had paid almost their
full quota at this time last year have
paid but a small percentage OF 1T to
date. Weber and Cache, two of the
largest counties in the territory, have
not sent any considerable sum. Utah
county's contribution has been very
small. Last year Collector Leonard
This year Collector. Spencer has turned
in scarcely $4,000. Mr.. Whitehead says
he cannot understand this, but the
condition is practically the same with
every county. So far as Salt Lake is
concerned it seems that the people
are holding back until the last minute
before making settlement, and some of
the heaviest taxpayers have dated
their checks ahead SO as to just escape
delinquency.
But there is a thing that very seri-
ously affects the territorial fund, and
that is the alarming extent to which
taxes are being paid in territorial war
rants and court scrip. Two of the
large appropriations for public insti-
tutions-for the Reform school and for
the territorial fair, were split up into
small warrants and these were used
for money and bought up largely to
be used for the payment of taxes.
Many private persons also had their
warrants split up into fractional
The wisdom OF this course is now
apparent Among the brokers here
small warrants are now selling at 95
and SO cents, while large warrants are
quoted 80 and under. These small
warrants are being largely used to
pay the territorial tax of mills, while
the money is gong almost WnOWy 10
the school fund, which absorbs 8 mills
of the income. Hardly enough cash to
pay the current expenses is ON hand,
and it does not seem that enough will
come in before the end of the year to
admit of an attack on the great pile
of unpaid warrants. After the pay
ment of $4,000 public institution war
rants about 100000 Worlds fair war
rants are to be paid. Then follow a
great many thousand of various kinds
Either the taxes must be consider
ably raised to pay these off or they
will go in against the bonded indebted
ness. That has already reached $780,,
900 and the constitution prohibits more
than 100000 increase. If Mr. White
heads figures on the probable deficit
should prove correct this would leave
only 10000 more Indebtedness possible
and the legislature would be kept
within very strict bounds.
Appropriations next year must be
larger than they were this. 1t is
hardly possible to maintain the various
institutions on the small sums given
them by the last legislature. With
this additional burden to bear the out
look is certainly not brilliant for the
Hext chairman of the ways and means
committee