The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-07
THE STATES INCOME
What It Amounts to and
Sources Whence 1t
Is Derived.
COMPTROLLER HANCOCK'S REPORT
Contribution Of the Railways and
Canals -Coilatera Inheritance
-. R. r. Plum.

A6 tttah wiz y
sstrictly to his business, does not NEEDLE
with politics and goes to church on sun
days, knows in a casual sort of way that
ne has no State tax to pay, and that the
tight little commonwealth is in a very fair
financial condition, but as to how the
State gets enough income to pay its run
ming expenses. his ideas are apt to be
very vague and misty. All these facts
are to be learned from the annual re-
port of State Comptroller William s.
Hancock. which has just been submitted
to the Legislature, b. those who have
figures and statistics. The Comptroller
starts off with the gratifying intelligence
the financial condition of the State
is in a highly satisfactory condition, the
fiscal year closing on October 81. 1895.
with a cash balance of $S9S. 747. SS in the
treasury in spite of large extraordinary
demands. During the year the WAR
Debt the only debt of the State, was
reduced 81, 600, leaving the total amount
of the States Indebtedness only $3.50, 400,
ance in the treasury, and hence the
State is practically out Of debt.
The Comptroller expresses the belief
llIdl ttlS dCtS OI ldSl year, pIONfQliIS " q
general appropriation bill and prohibiting
the expenditure of any of the States
money except under a specific appropria-
ton. were wise and their effect will be
beneficial. The estimated receipts for the
present fiscal year, including balance on
hand on October 81 last, are 50, 965, HISS
and the estimated disbursements 1885,
9.32, leaving a probable balance of
oo, rSo "a Wi - L. ~..-1 49, lta
must be charged all extraordinary appro-
priations made by the. present Legisla-
ture and the Comptroller warns that
body to be as economical as possible,
because there should be a balance of not
less than 500, 900 in the treasury at the
close of the fiscal year.. to meet payment
of expenses in excess of receipts between
November /, 1895, and February /, 1897,
and to cover the advancing of the an
nual appropriation of $4,000 Q to the school
fund. This brings down the sum that
the Legislature can safely spend this
session, outside the regular appropriation
bill, to less thar $500, 600, and gives seant
encouragement TO those who want large
amounts appropriated for the new Re-
formatory at Railway, the Reform
School. State Prison and different ar
mories.
The main source Of the States income
was, of course. taxes pald by corporations,
railroad and miscellaneous. This x
levied in 1894. the collection being always
a year later than the assessment. The
total assessment upon railroad and canal
Sc ssors in 1884 was s2is,7 n. 072. and the tax
levied amounted to 81. 09S. S55.37, all OF
which with the exception Of $S~75.563-s2 was
Pennsylvania Railroad system is the
largest contrIbutor to the fund It paid
sz43. 0l0.93 and still owes $74 1924 Next
comes the Central Railroad system, pay
ing 1921. 1877. 20. and the Delaware. Lacka-
wanna and Western with 1888, S6S. "a. Others
paying large amounts are Lehigh Valley,
$94. 048. 50: New York Lake Erie and West
ern. Ssh. 3Sl.72: Philadelphia and Reading,
81, 71S. Al: New York. Susquehanna and
Western, So. $50. o !; y West Shore and On
$13. 100. rs. The thirty-five other companies
pay sums ranging downward from 1900
to $18.7 IS. the latter sum being assessed
against the Passaic Elevated Transit Com
pan The total amount of railroad tax
levied is SIG. 6S9.B in excess Of the previous
year. and an increase of SS72.525.3S in the
went into effect.
Besides the above tax on franchises the
State Board ard o Of a assessors also LEVIED the
and personal property Of the railroad
companies throughout the State. This
was collected through the State Treasurer,.s
OillCSN 6iNo ACPo1d Z y liz
palities in which the property was stu
ated. Essex county. received as its
share s.157 70, Of which s7,ss1.R came to
column of receipts is that of miscellaneous
corporations. From this source the treas
ury received 1898 ,s42: Sc. an increase of $685.
$780, 3 over the previous year. The increase
in the ten years since 1885 has been enor-
nous. amounting to s557. 663. 10. and is ow-
e cor organized under New Jer-
liberal corporation laws. The report
does not give the number of these miseel-
lam laneq ps b eoTg0r oa 9hs f set th at on eI NAV /,
ernor as having failed to pay the taxes
assessed againf Is cd fhems II I'm eo, lay and ier
~heritances is a comparatively new one. but
It turned into the treasury the neat sum
n the way Of S~urrogates' and Appraisers
fees and legal expenses to collect this
amount.
the seefl treasury q the s'a Sum he Of ss4' s Sadsu as the the
receipts of his office, and this was s.. $3.50
less than the year before. The Commits
over sss, 1864 and the State Board Of
Assessors $12:15. making the total from
official fees s1o2. ISL .0s. The income from
other sources not specified was So. 7o2.64,
while the expenses of that institution. in
Gliding salaries. maintenance and repairs,
were STA, 440O. IS. leaving a balance of SILL
s97.94 on the wrong side Of the ledger. 1t
may surprise some people to know that
1T takes a good deal more money to pay
the salaries at the State Prison than IT
s9Is Being a4.oo2.s a. and that Of main
tepance S74,6S6.57 There was an increase of
S.. 420.49 in the State Prison receipts over
the previous year.
Under the law which provides certain
services of Supreme Court Justices and
the Chaneellors. there was paid into the
State Treasury by the Clerk in Chancery,
sfne Clerk bf the Supreme Court, the
Secretary of State and the different Coun-
ty Clerks the sum of sS1, 548.45, which was
i0o0. OF this amount County Clerk Wright
son of Essex contributed A.669.2S. If these
different judicial officers depended upon
the fees thus received for their eompen-
sation. there would be fewer lawyers.
anxious for seats on the bench or wool
gardly as that, and paid to the Supreme
Court Justices Chancellor and Vice Chan
ceIlOrs salaries to the amount of $124,-
g62. is. Attention is called to the law re-
souiring County Clerks to make a return
payment Of the fees charged for the
IN ten days after the expiration Of each
term of court. and a list Of the delin-
quents is given. From this 1t appears
that no returns were received from Es-
sex for the September term. 1882; Sep
TENDER and December terms. 1880: April.
April term, 1892, All these accounts
have been placed in the hands of the
Attorney General for collection.
Among the assets of the State are
1887 shares of stock of the United Rail-
sey, which are leased by the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company. The par value
~ these shares is $18S, 700, and the mar