Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-08


Spotsyivania ........ LSi 80 duvU ~
warwick ........ $500. i3Vzi - So io. W ~
washington ....s. lo,Voo ss ooA~f ~
Totals. 80 counties. 1855. o7o IS 1907 1853 81
counties .........................:. sss2s3O Il
Counties amount to .'........... so7.5s5 80
counties amount to ........... 5ss.o7o Is
Excess Of county over State taxes
In these 30 counties .......... 300. 9S9 q
County taxes are derived only from IN
comes. capitations, railroads, telegraph
and telephone companies. and from real
and personal property. and in the com
pa'rdson above Of course no atten dsrva Is
from licenses, ETC.. nor to its revenue from
railroads, telegraph and telephone com
panies. which are paid direct to the Au-
ditor's office. In Richmond.
Estimating upon this as basis ! find
that county taxes for the entire State
amount to s2100.o00.
Upon the same basis. found that State
taxes derived from these sources-to-wit,
real and personal property. incomes. ana
capitations-amoun to sl.350,o00, while
the actual returns. according 10 the Au-
ditors report, amounted TO N.SS3.5H.6f.
NORTH CAROLINA'S FIGURES.
Now for a few comparisons:
N. C.-Total county taxes .....$ 94653l "
Na.-Taxes, 80 counties ........ 0l9oy ~
va.-Taxes. 100 counties 2.10oOO W
N C-TotaI county taxes ... 9i6331 OF
N. C.-Total State taxes ...... 2.0o4,l3S II
taxes a' o'a.e anu .ou".' 5000. 4ee SO
va.-Total State expenses. 49,. 3.754,629 %
Excess OF Virginia's State ex-
penses over the combined
State and county expenses OF
North Carolina ................. 75f.159 IL
Va. State and county expenses. b,S54629 %
Excess over the same In N. c.. 2.S54l59 W
Excess of Virginia's State ex-
penses over those of North
Carolina, after deducting the
excess of interest on her
State debt. paid by Virginia. 1,9S2,0o2 %
FOR JUST TWO COUNTIES.
Now. let's make comparison Of Pittsyl-
vania county, Va. with Rockingham
county, N. c.:
Pittssylvssnia ............%5. seSss22ssse
State t'x's. C'y Txs. TIL Txs.
Pittsylvania ..sSs.21t o. si7s6i 81 $77,17s IS
1t is such comparisons as this that make
me believe that there is an overwhelm-
ing necessity for radical and pronounc-
ed changes in our methods Of State Gov
eminent. But this Is not all. Twenty-three
thousand, seven hundred and eighty dol
lars and forty-seven cents represents the
total Of Rockingham county's State taxes,
the s2s.2i4M does not represent the total
Of Pittsylvanias State taxes 1t repre-
sents only the revenue derived from real
and personal property. incomes. and capt.
tations. II does not represent one dollar
OF what the State derives in this coun-
~ from railroads. telegraph companies,
and from licenses. One half about Of
latter. sources. and. including these. l
should say that the total OF State taxes
raised in Pittsylvania alone amounted to
$1,000 or very nearly that amount. A
RECEIPTS LESS THAN EXPENSES.
l think can show that this Is the exact
situation of affairs:
During the fiscal year ending
September 80. 1893. Virginia's
receipts were .................S3s20S3 26 SO
Nirginia's expenses were ....... 3,154.629 o5
Excess OF expenses ............. AL. S02 30
During the fiscal year ending
September 30. 1894. Virginia's
receipts were ................... S,ns3l5l ii
Virginia's expenses were ..... 800. $40 ~
Excess OF expenses .............. 5l9, 4l9 SC
This shows that Virginia's re-
compared with 1893 ........... 2ao.l7s IS
which is real.
And that during 1894 there was
decrease In expenditures Of. 159.05s 0s
which is apparent, and not real. as will
now show:
In 1894, the Second Auditor paid
out in interest on the State
debt the sum Of ...............S 1854 q
And in 1893 the sum Off,. 1.2O5.5a 81
The enormous and abnormal amount
Of interest paid in the year 1888 is due to
bhiS IdCt. AHlcIcSt Was HiIOWtu 10 dC-
cumulate for several years before, and
was paid out In 1893. and charged to
that years interest account. Three items
will account for this arrears in interest,
as follows:
1. Accumulated interest for
several years on the bonds
Works ...;..,..;............ - $3.50 80
manuscript bond, due In July,
1892. not paid until 1898 800. 327,197 20
3. Coupons rendered for taxes
prior 10 1S93 but not paid
until that year ................. 1866 90
Amounting altogether to the
Deduct this amount from the total ex 4
penses for 1893. and We will see that our
a g. ts o. state expenses for that year were
S sSows instead OF ,sSs whieh
those of 1894 by $3i4,e57.52. desire TO be
fair. and will say that $4,000 of this
inc ass was due to an act Of
bonds to be purchased, and retired,
leaving the actual increase in expenses
sll4,65752, confronted by a decrease In
revenue for the same period Of sd. l75.55.
Virginia has been travelling this road
for some years Let us examine the con-
dition OF her Treasury for three years
Balance in State Treasury on
October /. 1892. ................N ,102, 95S q
B os,Ss.r IN 7 80, State Treasury on e &
Balance in State Treasury on 0'''0'' o
Balance in state Treasury on
October ]. 1896, less than -. 62.000 90
Showing that for two years prior 10
October. l. 1894. virginia's expenses ex-
ceeded her receipts by $4,000.
, THE STATES FIXED CHARGES
charges upon the State to the amount OF
$4,000: Penitentiary, pensions, public
schools, asylums. appropriations to col
leges and normal schools. criminal ex-
pe,n1 '. contingent expenses Of courts,
GERS Of the government. and interest on
the public debt.
These fixed charges will soon be further
increased by. the Increase Of interest on
cent: which will increase fixed charges
A SMALL, WORKING BODY.
Call a constitutional convention. con-
cluded Mr.. Withers. composed Of the best
minds In the State. restrict Its numbers
to the smallest, possible limit for Ell
Constitution that will bring Virginia to
the age and era Of intelligent and en-
lightened government Let them give
us Constitution shorn OF absurd and
costly features; a Constitution that will
mlcal State Government. How? BY. abol-
ishing all unnecessary offices and cffi-
Gals, such as commissioners Of the reve-
nue.. city and county treasurers, except
In few OF the larger cities and counties;
abolish the entire county-court, system,
prosecuting attorneys: force the State
institutions to live upon an economical
basis; make every official In the State re-
port his salary. fees. commissions. and