The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-01-02

The returns to the department; of
internal affairs show the total indebt-
edness of the Counties of Pennsyl-
vania to be $62,6oI,5S3 81. Phila
delphia's debt is $53,oto,33S oS and
that of Allegheny county $3 65o,o53-
II. The counties reporting no debt
are Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Centre,
Clarion, Cumberland, Erie, Franklin,
Greene, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Le-
high, Mexican, Northampton, Somer
set, Susquehanna, Venango, Washing
ton and Wyoming. Lackawanna
county, which reported no debt this
year, had a debt of $I6o,ooo last
year. Somerset and Mexican coun.
ties make no return this year.
The counties that have increased
their Indebtedness during the year are
Bedford, Cameron, Carbon, Crawford,
Elk, Fulton, Jefferson, Juniata, Ian
caster, Lycoming, Mercer, Northum
berlsnd, Perry, Potter, Tioga and
Union All the other counties either
maintain the same Indebtedness or
have reduced the amount. The total
amount of county Indebtedness re.
ported in 1891 was SS4773,I9a.4a
1892, $63, ,6oa 5oa.4a; 1898, $63,-
9Sa,537 "a; 1894, $65,743,363 40
1895, $62,6oI,5S5.9I.
The aggregate amount of taxes as
sessed in 1895 is $2o,3S7,16S.o8, as
against SrS, 5o,66oS7 in 1891.
= Marked increases are found in the
counties of Armstrong, Beaver, Brad
-rd, Clearield, Cambria, Dauphin,
,rie, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson,
uniata, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Lu-
kerne, Mercer, Montour, Northumber-
land, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill,
Somerset, 1ioga and Westmoreland.
Large decreases are found in Berks,
Bucks, Butler, Chester, Clarion,
Columbia, Cumberland, Greene, Ly
coming, Northampton, Union, Wash.
ington and York.
The amount Of money at interest,
including mortgages, judgments,
bonds, notes, stocks, &c, in Pennsyl-
vania, is $5ao,o2o,5o7. What per
centage this amount bears to the
actual amount at interest and upon
which the state should receive four
n mills annually as taxation, cannot be
ascertained, but that many millions
of dollars Of this species of property
escapes taxation is beyond the slight
est doubt.
Secretary Latta says severe terms
are required to characterize acts o.
the assessors in regard TO their returns
OF the value Of stages, omnibuses
hacks, &c, in use This species o
personal property is made the subjec
OF taxation for state purposes. There
is large amount OF money invested
in this property, and yet the amount
returned in some counties is so trlflin(
as to be hardly worthy of mention. In
1891 the total amount returned wal
S636,667 1892, S627,I79; 1893
$soS,2o4; 1894, $57o,o6r; 1895
$554,467.
These figures show that the value
of this kind of property was severa
thousand dollars less in 1895 that i
was in 1891, but it is not believed
that this Is a true representation o
the facts. In the county of Allegheny
where there are hundreds OF thousands
of dollars invested in this species O
property, less than one hundred thou
sand dollars We're returned. In Berk
no return was made for 1894, anC
5000 returned in 1895. Cameron
county, while it had several stag,
lines, makes no return at all.
Dauphin county in 1894, with it
numerous stages, hacks, &c, returned
only $6S5, but there seems to have
been something of gain as the re
turns for 1906 show $4,945. Hunting
don county returns only $5ao. This
class of property seems to have large
ly disappeared from Lackawanna
county between the years 1894 anc
1895, as in the former year the re
turns showed S2I,536, and in the
latter but $II,37o.
Snyder county in 1894 returned
$I5o, but in 1896 the assessors failed
to find a vehicle upon which to make
a return. Sullivan county in 1894
seems to have had no property of this
kind, but In 1895 makes return of
500. There can be scarcely com.
inent made on this subject of taxation
as returned by the several boards of
county commissioners, that does no,
reflect in a most unfavorable manner
on the assessors, and shows shiftless
execution of the tax laws. Reckless
ness, shlftlessness and disregard oi
duty seems to characterize the asses
sors and the commissioners in making
returns, SO far at least as they relate
10 this species Of property.
The money at interest in Pennsyl.