Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-01-04
SOUTH DAKOTA'S DEFICIT.
state Auditor Nipple On the Condi.
ton OF the States Finances.

Sioux Falls, s. D., Dec. 27.-State Au-
ditor J. f. Nipple will have his annual
report ready for distribution during the
coming two weeks. Mr.. Nipple, in an
interview, rave some of the points
which will be made. He says: THE re-
port will show that the deficit for the
year in the states finances will reach
$l26, 900. The total warrants paid out
up to the end of the fiscal year, July l,
amounts to $443, 900. The total revenue
received by the general fund of the
state from all sources amounts to $317,-
600. A year & in my report ! pre-
dicted a deficit of 500, 900, but the Tay-
Tor investigation and other work grow
ing out Of that have raised the sum to
hat stated. To meet this the legisla-
ture levied a deficiency tax Of 2 mills,
and this will be collected the coming
spring. This deficiency a. will amount
To S242, 600, and with 1t the regular state
tax Of 2 mills will raise for the state
$751;, 600. OF this S107, 900 must be app
piled to take up the net deficit from the
Taylor default, which will leave $3lS,-
600 for the state. .
while in the even years the
just abou offset the expenses, in tho
odd ones, owing to the meeting of tho
legislature, there Is bound to be an an
nual deficit of about 500, 900. This must
be raised by a deficiency tax and from
the nature OF the constitution this tax
is not available until nearly two years.
after the mony has been spent. In this
way the state is compelled to pay each
year for interest on these deferred pay!
ments, which are represented by the
outstanding warrants, about $4,000,
which is pure waste. ! have very
strongly recommended a constitutional
amendment by which the annual levy
can be raised to at least 3Aa mills. hat
would just about make the expenditures
whole ever on the present extremely
parsimonious scale. If this reform is not
made the state must go ahead year af-
ter year paying out this useless interest
There is another way Of accomplishing
the same end, to increase the assessed
valuation, but this appears to be i'm.
possible. Each county trive TO get
ahead Of the others by undertaking.
its property, and while the state board
of equalization can do much to remedy
this, it mo correct it entirely.
But if the state is wise il will not con-
tinue the present niggardly appropria.
tions. 1t is exceedingly short sighted
policy. For instance the insane asylum
buildings have cost something like $780,.
600. No insurance is carried on any Of
the state buildings. Should the asylum
burn it could not be rebuilt, since the
state cannot increase its bonded debt
and under the present law it cannot
raise more revenue. 1t is most short.
sighted to refuse to insure this and 9th.
er state buildings which may burn al
any time. Then all the state institu.
tions are subject to increasing demands
as the years go by. The penal and re
formatory institutions naturally I'm,
GREASE their population and the surcs
which were necessary to maintain thu
when South Dakota entered stateh<,d
are entirely inadequate now The pa
tients in the insane asylum nave dou.
bled and so have the prisoners in the
~penitentiary. More money is impera.
lively necessary unless some Of the in.
stitutions are to be closed"