The record-union., 1897-01-06

"
this year. 1t is as follows:
Wholesale liquor dealers in
San francisco ............. 800
Wholesale liquor dealers in
balance of State. ............ 156
Wholesale dealers in malt
liquors in San Francisco. -. 80
| Wholesale dealers in malt
| liquors in balance of State. 81
Brewers in San Francisco - 20
| Brewers in balance of State. 10
14J
| Retail dealers in malt liquors
in San Francisco. ....... so
| Retail dealers in malt liquors
| in balance Of State. ......... 131
Retail liquor dealers in San
francisco .0,OOo
Retail liquor dealers in bal
ance OF State ............. .6,S46
- II, SAC
Iotal .......... ................. IZ,S5s
From these figures it is at once ap-
parent that the rates are fixed without
any system. They also show that up
ward of one-third Of the saloons in the
State of California escape the payment
of taxes altogether.
IF the Legislature fix rate upon
these saloons that will raise the sum
of only $1,000,000 annually for State
purposes, it will reduce. the amount
assessed upon other property nearly 2C
per cent, and make the taxes upon the
| farmer and the merchant correspond
ingly low. A tax eraging 500 pei
anrum, assuming that there are i, SOt
saloons in the State, of which 10,O0C
would pay the license, would raise this
amount of revenue
INSURANCE.
| The Governor Endorses the recon-
mendatfon of the Insurance Commis-
sioner that foreign companies give Sc
curity for policy holders. More than
81 600, 900 a year are paid to these com
panies by our people for fire and ma
rine insurance alone, and the compa-
MES pay but little toward support OF
the State. All efforts ito secure support
| in part from them are met by combina-
tions to defeat the end in view. He
advises a stringent law preventing
pools and combinations, the Juggling
with rates and the favoring of special
classes by insurance companies, but the
companies hould be given full hearing
and no measure in the premises should
| take the cinch form.
BANKS
| To secure just assessment of bank
properties all banks should be required
to make a report of its affairs as OF
noon on the first Monday in March
verified by the commissioner, and al
once sent to the Governor and be oper
to inspection by all Assessors. He
|
banks lately complied with his reques.
for such reports. Willful failure on the
part Of a Bank Commissioner to proper
ly perform his duties should be made
criminal offense.
GENERAL FUND OF TREASURY
Concerning the general fund of the
treasury he quotes from the report OF
ex-Treasurer Mcdonald concerning the
frequent exhaustion of that fund. Mr.
Mcdonald advised that appropriations
be cut down, the tax levy raised, sc
the State would always be in condi-
ton to meet it's ordinary obligations
| The Governor then points out that
December Is, 1894, the general fund
had credit balance of S175,S91 10
with outstanding claims borrowed from
other State funds Of $4,000 January
/. 1895. the credit balance was 81 49,
016 "a, and in April the fund was ex-
hausted, because of unusual demands
of a legislative session, etc. The fund
was overdrawn May /, 1895, S96, ,434 sc
and replenished the same month by the
second installment of taxes. August Isl
It was again overdrawn S146,754 81
but the Legislature provided for suffi-
icient funds, and the Executive, by We
tees, so that January and Decembe.
| /, 1896 there were no outstanding
claims drawn from other funds.
Prior to the exhaustion of the genera
fund in April, 1895, there were $499, ,5Ss
deficiencies paid therefrom, the total de-
hciencies during the session being S6O2,
$50 81 Besides this, large amounts
running into the hundreds of thousands
of dollars, have been paid during this
administration out of the appropriation
for the last half of the forty-sixth fisca
year. When it is remembered that al
settlements made by County Treasures
with the State Treasurer must be be-
tween December 18th and May Both
yearly, it can be easily conceived how
the fund was exhausted. Notwithstand
ing this, the treasury is now in a mos
healthy condition, and it is to be hoped
that this Government will hereafter pay
as it goes. This can be done by pro.
viding, in the appropriation bills, thai
all appropriations. except for the sup.
port of the Government, shall not be.
come due until January LIST next. Fol
the money now in the treasury-whilt
in the general fund and subject to drafts
WAS raised for specific purposes ant
not for the purpose of paying new obli-
cations. 1t was somewhat by thi:
means that the funds two years age
We're exhausted in the payment of def
ciencies. There We're over S602. 900 in de-
ficiencies allowed by the last Legisla
ture for many of which no appropria
ton had ever previously been made.
And while the fund is in healthy
condition, we must recall that there arr
against it-or may be against it-claim.
of S2S1 ,61o for coyote bounties; $780, 00(
borrowed from the Estates of Deceased
Persons fund, under the Act of 1891
while $500, 900 under the Act of Marcl
"a. 1898. may be drawn from the gen
eral fund when the contingency pro
vided for in that Act accrues."
Continuing, appropriations are con
demned by the Governor for Stat,
boards or bodies. They cause large sum.
to be drawn from the general fund with
out any appropriation Act at each ses
sion of the Legislature. This he deem,
bad system and he advises that 1t b,
abandoned
UNIVERSITY AND NORMAL
SCHOOLS.