Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-17

W eao wv otatSb, tHcftiotos "a PS".
population. IL very close. We have sev
less white people and q few more
colored ones. but 80 little is the dine
renee that II cannot apprecisbly anec'
the cost OF government. According x
the report OF the State Auditor for NORTH
Carolina for the fiscal year ending NO
vember. 1897. the revenue Of that State
derived from all sources, was for tho
year N,6S7. 209.22. OF which 3S47,5sS.57 wa.
appropriated for public schools; $isl. Ss'
was appropriated to the several public
institutions, educational and charitable
and for pensions, and the balance OF
S4s,352S5 was applied "for the support
or all other departments, execu-
tive, legislative, judicial. interest on
the 4 per cent. bonds (the State debit.
and the various expenses contingent and
specific incident to the conduct OF
public affairs" If from this latter sum
we deduct the interest paid thereout on
the State debt a per cent. bonds)-$l3o. 2iS-
| we have the sum of s2iS,1A left as the ac-
tual cost of the State Government In all
It's departments. You. yourself. state
the actual cost OF the State Government
OF Virginia at "only about $4,000" In
this I differ with you, as hereinafter
| appears. and question whether so great
saving as $4,000 can possibly be made
|
creased rate OF interest shortly TO be-
come payable. Surely, II North Carolina
can carry on the government or that
| State which, 30 far as / know and ever
heard, IL most admirably governed. and
I'm which crime Is prevented and pun
| ished as effectually as In Virginia. ORDER
| maintained and her educational and
charitable institutions as well cared for
as in this State for s2ls,lOi. 1t would not
seem at all unreasonable to expect that
| Virginia can be governed, and well gov
| erned, for less than $4,000 per year. as
| you state the cost now to be. In stating
| this amount, however, / think you are
mistaken. 1t should be s1,0l9.s50. as the
following facts will show:
OUR EXPENDITURES.
find that the total receipts by the
Auditor from all sources for the fiscal
year. 1896 were $3.56O,s 97.22. OF this sum.
SCI 1864 was a balance Of cash received
In the previous year. On turning to his
account of payments, l find that the
whole of this sum Of $3.50 697.22 was ex-
pended for the various purposes OF the
State government, except 13.2es.05, WHICH
remained as balance in hand. Careful
examination of the payments made on
behalf OF schools. colleges, pensions, ard
the care OF the insane Uhe items you
claim to have omitted from the cost OF
government as being not subject TO crti-
cism or deductlon), shows the total
amount to be 81 613 ,2S4. II this total be
deducted from the gross total or The
actual expenditure IL leaves the cost of
government and the interest on the State
debt TO amount to si.7A.ll5. The ints-
rest on the State debt, including the
payments made on the bonds held by In
ell - Lam pfr fptc IN
II this sum be deducted from the ST.
734115, IL leaves the cost of government
of the State N,01s.950 instead OF about
$4,000 as you claim. Assuming that the
$50 900 which Is required to be saved to
meet additional interest were saved, the
cost OF government in this State would
still be $34. sSS assuming you 10 be right
In the present cost in excess OF that Of
North Carolina or. s62l, $40 In excess Of
the cost in that State on the assump
ton that / am right in my statement OF
the present cost in this State. There is
evidently something radically wrong In
the government OF this State, or such
excessive cost whichever be correct)
could not be incurred. The fact is, Mr..
Editor, we are cursed with Offices and
office-holders. and these offices and office
holders carry with them not only sala-
ries, but an almost interminable amount
of contingent expenses and resultant
costs to the people. In the Executive De-
partment OF our government we have at
least twelve officers. In North Carolina
seven gentlemen are found to be suffi-
cient. In our judicial Department we
have no less than 40 judges with their
compliments of clerks and other off,
GERS. In North Carolina the Judicial De-
partment consists OF seventeen judges
- l,a X,,4f -
this State, find 1872, 226ss charged for
salaries OF various office-holders. and the
sum Of s12002679 charged for contingent
payments.
TOO MANY OFFICES.
IN the accounts Of the Auditor OF North |
Carolina / find only SCI, 400 40 charged for |
salaries and s36. 1910 charged for con-
tingent payments. This supports the con- |
tention above made, that a multiplicity |
of Offices and office holders means a |
multiplicity of opportunities afforded for
saddling expenses on sthe State which |
never ought TO occur. Then again find |
in our State Auditors accounts the sum
of 1878 29l.37 charged for criminal charges.
No such item appears at all in the North
Carolina accounts. Again, / see that
last year we paid sl1 63i.57 for police and
employees at Capitol, Governors man
sion, and Library building. The remedy
is plain for all these abuses. Abolish a
large number of our offices. Bring the
number OF our judiciary down to the
same number as are found sufficient to
discharge the business in North Carolina,
with almost a like population. Consoli-
date the counties into judicial districts,
with one set Of officers for each district.
instead of one set for each county. Throw
the criminal charges on the counties.
They will soon see that these are re-
iuced, and that the anomaly shall no
longer exist which is now found OF coun-
ties taking more from the state treasury
Tor such charges than they actually con-
tribute in the shape OF taxes. CDicken-
son pays into the treasury y2,e57.34 and
lakes out &.179.6i; Warwick pays in
6. $3.50 and takes out ss.i3S.7. These are
)nly two examples.) Compel each county
% keep its short-term prisoners at home,
md make them work on the highways or
1t some other employment. and thus re-
luce the cost of the penitentiary.
THE POLL TAX.
Compel each citizen above q years of
lge to pay his capitation tax or forfeit
lis right to the free education of his
From population OF 10000
estimated for 1896, only s222.3O6 was col
ected for capitation tax In 1896. Surely
here is here great leakage, the stoppage
If which would either bring more money
nto the Treasury or reduce the cost OF
education. 1t would seem that from the
strict enforcement OF the payment or
his tax alone more money should come
nto the Treasury than would meet the