The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-14

burdens, but those Of the Jury fund as we'll
which is more than 1t caA sustain. The re-
funding OF Indebtedness under recent Ia Wa
is In most cases simply a delusion and n
snare--a putting OF Of the inevitable-.or
the act of the legislature and the constitu-
ton limit the rate of taxation for all pur.
poses, and the levy must legally come out
OF that set apart for general fund or coun-
ty ad valorem. which necessarily reduces
the receipts for necessary running rx-
penses.
A comparison of the replies received ~
my request for information shows a num-
Der OF counties levying taxes for general
and funded Indebtedness In excess of the
constitutional limit. Not less than fifteen
counties levy an excess for these purposes
one county makes a general fund levy of
so cents, and at the same time 4 10 cent
levy for funded Indebtedness Another
levies 20 cents for general purposes, and
an additional levy OF 80 cents for funded
Indebtedness. l construe the constitutional
limit to be rs cents on the 500 valuation
Estate constitution, article s. section 81.
and II my construction is wrong | trust
some one Will correct me. Certain II Is
that this limit Is not sufficient to furnish
a revenue on which to run many counties
and TO increase valuations beyond market
prices Is conflscaton, with the State re-
ceiving more benefits than the county. For
increased the rate rather than the valua-
ton. further comparison reveals the fact
In every county reporting where the gen.
eral fund is not cash, in the same county
the jury fund is not cash, or vice versa
as you may please to put it, with but two
exceptions and in each of these exceptions
the levy for general and funded indebted
ness purposes together Is beyond the con-
stitutional limit.
In 81 number of tho counties ,yhora tho
general and jury funds are both cash
am informed that they are kept In that
condition by transferring from other funds.
particularly from the road and bridge fund
One county Judge writes me that they levy
the full 10 cents for road and bridge fund
and instead Of spending the money on the
roads, transfer the whole of It thus col
lected to the jury fund. Another says they
use the most OF the road and bridge fund
in the same manner. and while doubling
the legality OF the action. justfes n with
the expression. necessity knows no law"
| am free TO confess that it is Frequently
necessary. in public affairs, to strain con-
struction to suit the exigency OF the case
at hand; but is not the system which
makes such construction necessary more to
blame? II the county is compelled by our
laws and in the name Of humanity to ex-
pend money for their unfortunate poor,
should not the law makers and the consti-
tuition authorize the levy OF a small tax
to meet such expenses? Many county offi-
GERS complain that general fund warrants
are only worth 60 or 10 or So cents on the
dollar, as the case may be. and yet by the
strictest economy the expenditures exceed
the revenue. II the county warrants are
only worth rs cents on the dollar then the
county must pay about Sl.35 Tor every dol
lars worth OF value 1t receives. A county
issues its warrants for 500 and receives
sI5, yet the warrant must be redeemed
either in cash or in taxes at its face. That
makes the next warrant to be issued Of
less value, and thus the county's paper
declines more rapidly than taxable values
increase Where general and jury scrip are
paid In for taxes on the general fund. cx-
perience shows that the latest issue is the
scrip that is so paid, and as very little
cash is paid in this fund the older war
rants are redeemed very slowly and the
fund gets further and further behind
These are some of the conditions which
confront us on the general fund. There
are many others which will not mention
I will not attempt to present a remedy for
all of them but will make few sugges-
tions which believe will have a tendency
to relieve our county finances as well az
our already burdened taxpayers.
/. would suggest that all taxes be paid
in cash. This would redeem the county
warrants in the order of their registration,
and would place the poor man on tax
able equality with the rich The poor man
can not use county scrip with which to pay
his taxes because he can use only very
small sum for the purpose, but the rich
buy county warrants at a discount, and
then pay them at their face TO the collec-
tor thus making the rate of taxation to
him less than it is to his more unfortunate
nelghbor.
. Make those who use juries In our
courts to pay to the county every cent 1t
expends for jury service. That will enable
the occupation taxes to pay the cost Of
juries in criminal cases without creating
burden on the general fund, and thus
on the peaceable citizen, who is ever
ready to share his just proportion OF taxes
necessary to give us good and stable
government.
3. Make tho payment Of the poll tax
prerequisite to voting If each county judge
will look at his county records. he Will be
surprised to find that in many instances
not moro than one voter out OF five and n
a few not more than one out of ten. pays
a poll tax.
If this is to be a government OF the poo-
pie, by the people, and for the people. let
us see to it that each man who helps TO
elect its officers pays something to support
that government.
4. | am lnformtd that IN many countlts
the county assessor. tax collector and treas
urer are paid their fees and commissions
wholly from the general fund. In order
to make each fund bear its own burden,
the expenses of assessing and collecting
should be paid pro rata from each fund.
5. Repair your court houses and jails
out Of the court house and Jail fund. The
question. lis it legal" will at once be
propounded ! reply, that in all justice II
is. whatever may be the strict construction
of the letter OF the law. The court house
and ial are built with money raised on
bonds. but they are allowed to become d.
lapidated because the general fund can not
stand the expense of keeping them in re-
pair. The taxes for these buildings are
certainly expended judcously In keeping
II EN- in good repair.
When the secretary had finished the
president asked II there was any one rres-
ert who opposed petitioning the legislature
to grant the counties the right to levy a
tax OF 10 c,nts on the 500 for the support
of paupers.
There being no opposition. on motion the
president appointed Judge Green OF .ias-
ain Judyo JunLa Of IusDpr and j. Is I1aN-