Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1897-02-25

THE %DISpENSARY. |
ARGUMENT AGAINST THE
LAW HITS TO BE
CONSIDERED.
No Imagination, But Plain Facts
The Deficiency of the State Treas
ury Considerable Differ
ence Between SIS, 900 and
$4,000 is Exactly $4,000,
Which Shows up in Favor of
License.
Raleigh Tribune.
Editor Tribune : Sir-As much
as has been said in favor Of the
dispensary through the columns
of your valuable paper, L crave
space for a few words on the other
side. I shall not summon to my side
of the controversy any mere crea-
lures of the imagination, but hard
and unalterable facts, based on the
experience Of places which have
given the system a long and fair
trial.
What becomes of the much
vaunted success of the scheme and
the loudly-lauded prosperity of the
treasury as proven by experience
in South Carolina, the cradle of
the system? Governor Elerbee, an
advocate of the dispensary, says
in his message to the Legislatures:
"Gentlemen of the General AS
sembly:
"After thorough investigation,
find that the finances of the State
are not in a very favorable con.
dition, and l deem it my duty to
call your attention to the follow
ing facts: There was in the
State treasury on Jan. &c, 1897......- $413, 95s.34
Bal. due State on general act.... 92-000.00
I ~ 50 no N nn linn1OS 20 fnaC InSfI n q fndA IN NM IN
Fees Secretary of States Office. 100000
Uncollected taxes, (estimated).-.... S5,O00-00
"The above includes all the rev
enues of the State available for
current expenses for the fiscal
year, 1897. Estimating the cur
rent expenses of the State gov
eminent at $50, 900 per month for
ten months, beginning January 1,
1897, and ending November 1,
1897, we have
I IaFEgat Sep EXPENSES lestimatedj.. '' $4,000
Special appropriation for militia. 100000
PIN Printine 5000 90
Total. 500 1000
making a deficiency in the
general fund of 1874 ,401.66 I'M
lprovided for. I have counted the
Expenses to November 1st, be-
cause the books r not opened
for the collection of taxes Until
October 10Th, aud the State
treasurer will not receive remit
lances from the county treasurs
lers until November 1 We esti-
mate the expenses at $50, 900 per
month on the basis of last years
appropriations. Of course, if
any of the appropriations be in~
creased or additional ones are
made for special purposes the
deficiency will be increased in
proportion.
1.-The deficiency that I have
lcalled your attention to should
be provided for and the question
for you to decide is whether il
should be done by increasing the
levy, or by increasing by some
other means the revenue of the
State. This can be done by a
~gradudted income tax and q
graduated license tax. Every
Legislator should be commended
for his efforts to give the people
a low rate Of taxation. but it is
unwlse and unbusinesslike to
levy a tax insufficient to meet
the current expenses of the gov
ernment aud thereby incur Z
debt"
From this it will be seen thai
under the dispensary, there is a
deficiency in the treasury of over
1884, 600.
Surely there is not much COM
fort for the friends of the diss
pensary and of higher education
IN a deficiency III the State
treasury greater than at any
time since the war.
The plain consequences are
that the State institutions mus
suffer, the license system mus
be restored, or an income ta1
must be imposed to make gooe
the revenues the dispensary fail:
to provide. There is no escape
from this conclusion. The hun,
dreds of thousands of dollar:
which the friends Of the system
promised, nave not materialized
but in their stead. there is a de-
fciency of over $34 900 in thu