The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-22
FLORIDA's TAXES.
Reasons why They should lie Coll
Iccted Quarterly.

lecieu quarterly.
Tallahassee, Fla. July I-Since the
state Of Florida pays pensions, salaries.
etc, quarterly, It has been suggested that
taxes ought 60 be collected quarterly In
support of this new and novel idea, the
following facts are cited:
on Jan. 1. 1897, the cash balance in the
state treasury was S3O4 S73.Sl. The inves-
tigation of c. b. Collins accounts at the
time state treasurer, by a legislative COM
mittee, which reported shortage of over
$4,000 also disclosed the fact that on April
50, 1897, the cash balance in the treasury
had increased to $343 127. 80, according to
the accounts in that office, but a state
ment by the controller showed that the
balance on the last mentioned date should
have been 1883 hi 20. This same investiga-
ton brought OUT the further fact that
S253 l24.32 of this enormous surplus of cash
in the treasury was deposited in banks
throughout the state, for which the state
held securities aggregating only SIS, 234. So
leaving 800, SS9,52 practically unsecured by
anything.
1t is contcnded that every dollar which
is not needed by the state for present use
for the actual expenses of government.
economically administered, should be in
the pockets of the taxpayers, TO whom it
only belongs.
Even the extraordinary expenses of a
profiigate legislature, for which $4,000 was
appropriated left a balance of $2S6, 900 in
the treasury in June. or perhaps chiefly
in the banks of florida
And right here is just where the great
est trouble arises, said a Flordian recent
ly, who is recognized throughout Florida,
as one of the brainiest men in the state,
Pursuing this subject further, he said,
hay oil tb.a ruil
roads running the state! They just sim
ply are not in 1t. 1t is the banks through
out Florida, many of which seem TO be
doing business on the states money-hard-
earned dollars; money gathered from the
people as taxes-who are responsible for
much that has transpred in Florida poll
tics the past few months. Just why the
state should maintain such an
enormous surplus, especially these hard
times, 100000 or 100000. is a practice
| the people have never understood and
| do not now appreciate When the people
once come to understand that this vast
sum of money which they should be al
| lowed to retain until the cash is actually
needed for the legitimate expenses of the
state government is liable, when loaned
out by authority of law, in many instances
| to be used in corruptlng the politics OF
| the state, dcbauching men and making de-
| faulters Of officials there should be a rat
| Ting up i'm Florida that would rebound
| to the welfare of the state, i'm all things
moral well as material.
| According to the same high authority
money is regarded as the controlling pow
| er in all things political throughout our
! country. The Florida railroads make nc
money, and consequently have not ten
! cents where they are generally accredited
| with dollars, therefore they cut but a
| small figure in our state politics. The
! banks have the money, more than a
| quarter of a million dollars. gathered
! from the toiling, struggling taxpayers
| and loaned or deposited with these insti-
| buttons. and that some of their managers
! know how and where to use it, has re-
Gently been made evident TO even the cas-.
! ual observer.
! 1t would seem to behoove the people oil
| Florida to do some thinking along these
! lines, in order that they may know wha
is best to be done when the time for ac
ton arrives in the future.