The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-03-04
State Finances.

second letter on the COnQlClOn OF Lac
states finances in which he shows that
| it is not the extravaganza of the Upham
administration, as the democrats would
have us believe. which is responsible
for the present condition Of the treas
ury, but the overweening desire of
democratic administration preceding
Upham's to get the state tax levy low
cred for political effect
He shows that law provides that
whenever in the opinion of the COVER
nor, secretary of state and state treas
urer, or a majority of the aforesaid
officials, the surplus in the state treas
ury will without detriment to the public
service permit, the same, or so much
thereof as may be by them deemed
proper, shall be applied as portion of
the state tax levy in each year, ETC."
Treasurer Peterson then says: Act
ing under the provisions of the fore
going section, and there being quite an
amount to the credit of the general
fund, derived from the judgments
against former state treasurers, the
direct war tax refund, large receipts
| from railroads, ETC., the aforesaid offic-
ials, on July 20, 1894, passed a reso-
luton applying on the state tax levied
from the general fund, the sum of
$742, $40, being 100000 in lieu of the
one mill tax for the support of common
schools, $4,000; fifth normal school
tax, and $132 $50, state university tax.
The above amount remained in the
general fund until December 81, 1894,
when transfer of $732, $40 was made,
in compliance with the resolution; also
$500 to the fifth normal school. as
provided by chapter 364, laws of 1885
There are practically no revenues
for the general fund during the month
of January, as the railroad taxes are
not payable until February 10; and the
estimates of the expenditures should
have been made to that date. instead
Of January |.
The general fund was oyerdrawn
$32965 on January |, 1895. The dis
bursements from said fund in January
were $214, 249.38. The amount paid to
the charitable and penal institutions
February 2 was $45, 95O52, making
total of $3.50, 1886, which would have
to be paid out of the trust funds in
order to keep up the credit of the state,
deducting. however, advance payments
made by railroad companies prior to
that date.
The above shows that the general
fund was crippled to the amount of
about $275, 900 from the very outset,
and that the conditions, then existing,
did not warrant the transfer of such
large amount from the general fund
i" without detriment" to the public
service, and that the officials of the
preceding administration, at least, erred
in making said transfer. !"
In using the term erred" the state
treasurer is exceedingly mild. All this
financeering was done at about the
highest point of the panic when the
democratic party probably expected to
reap the very richest of it's crops from
the perfdy. AS everyone knows who
understands the state finances the main
source of revenue for the general fund
is derived from taxes from railroad
companies. The taxes are based on
the gross earnings of each preceding
year. For 1895 and 1896 there was a
decrease in taxes from railroads of
1891, 8l9.79 as compared with the years
1893 and 1894. The democrats GER
tainly knew that such must have been
the result to be foreshadOwed consider
ing the time and the decrease in rail-
road business. Considering these things
in connection with some minor con-
siderati0ns of like meaning it is not
at all strange that the general fund
should be depleted just at this particu-
lar time. And it is not due to " re-
publican extravaganza" either.
1t was democratic craftsmanship, rank
and unjustifable, for the sole purpose
of making political capital, which was
at the bottom of it all.
THE legislature has now reached the
very helpful stage of killing bills by