The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-04
STATE AUDITORS FIGURES.
Clo1ms Tnae . Dig share Of The De-
linqueut Taxes Collected Went
late the Current school Fund,
anA Considerable to other Fsnds

Special Dispatch to the -InteIltSeuce<.
OLYMPIA. Nov. 3.-Tne following letter
has been written by Deputy State Auditor
d. +. Garrison, on behalf Of Auditor Chset-
ham. in reply 10 the open letter OF Hon. J.
j. McGiivra. Of Seattle:
In response to your favor Of the ID
inst, beg 10 say that think you have uu'
Intentionally fallen into several errors Ia
regard 10 the reduction Of the state debt.
First-four argument 10 based upon hut
two Items OF the accountable land and de-
Anauent taxes. Instead Of these two
amounts. which make but 18oe. s7y.47. you
should have made your deductions from the
general fund cash receipts In full, which
amount to N.1ol, Ui.1. and includes its part
OF the $GS, Ell OF delinquent taxes and
S2Ss.5S5.se tide land fund and much more
than this amount.
Second-You seem to think thst what
you desomirate az received outside OF cur
rent revenue, Is segregated to itself and
applied TO the payment Of the states debt
This Is serious error All moneys col
iected for the general fund are so credited
and payments are made whenever the
amount In the fund juStifies Z warrant call.
and the Oldest outstanding warrants are
nrst paid.
Third-You apply the whole of the ssa6..
90 deiinquent taxes to the pa. uent OF
state debts. Now, you did not know and
did not ask to know how much OF this went
into the general fund. In fact, $3.50. 0O0 went
INTO the current school fund and was imme-
diateiy paid back to the counties: Se0. Ooo
more went to the interest fund and was
credited there and used In redeeming so ,0O0
worth OF bonds; $4,000 more went to the
military fund. This $50 900 school fund
money more than accounts for your alleged
shortage.
'.Fourth-In your misapprehens;on Of
state accounting you failed TO realize that
while nominally we have reduced the debt
OF the state 100000 we have paid the I'm.
terest on all the bonded debt and on the
l.
s20l, So 81, in addition to the $4,000 This
makes, with the $3.50 600 current school fund
money which you failed to make an ac-
count OF. $50. 81. Now. judge, where Is
Al 800. ~? Were to follow your method
OF dealing with figures 7 should call on Won
to make good this surplus over the alleged
shortage. say, slA. ses.0. might with JUS
as good grace ask you, What did your
party do with the delinquent taxes II col
lected? for you constantly increased the
debt: while we have reduced 1t.
Fiffh-Ano error which YOUR argu-
ment implies that you have fallen into is
hat state functions ceased with the in
coming OF the present administration ars
hat II had nothing to do but collect delin-
quenf taxes tide land moneys and pay
state debts. You fail TO grasp and present
he fact that while we were reducing the
debt $4,000 In twenty-one months we were
also mourning current expenses and that
these current expenses are constantly adde's
% the debt on one end Of the account while
payments are made at the other end Bu'
u may he gratifying TO Won ss = c'.>ar
'expayer and patriot. to know that fc:
he fiscal period closing October 81 1895 we
'e~1'"H sAo0 mn less general fund warrants
than the former advptr'~--~.'-v- iss"eS
~ me same length OF time
MY dear sir. in conclusion I desire n
cav that figures viii not lie n you put them
'oeether right. In the following statemen.
'hav are mt together right. and ] ask VIZ.
IN all fairness n publish II with this reply
"Mr. Cheetham Is absent at present and
have answered as cannot reach him In
time. Yours respectfully.
ID r. GARRISON
Deputy State Auditor"