The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-02-03
THE STATE TREASURY IN BAL
CIRCUMSTANCES.
An Estimated Deficit Of Four Millions Of
Dollars For the Fiscal Year.

"There certainly must be, if pre-
sent legislation shall continue, a large
reduction by the next legislature in
the appropriations to the charitable
and penal institutions of the common
wealth, or an increase of state taxa
tion to meet past obligations and
present demands. If not this, then a
readjustment of the taxes. Either
one or all, perhaps, combined in a
more or less degree will have to be
adopted"
These. are the words of Auditor
General Mylin, who is much disturb
ed over the financial condition of the
state. General Mylin and State
Treasurer Haywood have their hands
full trying to devise means to raise
sufficient revenue to meet the public
expenses. The last legislature appro-
priated considerably more than the
state revenues will cover and the fiscal
officers have to practice the most
rigid economy to make ends meet.
General Mylin has very decided views
on the subject of state taxation and
he does not hesitate to express them.
"Under past legislation, for in
stance, the Brooks high license law,
the retail liquor license was turned
over to the local authorities" the
auditor general added. "A careful
estimate of the value of this tax made
by the department shows that it will
amount to $500, 900 annually. This
estimate is based on the returns for
1896. Under the Boyer revenue act,
which has been in force several years,
the personal property tax of $4,000
900 for 1896 goes to the local author
tiles. The appropriation to take care
in part of the county insane under the
act of 1883 and subsequent acts will
reach $7oo,ooo.
"The school appropriation was in
creased in 1892 from $I,5oo,ooo
biennially to $5,soo,ooo and has con-
tinued at this figure to the present
time. This large increase of the
school fund, the transfer of the retail
license and the personal property tax
from the state to meet the demands
that properly belong to the county
and local authorities and the increas.
ed expenditures by past legislatures
have been the cause of the present
financial difficulty of the common.
wealth. In other words, the state has
been bereft of the revenues which
properly belong to it for the relief Of
the local authorities"
General Mylin predicts there will
be deficit of $4,000, 900 at the close
of the present fiscal year, November
80, unless the state is enriched from
unexpected sources. There is still
$3,ooo,o 900 due the public school dis
tricts and this will have to be paid be-
fore the hrst Monday of next June.
Philadelphia has received $6oo,o 900 Of
Its share, which aggregates ST., ,oao, 900.
Plttsburg and few other large dis.
tricts have been paid their share of
the appropriation, but many of the
other districts have not received a
cent.
Many of the country districts de-
pend upon the money they receive
from the state to conduct their school,
and do not raise cash by local taxa
tion. There is due Philadelphia per-
sonal property tax amounting to
$I,o31, 1,6oS.93, while Allegheny county
is entitled to $a46,I58.59. Several
other counties have not yet received
the personal property tax due them
by the state.
The balance in the general fund of
the state treasury at the close OF busi-
ness was trife over $3,ooo,ooo. If
State Treasurer Haywood were called
upon to pay the money due the school
districts and the personal property
tax owing the counties there would
not be dollar left in the treasury for
the state institutions. This is the con-
dition that confronts the fiscal officers
and proves that there must either be
a sweeping reduction in the public
expenses or an increase in state taxa
ton
There has collected during the past
two years $I,6oo,ooo of delinquent
taxes. The delinquent taxes due six
and eight years have been nearly all
collected, except in cases where the
amounts are small During 1897 over
1000 cases were made up for collec-
ton. The large number of delin
quencies running back SO many years
grew out of the fact that there was
not in the Office of the auditor general