Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-02

IN the collections Of the last two years
The total receipts on account OF TINS
fund for that period are in round NUM-
bers 81, SCI, 579, as against 81, l09,0U4 LOT
the preceding two years. The expenul-
lures for the same periods are S2,5t4,
313 and SCOT ,161, respectively, wniie
the balance on hand at the close OF the
fiscal year September 80, 1898, is the
handsome sum of $424,641.
This balance would afford gratifica-
| ton to all the people Of the State II II
represented
THE GENUINE DIFFERENCE
! between the receipts and expenditures
for the period specified. The only means
| of ascertaining whether 1t be sucn
| balance, or merely a temporary one,
obtained by holding back payments,
| messing collections and similar ante
election devices, is the detailed state
ment of receipts and disbursements re-
ouired alike by law and precedent to
| be included in the Treasurer's report.
| This information the Treasurer has de-
liberately suppressed. In its absence
il is impossible to confront the Treas
urer with his own official figures to
show that this balance is not anything
| like the true difference between the
receipts and expenditures legitimately
blonging to the designated period, but
| that such is the case may be perceived
from continued perusal of this article.
| We also cite that the total expendi-
lures for the first two years OF RepuD-
lican State rule exceed those OF the last
two years of Democratic admlnlstra-
tionn by the immense sum OF S29f,l52.
of course. we had no doubt on which
| side the excess of expenditure would be,
hut we confess the amount surprises
us.
Tt NAV also be remarked that if the
total expenditure as shown in this
pamphlet (s2,374,313) be reduced by
| the amounts that are paid without
being specifically appropriated, such as
railway taxes and redemptions of land
| (s752.S42), there remains as paid out
on appropriations the sum Of 81 ,62l, All,
| or
JUST S63,923 LESS
than the aggregate of appropriations
made by the Legislature OF 1897, as
appeared in the comparative statement
Unpublished in the Register some days
since 1t appears from this report that
| this amount has not yet been paid out,
and we note that about $4,000 OF the
$63, 1923 remaining unpaid, is part Oh the
alleged deficiency appropriation winch
has not yet found owners.
| 1t will be remembered that there
! has been some newspaper controversy
about the amount Of railway taxes.
levied by the present administration
| and the previous Democratic one.
The taxes of this kind levied in the
last year of the last administration
were paid in the first fiscal year (1o9O
of the present one, and those levied
| by the present board in 1897 were
paid during the fiscal year of 1898.
We supposed that this veXed question
at least could be settled by reference
to this report We find, however,
that the present Treasury, either from
natural perversity or with view 10
concealing this information from the
casual reader, humps in one sum State,
county, district and municipal rail-
road taxes instead of giving each sep
,.rately as has hitherto been the GUS
tom. AS the county, district and city
rates of levying vary from year to
wear. this total sum, of course, is no
index to the valuation placed on rail-
ways as between two successive years,
ing, however, shows that the amount
of State taxes received under the last
Democratic and, first Republican as
sessments are respectively $53,959 and
$751; 500. This difference would Of
course have been much larger but for
additional trackage, &C., but it sub
stimulates the Democratic claim lat
one of the first fruits OF Republican
rule
WAS A DECREASE
in railway valuations.
If the Treasurer had oheyed law and
precedent his report would have been
of special value at this time in view
of the issues involved in the approach
ing election and the at fast d thff for some
(ilne yet. AS it is, his deliberate sun
preston of the tables showing receints
and disbursements renders the docu-
ment valueless to any ere STATES fl
| iances. It is impossible to ascertain
with any detail at what time and on
what account moneys have been re-
ceived into or paid out of the State
Treasury. About all that appears is
the aggregate of receipts and disburse-
ments and balance on hand We do
HOI 90 50 ldT DIS 10 say LndC MI. Ken
dali has suppressed these important
details with a view to deceiving The
people. On the contrary, we are dis
| posed to think that he believes in him.
self devoutly, and considers all his
| conclusions infallibly correct and suf-
| fcient for the ordinary public. In
fact, we very much doubt whether it
| has ever even occurred to him that
| any one might be found to call his
| deductions into question. We are
constrained, however, to admit that
we have not that confidence in Mr..
! Kendalls intellectually that his pic
ture seems to demand. When we first
heard that the State Treasurer was in
structing the people by means of the
rOstrum as to What a Layman can
do we had our suspicious. When we
learned that he had changed his text
to Where are we at?" we were pre-
pared to be surprised, but we own that
we did not expect anything approach
ing the Arabesque specimen of Six
teenth Century art that lies before us.
THE BALANCE.
Treasurer Kendall and certain news
papers have for some time back been
rolling around in their mouths AS q
peculiarly sweet morSel the fact that