Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-18

~ "Ao navy NJ
the year before.
The state board of equalization. sitting
for the assessment and equalization of the
property of railroad. bridge and telegraph
companies. in which it has original iuris-
diction. increased the aggregate value of
these classes of property Including the cars
that for taxes of 1896. So, 4Oi.447.
1 trust the information given herein will
answer your purpose; II 1t does not. kindly
supplementing 1t with such additional in
formation as you may desire.
Yours very truly.
(signed.) J. M; sEIBERT.
State Auditor.
Disbursements.
What the state does with her money or
how she spends it is a more difficult ques-
ton han where and how she gets it. My
general way:
First she pays interest on state debt.
Interest rest bearing state debt. Jan;
The int Interest money collected by SOY S''' ~
5nssrest ST.! pai ID n on state debt: 1886: s S s.. s.. 3 3
State debt reduced ............. 4S9, 1856. 30
jackson county received. 1896. So, 431. 06
jackson county received. 1871. Sc. 543. 10
The schools OF the state received. as you
VIII see. nearly $4,000 less in 1897 than in
by the legislature inserting the word ''or-
binary" revenue of the state in act of ap-
preparation. This was what the state
did with the 10 per cent on 500 interest
money collected in 1896.
Second. she aids school districts by ap-
p~roprlatlng a part of her revenue to the
support of public schools.
One-third Of the revenue
Interest on invested ''N
school money =. ....... 1856, 09O. 0O-$s24. sS2. "A
One-thirdo of the ordinary
revenue. 1897 i. =. $500. 69l. 117.1S
interest on invested
Each child received in S96......... cents.
Each child received in 1s97..... 80 cents.
No money can be legally paid out of the
STATE treasury except In pursuance of an
voting therefor by ayes and nays. and their
names for and against duly recorded on the
journals, se%venty-one votes in the house
The general assembly meets in regular
session. only once in two years. and IL 1t re-
mains in session longer than seventy days.
ten years 1t may hold III days
All appropriations cover two years. and
for each and every item. 1 can only give
you the aggregate of these appropriations,
and the general purposes of the appropria-
ton made by the last general assembly.
Appropriations for 1s97-9s.
The important appropriations for 1875
are as follows:
Penal and eleemosynary institu-
University and normal schools. 24s..sso O. O.
Federal and Confederate homes. sc, 400 10
Salaries or civil officers....:--.-. as, 100 %
Pay and mileage of members of
Employees and contingent expense 5000 ,S 90 90
Assessing and collecting revenue. $50, 900 90
Assessing and collecting revenue
Cost in criminal cases.ssi2.ooo "'"''
Deficiency in 1S96........ 2S5, 3G6 IS sa7, afs IS
Printing $1,000 on
ments ....-;::;---".."~...... 1929 %
Repairs of capitol:......-..:.. 5000 90
state for the past two years.
sire to call your attention to the enormous
increase of some of these appropriations as
compared with former administrations. The
amount appropriated for criminal cases
IN lSM-2. 2S0 q
In IN 1 1873 imcImding deficiency. ST. s ass a. q
Your attention is also called to the enor-
NOUS increase of the expenses for clerks
ana employees of the general assembly:
Contingent expense of the legisla-
Contingent expense Of the iegisia. '''''l ID
c%o e"fs ee ass Expense of the iegisla. ''''i2 q
There IN we're ere more clerks n employees BYE" in in
attendance upon the last legislature than
The increase also in the expense of assess
ing the revenue should be noted.
In In 1884, 1sst-5 i ss50. oS % $500 600 o.
In 1861 it was ideficiD.. 10000 O5- 400. 900 %
The enormous amount paid by the state
for !. c ri nina ex costs; % W tha c is but ce small
IS a matter for serious consideration to the
citizens and taxpayers.
Advocates Radical Reforms.
The state auditor. in his annual report
to the legislature. made this recommended
ton. He says on page 30 of his report: 81
am of the opinion that the fees of the
court officers should not be further reduced,
but that the remedy lies In amending the
law, to bring about a more speedy trial of
persons charged with crime
1t seems to me that the auditor ought to
nave devised some relief more humane and
effectual than the taking from the court
the right of continuance, upon proper show
ing. by a man charged with crime. l may
be allowed to suggest for your considera-
| ton. two or three thoughts on the line Of
the enormous increase of expenditures in
public affairs. If there was an increase of
efficiency, with the increase of cost, the
matter would be different. but the opposite
| seems to be the rule in Jackson county
The county officer is made comfortable by
the auditors opinion that there be no re-
man charged with crime. behind prison
! walls. is admonished that the court should
grant him no further time for preparation
for trial. In my opinion. courts can be
trusted with proper officers to do light.
l believe the time has come for this great
state Of Missouri to align herself with
| some of the most enlightened states of the
| Union by doing away with some of the
machinery for administering the criminal
| laws, and especially with what 1 regard a
relic of barbarism. the star chamber grand
| Jury. The United States attorney could
not commence a prosecution against the
| officers of the Missouri National bank until
twenty good and lawful men, who knew
| nothing of the matter, were
from the counties of the Western district
| Of Missouri. went into a private room. and
in an hours time came into court and. on
| their oaths, presented a true bill' against
the defendants, and a bill for per diem and
mileage of 500. The district attorney was
| no better able to represent the government
after these good men and true had ad.
before. no witness for the defendants was
heard. the grand jury acted on the evt.
dence in the possession of the government,