The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-18

iberalty should be limited by our row
enue. We have created a sinking fund
for the extinsuishment OF the state debt,
and the sinking fund has increased until
our net debt over and above the sinking
fund on Dec. ! last, was only Si.D25 qSl.95;
while by our excess OF hbeiaitN we have
incurred floating debt equally as sacred,
OF a little over three and half millions
OF dollars which is annually Increasing
at the rate Of from $0DOW to 81 ,0OO,O0O.
with no provision whatever for its pay
ment, and with no evident and apparent
intention Of meeting II. 1T IL not the
fault of any one man or OF any political
party of the state, but rather grows out
Of that eXtravagant disregard for plain
business principles which should guide
the state as well as individuals.
MORE REVENUE NEEDED.
We can go no farther al the pace We
have been going one of three things
must now be done. We must either IN
crease our revenue. reduce our cNpcndi-
lures, or borrow money. PennsNlvania
was never more prosperous than at TINS
time. Her people were never more con-
tented and satisfied The state was
never SO rich as it is today. More people
are employed at fair wages who wish TO
be employed than ever before II seems
TO me that everybody is prosperous hut
the state of PENNSYLVANIA. The PROPOSE
ton to borrow money to meet the dcliCu
In the treasury under all these conditions
is prepostorous. II clearly was never
intended by anyone. and the power to
borrow money Is wanting. Tine trainers
Of the constitution never contemplated
that there would come n time when the
revenue of the state would be insufficient
to meet the expenditures, Neither IL
II, in my Judgment advisable 10 rec
ummcnd an increase of existing rev
cnues Taxes have been imposed i'm such
i. 1fVl,tl Ia
our people, hut we have gone about as far
as we can safcly so with the present SUBJ
lects of taxation, for there Is limit In
taxing which. exceeded. ceases to be rev.
producing.
There are no other properties or fran
chiSeS to tax without returning to the
hurdpnsnmc days prior to 1851 II is true
that from recent decision of the Su-
prcmc court of the state a larger revenue
is anticipated for the coming fiscal year,
hut this cannot be accurately measured.
nor can il with any certainty he relied
upon. | see. therefore no reason to OK
prct that our revenues for the coming
fiscal YEAR will exc pcd the sum of $l1.6SI,-
22N 80 a. estimated by the state treas
nrcr Their" may be more and ther" may
bC less. The estimated revenue for the
paSi fiscal year WAS q million dollHrS
moro than tn" actral revenue received.
I thiuk the only safe way will ." to
lrgislate with "a view OF rcalAug no
more than the revenue estimated. We
turn then to our only remaining promo
~ition. namely. the reduction of the eX-
pcndturcs.
ESTIMATE or ENrENDITURES.
The estimate 81 ptnditurca for the
fiscal year ending Nov 3oth, lSn9. as made
hy the treasure" Of the state, il Sl6,liL-
6S.3I. This of course includes the amount
du" counties aud school districts and
inn
m, available cash in the treasury
umuuutS Ia about 81 iuu.Och as heretofore
mentioned. SrnU % these dDpruprId.
t'ouS can undoubtedly br reduced; 81 me
at them may he withheld entirely. but
ill. larg" sums appropriated tOr edlCu-
UOru purpnScS We cannot withhold. We
cannot witi,nOii the appropr.uliOns for
rhC soldiers orphans, nor the dea! and
dumb children. nor the blind, nor the
training -rnun'- ,Or the feeble mind, Il
az Evan Iul POLK. nor for the indus
iiiai school. Tue state has entered upon
these projects, has expended ia Z" suTls
- money IL tho erection -! buildings and
must ouutiru, to aupropriat". some
appropriations ''HN bc withheld from
chaIituDjC Institutions: hut if an 0f
doubtful m,vit ar' withheld and many
9th, -, ,horo VA still not b" enough to
enter materially unon the reduction or
The accumulated indebtedness. \ rigid
'coucrrE must Ne pructiced, and !. sndG
h' my purpose i'm uli cases that | can 20
'tIhhnid my lpr'nNa 0t unnecessary cy.
n,Uditures ma approximations.
l!u, We must look for other remedies TO
meet the ,Ni~tiuG difficulties. y porti IN
Of the annual anproDriatiOn Ol So,jOhUOO
for the common schools of the state could
hc withheld. That could be reduced, AS
haV" before stated, il is far in excess OF
the amounts appropriated by other staU"s.
4 Is 'n' h""ond due and reasonable
nlurortIon Of our annual revenues. But
the gate has entered upon this project,
nc 1t might bc unwise To reduce this ar-
frGrriation. | would not like tn recon-
mlnd this rNCcpt in case of necessity. /
would not hesitate to do ii if | saw no
other way out Of tn" difficulty, for there
i5 one point beyond which | could nOt
Justify myself in doing, and that l. to
approve bills which appropriate more
money than the state il likely to receive
IN the coming fiscal year. The large up-
propriaIinn ~ the common schools of
Pennsylvania is matter of great pride
TO our people. II has reduced taxation in
many school districts. II has increased
Che attendance upOn the schools and in
the opinion Of tn" SunCrintendeEt OF pub
lie instruction, Is We kinS great good IN
the education arI raining of the chill
drcr,
the ACT or 1881
The Legislature" Of 1921 uassrd an Acr
known as the "RcN"nuc Act TO provide
Increased revenue Tor the Durposr Of re-
lCving the hurdcns o. local taxation,
cJc." II imposed a tax on money AT il-
tereSt. ThcS taxes are annually collected
ana paid into tho treasury Of the STATE.
BY the third section of this act. three
fuurths of the money collected from each
couny is repaid by the state treasurer
a. the cuuntH. The total fund collrutu
under this law for 1898 was 81. 722 Mo- Of
which SGNo, ,56l.3H was retained by The
state, and S2.oil, ,GNi.lN was repaid by the
state treasurer to the counties from
which it was collected. / think the prO-
pie could better bear the burden Of sus-
bending the third section IF this act, ana
allowing thC state to retain al of the
money Coected for two wears than they
could the reduction of the appropriation
70 common schools. Were this done il
would increase the revenue Of the state
over two million dollars annually. and
in TWO years give the state over four mil
lions Of dollars This would enable The
state to meet its necessary expenditures
aud pay its entire floating debt.
therefore recommend 10 the legislature,
and urge upon it the carly passage Of u
law -uspeudng the third section uf -he
Revenue Law Of 1891 for two years, ana
directing that al of this tax he retained
by the state during that time see no
other Alternative. This must he done. oI
else We must reduce the appropriation fol
the common schools.
There is no other plan If reduction no
matter now CConcmicany or vigorously
enforced, that can bring the reief whict
we at present need. We're this done il
would result i'm slightly Increased county
taxes. The county tax in the various
counties is now much lighter pro.
portionatciy than the school ard mu.
nICipal taxes. The people genera lly
throughout the state would feel less Iht