The Indianapolis journal., 1899-02-13
STATE TAXES.
How Increased Expenditures Grow
Out of Larger Resources.
Auburn, Ind, Feb. IL.
To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
/ find this Daragranh in the Journal Z


To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
l find this paragraph in the Journal of
Feb. Z:
"A correspondent who complains that the
state levy is no less on each 500 now than it
was when the valuation of taxable property
was nearly third less than ii now is for
gets that under the old valuation and leyies
the State was running in debt about 500 900
a year, whereas it now has a sinking fund
and is paying off the accumulated debt of
years. Furthermore, the present school levy
imposed by the State is higher in proper
ton to the valuation than was that of six
years ago"
The author of the article referred to above
had no intention of belittling the good work
of the past few years in paying off the
state debt and placing the finances on a
paying basis, and he had not forgotten nor
Will he soon forget, the Grover Cleveland
era of debt-making. decrease in values and
general debility. The state levies were cited
only to show that eXtravagant expendi-
lures grow out of increased revenues. and
the position is emphasized by investigation.
In $780, under the old appraisement, the
state levies of 1912 cents per hundred dol
lars on sS52, ,673,03S the total taxabIes for
that year produced 81, ,065 $40, which was the
entire revenue for all purposes aside from
the state school tax, which required a 16
cents levy. AT that time and for some years
after we We're running behind 100000 or
more per year, which would indicate that a
Is cents levy for state purposes would have
been sufficient for all purposes, and 10
cents levy on the present taxables 1888
81, 800 100000, would produce the same reve-
nue. or somewhat more. instead of which we
nave an l8 2-3 cents levy and nearly twice
the revenue. The estimated revenues each
year for 1897, 1885, 1899 as shown by the
state auditors report for 1896 page 10), are
,2f6Ol.51, more than double the estimate
Lor l690 Ihe same report shows the foreign
dent IN 1894 to have been ST 436, ,6l5.12, and the
same debt in 1898 is s., ,716 615.12, a reduction
OF $1,1zV,OUo In four years, or a little over
$4z0,OOO per year. That is to say, We-are now
paying something like $625,000 per year more
toward Indebtedness than under the 1212
cents levy of 1890 but it requires an Is 2-3
cents levy on an appraisement increased so
per cent. to do it. In other words it re-
qulres IL 20 cents on the hundred on the
appraisement now (about 81 300 100000,
or nearly two and one-half millions to
meet current expenses and pay an average
or $425,0O0 per year on our debt, as against a
little over one million for all purposes when
we were running behind $500 900 per year.
All TINS shows that our current expenses
nave grown much more rapidly than our
population. and per capita expenditures are
Iaf IN excess OF 1880, and this, too, under
the best of management.
What is true of State affairs is even more
apparent IN county and township adminis-
proportion to increased appraisement since
1881 has led to revenues in excess of actual
necessities, and also to a tendency to ex-
traVagance and the reform which the people
want is the reform which reduces taxation.
The past decade has been a most trying
one for all kinds of industry, and to the per-
son who has had to struggle against adverse
finances as never before and even to the
extent of denying himself the comforts and
necessities of life in order to meet current
expenses and burdensome taxes, no reform
appeals that fails to lessen his burdens.
There should be the same rigid economy
exercised in the administration of public af-
fairs that the taxpayer finds necessary in
his private affairs. No levy, whether for
State, county, city, town or township pur-
poses, should be in excess of actual neces-
sites, and appropriations should be closely
scrutinized with a view to reductions where
feasible. The idea of limiting leves by
statute seems to have been recognized for
years, but a limit that does not limit is like
reform that does not reform. A careful
study of the subject shows that a 50-cent
limit of the special school levy is no
limit at ALL Comparatively few townships
use the limit for road purposes, and the
average is far below the 30-cent limit. This
is found to be true of other levies now
sought to be restricted by law and we
therefore think it fair proposition to make
the average the limit. Yours, for continued
Republican success, i. e., greatest pros
perity, EUREKA.
Charlottesville, Ind, Feb. il.