The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-11-12
TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SAYS TREASURER WORTH IN A
LETTER TO MR.. MEBANE.
AUDITOR AVER THINKS REVENUE AMPLE
If the Tax Collectors viii Look Sharply After
License and Franchise Taxes. Some
Comparisons of This With Pre-
vious Years as to lakes,

In reply to u letter of inquiry from
Superintendent Mebane in regard to the
time at which the State would probably
be able to pay the 100000 appropria-
ton to the public schools of the State
Treasurer Worth has written letter
stating the facts substantially as given
an am interview in this paper last week.
Treasurer WOrth's letter is as follows.
Hon. C. I'll. Mebane, Raleigh, \. G.
Dear Sir: Yours of inst. asking for
information i'm regard to the time the
100000 appropriated by the last Gen
eral Assembly to the public schools OF
North Carolina could be paid is receiv-
ed. ln reply / regret to say that the
prospect is not good for an early payment
of the same. The treasurer'S books show
cd on October 31st that its disburse-
1nemts, exceeding its receipts for the
first IL months of the fiscal year ending
Nov 30, to be 1878, 720.60. Unless the
receipts are much greater and the dis
bursements much smaller / do mot think
the condition of the treasury will be
such as to admit of the payment of the
above appropriation before the latter part
of the year 1900. Regretting that such
is .ihe case.
j ann, yours truly,
w. H. WORTH.
Nov 18th, 1899.
AUDITOR AYERS STATEMENT.
Auditor Aver was asked yesterday as
to the probability of the States being
able to meet the appropriation this year.
IF the tax collectors collect closely l
think there will be no difficulty ABOUT
it." he said, 'ibut it all depends ON the
collectors, particularly in regard to sched-
ule Il. This schedule of the machinery
act includes the franchise and license
taxes, the taxes ON corporations and IN
general all unlisted taxes. The great
trouble is that these taxes which are
considerable are often mot collected close
~. For example not long ago on Of the
best counties in the State returned taxes
for only 30 doctors and lawyers and not
a single franchise. A man from this
office was sent TO investigate with the
result that the tax was collected from
over 100 lawyers and doctors beside the
franchise taxes. The case was not al
exceptional one either by amy means.
The same State of affairs obtains in
other counties. Formerly this office had
no fund for sending anybody to inyes-
tigate palpable discrepancies but now the
State has made a $500 appropriation
to increase the collections many thou
sands of dollars.
From the annual report OF The State
Auditor it is apparent that there has
been a material increase in the sums real
dzed from this schedule for several years
rast. For the last three years the taxes
under schedule b We're as follows:
1886 -. !. :. ...........S S9OOD
1897 -. -. ........... 106,OOa
1898. :. -. 1890. 1880. 10000
This is an increase for three years OF
S27, 900 an collections on the same
basis For this year, however some nil
terial changes have been made that ought
to increase the returns. The tax on ell
crses has been raised from 500 to 500
for each performance, the tax ON theatr"s
raised from $50 to 5000 and the follow
ing new sources of revenue added: Spec
fc tax ON auctioneers, tax on dealers IN
bicycles, collecting agents, real estate
dealers, fresh meat dealers, coal and
wood dealers, collecting agencies, lotion
factors, feather renOyators, photograph
ers. ice manufacturers, laundrym1an
humber dealers, undertakers, and other
minor changes We're made. These sources
should yield a considerable increase.
Apart from this Auditor Aver estimate,
that the increased valuation of property
in the State should yield an increase of
from $4,000 to $4,000 in revenue.
Last year the treasury had net bal
anae of about S150000. This year the
total estimated expenditures, aceer'ilng
to the auditor, have been increased from
$4,000 to about S1,000,000. To meet
this accordingly will require $4,000
more than the year before, or $50 9O0
more than was collected from taxes asst
year. 1T would appear therefore that the
treasury should have no trouble IN meet
ing the 100000 appropriation ultimate
~. though whether it can do 20 Wnen
If falls due on January the frst is anCth-
CIR matter.
Attorney General Walser was asked
Yesterday whether if the Treasurer corld
not pay the appropriation when due ne
could do so later, but declined to express
an o.inion.