The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-11
The Revenue Problem.


the house ways and means committee
on Thursday supply material for study.
Said he: II stated in my inaugural
address that We were in debt 50, 500 900
and had no funds with which to pay
this debt. L find that the estimated en-
pendturcs for the coming fiscal year
will be something over $16,OOO,00O. Our
anticipated revenue is S11 ,6S7 900. The
problem about which I am disturbed is
how to pay $4,000. 900 with 81 900, 900.
/ find no way out of it. except by an in
crease of revenue. am told by the
auditor general that the estimated rev.
enue, 81, ,6S7 900, includes the addition
al sum to be derived by reason of the
recent decisions of the Supreme court
upon the subject of the capital tax of
corporations, so that we may be esti-
mating perhaps more than we have the
right to estimate. The estimated eX-
penditures of sl6600,000 do not include
any sum whatever for the Capitol
building l am not disposed TO suggest
what the cost of the State capitol
ought to be, but l take it that the
Legislature will make some provision
for it, This sum, whatever it is, should
be added to our estimated eXpendi-
lures. If the lowest item for the new
building among the bills introduced
should be added to the estimated eX-
penditure we should then have an es-
timated expenditure of $1S SOC, 900, or
as to the two millions is to run for
two years, $l7,6OO,OOO.
II do not think this floating debt, the
deficit of S3.5OO,OO0 should be all paid
within the next fiscal year. but / want
to pay it during the next four years.
think at least one fourth of it should
be paid during the fiscal year. The
sum of S2,OOO,OOO per year additional
revenue should be provided for by this
legislature at least for the next four
years. Undoubtedly some money can
be saved by the Appropriation Commit
tee by the reduction Of appropriations
to private institutions, hospitals and
schools, but if all appropriations to
those objects should be cut off, it would
not leave us out Of our present diff
necessity for increasing our appropra-
tions. The National Guard demands
1925, 900. a year more than heretofore
made necessary by the increase of the
National Guard and the return of the
Guard which has been in the United
states service. Sixteen hundred insane
people are today without accommodate
tion in our insane asylums, and we will
find it extremely difficult to reduce our
legitimate expenses. All these argue
for increased revenue"
The governor reiterated his inaugural
recommendation that the section of the
act of 1891 which returns three-fourths
Of the personal property tax to the
communities be suspended for two
years. on this point he said:
Il am not welded to this plan be-
cause l have suggested it myself. The
personal property tax is a state tax:
it is state revenue; it does not belong
to the communities and never did by
right. 1t is state money, and has been
simply given to the counties through
the mistaken notion of our financial
ability to make gifts 1t is rightfully
state revenue, and belongs to the
state and it seems to me reasonable
that the state should be permitted to at
least use its revenue to lift it out of
its present embarrassment" The
| governor was willing that an addition
al tax should be placed on beer as pro.
| posed in a pending measure. but dep.
] rCcated increased taxation of corpora
| tions as likely to do more harm than
| good by discouraging new enterprises
| and causing surrenders of charters with
view to reorgani2ing under charters
| obtained in other states. The governor
| in this talk said nothing about the
| school appropriation but he gave an in.
| timation that in the absence of addi
| tional revenues for state purpose he
! will be constrained to approve bills only
| for the support Of the state government
| the insane institutions, the Nationa
| guard, semi-statc institutions and hos.
! pitfalls that cared for sick soldiers. A cut
in the school fund is one of the posi-,
! Diities.
| Inc SITUATION Is not a peasant On'
| for executive, Legislature or people but
it seems to be logical development o.
the Incorporate factionalism Of the
| past four years, which has sacrificed
| everything to the scoring of point
against the opposition. Nor is relief il
sight.
4 NOW rlapa1iDp oiIu ie hnip-. t,-t,
by the navy department. You sight