The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-13

MADE ANA which, with local t0xe0, enOul1
operate the schools six inontha In this
fsrred from the permanent fund under the
act approved April -. 1892. II, ss is to be
presumed, this act Ii repealed at this ses.
sion. In response - the state democratic
platform. the available fund will be re-
duced annually after August 81, 1899, by
sequently, even though the other source.
Of the available fund are maintained a,
present estimates, the total will be ma
terially reduced and the efficiency of the
schools appreciably affected. For this
reason ana those heretofore given. It Is
submitted that the ad valoren rate OF tax
alton for school purposes should be In
creased to 20 cents on the 800, which
IL the limit flxed by the constitution. The
2-cent additional ad valorcm tax would
about replace the amount transferred an
nually heretofore from the permanent fund
The estimate OF general expenditures for
the two years ending February %. 1900
and 1901, respectively. submitted by the
comptroller In part on estimates OF the
different departments and Institutions, ts
es follows: 9.r 3sss5 81
First year :. ..........,..s..$2,41 All, 1888 20
Second year ..........ss....... 2,29I, 4VS ~
Total for two years ........ ~ ,7lssn 40
To which should be added:
lDehciencies 1880. ......... SsluVVu w
Estimated expenses OF the leg
islature .s... .s..........ss I4VuVu W.
Total appropriations ....... SO, 06s, c41 40
This does not include any appropriation
under the amendment to the constitution
authorizing the granting OF pensions to
Confederate soldiers and sailors and their
widows. limited to IS per month per cap
ita, and the aggregate to s25o,0o0 per an.
num-. II an act is passed at this session
on this subject 1t will probably require
$125,000 the first and s250,000 the second
year
1t is estimated by the comptroller that
the total general revenue receipts for this
period will amount to $5,190000. but In
this is included about sl01, 900 paid by the
United States on tho boundary indemnity
and $4,000 paid by railway companies as
penalties, which will not be available af-
ter the first year, and should be deducted,
leaving the total receipts s5,0S2,000. It
seems, therefore. under the acquisitions
made and with adequate provision for
Confederate pensions the estimates OF ex-
penditures and revenue are as follows:
First year ...................S2 so, S5S "
Pensions first year .......... 100000 10
Second year .................. 2,2ga4Oo ~
Pensions second year ........ 25O,000 w
Deficiencies ........... 2lu,OUu w
Estimated expenses of the leg
1slature .........,........... l4u,Vu0 w
Total expenditures ........s5 ,4SS, 241 40
Total receipts from taxes, two
years Observation-Disclosures. IS, 032, 900 90
Cash balance August 81, 1885,. 6S0.9SS 81
Total available revenue ....s5,712,ess 81
Balance revenue ............ S2I4,747 "a
IA NA,.. fx~t all tyetff Flaws
for appropriations are granted and suitable
pension allowance is made, there will he
n considerable revenue balance. But IN
addition to the necessity Of having cash
balance of at least 100000 at the begin
ning OF each year to maintain a cash basis,
resulting from the fact that for seven
months practically no taxes are collected.
and the apparent need OF additional asy-
lum room, the appropriations asked for
current expenses are too large For tho
two years they amount to s4,713. 24f.40,
which is about 5000 900 more than was ex
pended in 1895 and 1896, and $4,000 great
err than the total expenditures the past Two
years. 1t is true there is a deficit Tor the
past two years of s21o,0G0, but deficiencies
of this character are unavoidable and occur
every two years, being about the same
with each administration, and in compar-
ing total expenditures may be disregarded.
With reasonable increase Of appropria-
tions in departments and institutions
where it is proper to allow them, the esti-
mates are still susceptible of material IL
not radical reduction.
There is absolutely no occasion to in-
crease ad valorem taxation for general
purposes On the other hand, II the PEN
sion amendment is not put in operation the
rate of taxation for this purpose may be
safely reduced to IS cents. In my judy
ment, however. the best policy to pursue
is to appropriate for Confederate pensions
S125,0O0 the first and s250,O0O the second
year. provide for such additional asylum
room as may be necessary. cut down the
estimates and allow the ad valorem tax
rate for general revenue to remain at 20
cents.
~