The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-09-26

General school. .............. ISL, $685. 20
Permanent university. 9.85114
General university. .......... s., $4,000
internal improvements. S,74634
Internal improvement land. >. 6S.13323
state INSTITUTIONS. ............ 99,607 10
swamp land. Observation-Disclosures. 19.35S7o
Ira1n inspection. .......... 21,5752S
All OF these funds, except the general
revenue fund, are trust funds in the
hands of the state treasurer, each fund
held for separate and distinct pur-
pose: for instance. the permanent
school and university funds are de-
rived from the sale Of school and uni
Verslty lands and must be permanently
invested. This is constitutional pro-
v!so.
True, there was $744111 "a in the rev.
enue fund on July 81, but in all proba-
bll1ty that fund will be overdrawn on
January first next. All the running ex-
penses Of the state government are
paid out of the revenue fund. The
heavy tax collections are all in bv the
first of August, and the revenue fund
Will not be replenished to any great
extent until the railroad taxes COM
mence to come in after Jan. ]. At the
deficit in the revenue fund. Let me
Illustrate: On Aug. 1. 1897. there was
$514, 1885 in the revenue fund, and on
Dec. 81 of the same year it was over
drawn to the extent of $1S5. 461 .21: on
Aug. l, 1898, there was $543, $50. % in the
revenue fund and on Dec. 81 of the
same year it was overdrawn to the
amount of $30,s7734: on Aug. l, 1899,
there was $6S7, in the revenue
fund and on the following December it
was overdrawn in the amount of
500, 925.23.
The overdraft is provided for by sec
ton 1853, Stat. Mimi. 1894. Last year I
reduced the tax levy one tenth of a
mill below the rate fixed by the legisla-
ture, and this year I intend to reduce
the rate still another tenth of mill.
but below that it would not be safe to
go. The increased revenue derived
from railroad, insurance and other cor
porations made it possible to reduce
the tax levy. 1t would be poor policy
to fix the tax levy so low that there
would not be enough revenue raised to
meet the current expenses of the state,
The time is fast approa ching, in nv
judgment, when hardly any direct tax
will be necessary for the support of the
state government. The taxes derived
from railroad, insurance and other cor
porations will be sufficient to meet all.
or nearly ALL the expenditures for
purely state purposes. I repeat what I
said In my report to the legislature of
1875: The modern tendency in taxa
ton by states is to lessen the tax rate
upon realty and derive increased reye-
nue. from taxes upon corporations, in
her1tances, etc. Foreign corporations
doing business in this state, and domes-
tic corporations may be required to paw
an annual tax or license into the state
revenue"
Tax Laws.
Referring to the matter of taxation
l have been firmly convinced for some
years past that our tax laws need re-
vision to the end that the burden of
taxation be more equitably distributed
Under present conditions persons Of
small means who can least afford it.
pay more than their prOportionate
share OF the taxes, while many wealthy
ana INSCRIPTIONS tax-dodging CORPORA
lions and individuals escape by paying
1.-THE OF what they ought to paw.
am nrm believer in q permanent
board OF tax commissioners for this
state, and I shall strenuously recon-
mend In my next report to the leeisla-
ture the creation of such a board. Tn
the State of Michigan the board OF tax
commissioners have succeeded in
placing on the tax rolls this vear
$500, OO0,O0O worth of property which
has heretofore escaped taxation.
State Board Of COufrn1
also believe in non-partfsan boa rd
of control for all the Charitable and
correctional institutions of the state
Such board, composed of practical
business men, not mere politicians de-
voting its entire time to the care and
supervision of state institutions. viewed
from an economic - humanitarian
standpoint, In my opinion, is highly de-