New-York tribune., 1901-01-03
FINANCIAL.

shalI Judge e&pedlent. Acting under this man
date have the honor TO transmit 70 you the
following message:
FINANCIAL
On September so. 1900. the close of the fiscal
year. the total debt of the State amounted to
$40. .130,660. classified as follows:
c., ca
Adirondack park Chapter 5si. Laws Of 1905. = $4,000
Adirondack park Chapter 22O. OF 1ssT.. 10000
Laws of 1ses. and Chapter 4ss Laws Of 1893 100000
Total $40 lsc ESQ
OF this debt s55.OOO will fall due on January
30 1901 and $4,000 on January 80. 1902. The
first has been cared Cor by an appropriation
made by the legislature OF 1900. and no other
provision. excepting for the item falling due In
January. 1902. for the redemption of outstand-
Ing certificates of indebtedness will be neces-
sary during the current year
The receipts and balances for the year ending
September 80. 1900 were S36.511 Cos %.
OF this amount S4.504.s14 "a was the balance
carried down from Oct Ober. 1899.
The total payments for all purposes during
the year amounted to S29.221 .S95 40. leaving a
balance in the state Treasury on September 30
The tax rate for the current year is 196 mills,
which will yield on the valuation of the State
(S5, ,461 500. .752). S10.7O4. 153 80.
The amount received from corporations during
the fiscal year was:
For organization SS6.I'S 81
Total S2sSl'2s6 So
being an increase over the preceding year Of
S2S9. .96s 81
The amount received from taxes on inheri-
was 4,3s4 sOS %, an Increase over the preced-
ing fiscal year OF S2.14O. .191 O3
The amount received from license fees for the
sale Of liquors. Chapter 112. of the Laws of
1896. and the amendments thereto for the year
ending September 80. was S4.230,SlO =. an in
crease over the preceding year of 1851 40.
a study of the principal expenditures is wise
In view OF the necessities which arise for more
economical administration They are therefore
submitted to you in full and are as follows:
For charitable INSTITUTIONS including Of
For the Adironcsck park purchase of
For printing and advertising sSs1aI 81
For the legislature gun & sOS - -
For state prisors SSSSg9 s
For the National Guard including armories
and arsenas public defences 1.OO5 IA 50
For the Excise Department including refunds 5ssgsl 8
For For pSSf eSSais Ru'anss 5ss 5ss5 q
One of the largest sources of revenue TO the
State is that arising from the Collateral Inher-
itance Tax. With the object of inquiring into
the expense of collection of this tax in view. /
have secured from the Controller a statement
which shows that during the years from 1897
TO 1900 inclusive, there has been received from
this source S11. .765. on OS and there has been
expended. including S159.351 96 in refunds.
81. .40S. .643 so for collection. In other words.
more than 10 per cent of the tax has been used
for administration purposes. The law provides
that the county treasurers shall be paid fee
for collection. The only work performed for this
has been the signing of duplicate receipts and
the transmission OF the money TO the Controller
at expense during the period referred TO of
S216.20 16. The apprasement of the property
has cost in addition, 1890 9O6 so. or about per
cent OF the total amount collected.
The legal expenses other than those named
above have also been very large. and could be
greatly reduced if the compensation of the at
tOrneys was fixed by statute percentage
basis rather than left TO the discretion of the
Controller No business would suffer such
an enormous drain upon his resources for the
small amount of work now performed. One
half of the sum expended should have been
ample for the collection of these moneys and
that of itself would have effected an average
saving during the last four years of at least
NloOoOO year,
recommend that i'm all counties where there
are now official appraisers the collection of the
taxes be transferred TO the State Controller and
made the official appraiser for such countless
with no additional fee for such service.
Since the adoption of the State Constitution
necessity for an increase in the force of
ployes in the Legislature has arisen. and with
out proper amendment 10 the legislative law
this Increase has been met through what is
known supplemental list. With no definite
limitation to the number of such employees
extravagance and abuses apt TO result. I
recommend an amendment TO the legislative law
that Will fix the number and compensation of
such additional employees.
The Controllers report shows also vast in
crease In the expenditures for clerical and other
help in the departments. No doubt a thorough
pruning could be effected II the Legislature
would investigate and report promptly its find-
lngs and ask Tor such action All items of ex-
penditure In the appropriation bills should be
made more in detail to give fuller effect
Continued n four.