Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-01-21


tention to the problem OF taxaCion' -
part he said:
"rThe efforts of my predecessor 10
introduce better business metnous
into the financial system OF the staCe
government has resulted in empnaslz-
ing many defects and instltutlng sunni
Improvement in the management Vi
e+ata funds. So long as the admin
istrative and legislative departments
nersist in attempts to snltt' edch w
ON the other, responsibility Lot eaA
1avies to meet deficiencies Whlcn DoCn
holm tn create. there must be abundant
onnortunity for Improvement. unuef
Che law the fiscal year OF the sCate
ends September 80, and all regular
official reports are for the term end
ing on that day. This fact' Win
few others closely related TO IT, De-
lieve to be responsible for much OF the
nublic misunderstanding OF state
finances and for most of the m1slead-
ing information concerning state al
fairs upon which legislators nave
heen Obliged to rely for guidance. tie
ports for the fiscal year snow Daldnces
anon a date within few weeks alCeA
the receipt of large amounts OF reVe-
nue. as license fees from corporations.
etc hut months before the close Oh
+ba administration term-months IN
which extraordinary disbursements
including legislative expenses IN eacn
biennial term, must be made before
considerable revenues are again re-
,eived. The usual and natural result
If this system is found in misleading
,ficial reports, showing handsome
ash balance at the close OF the nscal
yaar and four months later new al
oinistration finds itself confronted at
he beginning of it's term of life with
n alarming deficit as the foundatloh
or new appropriations by the legls!a-
ure and the natural and STEADY
rowth in ordinary current expenses
Take. for example present condl-
ions. At the close of the fiscal year,
September 80, 1900, the balance ID the
General fund was $496, 408.74. At the
md of the calendar year and admins
ration term, January z, 1901, the gen
.ral fund balance was only Sl5l,S3o'11.
IF this last balance, $4,000 is derived
from advance payment of railway IL
cense fees which do not become due
until the month of March. The state
aid to free high schools, amounting 10
S97. 6O7. 83, due December l, 1901, IS IN
Daid-although the warrants therefor
are in the treasury department-De-
cause available moneys in the general
fund are required to meet current eA-
nenses. These items, when properly
deducted, leave a net balance OF a.,
1854 in the general fund. Leglsla-
tive and other expenses payable With
in the next few days will aggregate
more than 100000, and there is no ap
Dreciable amount of receipts due 10
the general fund from any source be-
fore the time for payment OF corpora
tion license fees and state taxes,
which was changed from February to
March by the last legislature. Besides
this inevitable deficit there is an addi-
tional deficiency of $323,5O5.74, being
the amount of appropriations by the
last legislature the payment OF which
has been refused on account OF lack or
means in the general fund. In brief
ou have a legacy of over 100000 ex-
sss appropriations from the last legis-
ture to take into your considerations
i'd the administration begins business
it'll a considerable treasury deficit in
chit in lieu of the balance which
light be expected from the condition
oh 01OCn
zeal year as shown by the annual
official reports available to the public
for purposes of information.
Statistics show that in four years
out of the last ten there was an excess
of disbursements over receipts even
mt the close of the fiscal year. 1t is
not difficult in view of the system that
has been in use to believe that the
trust funds of the state have been in
requisition for general fund purposes
during the greater portion of all those
years. It may not be practical to
make the fiscal year of the state end
with the calendar and administration
year, so far as the general official re-
ports are involved. 1t ought to be pos
SlUlG AOl JAC " AOAOAA "
complete reports of the financial con-
Iition of the state government to be
published at the beginning Of the
,alendar year. These will afford
reat assistance to legislative COM
nittees. In addition there should be
equired more accurate estimates for
isbursements, the same to be made in
etail for each department of state
overnment.
Taxation.
"The creation of commission to
lal1e such investigation as the char
cter and Importance of the subject
emand, to report to the legislature
he results of it's examination, and
0 make recommendations in aid of
asst and efficient tax laws, could not
all of public approval. Chapter 206,
avs of 1899, authorizes the appoint
O~+ of q tay oOY1o ciOuor oud +1vo