The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-31
roo NEAR THE PRECIPIcE.

 , pledge to reduce the tax rate limit for State or county purposes. The resolu- tions of the State Convention simply l declare against any increase in the limit, and for decrease if it can be done If the latter cannot be safely
 attempted then the Convention has
 done it's full duty and complied with
 party pledges by letting the limit re- | main as it is.
 Under the idea of securing an addi- tional mill through county machinery for local school purposes the Conven- tion has fixed the limit at 6 1-2 mill~ and the State thereby will be carried
 to the verge of defalcation, If not
 plunged over the precipice into the very depths of bankruptcy. Before 1t is to,
 late the members of the Convention
 ought to take up this matter again | and reverse their action.
 The Chairman of the Committee on | Taxation painted some beautiful rain bow pictures, as if there was no prob | ability of any diminution in receipts l or increase in expenditures. When the child is told that at the end of a rainbow he can find a bag of gold he believes it. So, too, when told that
 he can catch the bird if he will only put salt on it's tail. Such promises please while cherished in imagination even if there is a cruel awakening to the fact that they can never be realized.
 If the members of the Convention will recall past experiences they will learn that it has been for years a dream of tax budget makers about in- crease in valuations. A low tax rate we have been told would make every body give in property at increased rates. If that should turn out to be so. the tax payer in the end would
 have as much to pay. but as a matter of fact the Tax Assessors and Boards
 of County Commissioners have just as
 much trouble in getting assessments | under low as under a high rate. be- cause there is less apprehension of failure to secure enough revenue to
 meet State and county assessments. Now gentlemen of the Convention you can only judge of the future by the past and on that principle let's take the history of the past few years:
 Begin with the year 1891. the period of the greatest boom in real estate ever | known in Alabama. Values, however, | increased in less than half a dozen counties and the greater part of the increase was in Jefferson. The rate
 was mills for the State and 1-2 mill for soldiers. The total valuation of property was $275, 900, ,0O0 in round num-
 bers and total receipts for general pur- poses from taxation that reached the
 treasury that year $1, ,1o7,1Ss. The next year at the same rate on a valuation | of $261, ,000, 900 the States revenue from that source for genehal purposes was $1, ,04s, ,S9s.
 For 1893 valuation was s260, ,172.0O0. | and tax rate for general purposes 5 mills-receipts $1,3O2,47s.
 For 1894 valuation. s34S. 900. rate
 5 mills, receipts $1,2f .2si.
 For 1895. s241, ,OoO. 900. rate 1-a. re-
 ceipts $l,s29. 900.
 For 1896 SPA, 1000. .ooO. rate 5 1-2. re-
 ceipts s1.333.5oO.
 For 1897 $251 ss0.o .ooO. rate 5 1-2. re-
 ceipts. $1.3s4.oOo.
 For 1898 s256.256.oOO. rate 1-2 re-
 ceipts $1,410.OOo.
 For 1899 25s,OOo,o0O. rate 1-2. re-
 ceipts $1.424.0O0. e- For 1900 s267. 100000. rate 1-2. re-
 ceipts 1.467. .O0O.
 In all these calculations no account
 is taken of the special tax for schools
 and soldiers, but only the general re- | ceipts available for State purposes.
 The report of the Auditor shows that
 on the tax assessors papers filed up to l October 1, 1900, the valuations on which | collections were to be realized for the
 current fiscal year ending September
 SOth next footed up $266, ,S9S, ,2Ss. That is
 the only basis on which any calculation for real and personal property taxation
 can be based. It can be easily seen
 that if every dollar is collected the
 total receipts from that source will be
 $1. .467 ,911. The Auditor after making
 allowance for expense of collecting, etc.,
 estimates receipts from that source at | $1, ,3S0, ,000.
 | The Auditor estimate that total re- ceipts from all sources for year end-
 ing September 30, 1901, would he $2,547,-
 500. In this he included the | special taxes for soldiers and
 schools amounting to $5OO,O 900, poll | tax $150,000, licenses. solicitors fees,
 Convict Department, tag fund and every conceivable item from which
 money would be realized Admitting
 that unexpected receipts have come in,
 that does not weaken in the least the
 credibility that should be attached to
 his statemnt.
 His estimated disbursements are 3D. l 526.970. This would leave a margin of | $2O,0O0 surplus. He made no allow
 ance whatever for the expense of your I Convention It was called after his report was printed. The Legislature
 appropriated $5o,00O. That wipes out
 the expected surplus and leaves the I treasury 30,000 behind. You know that