The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-10
FLORIOA'S FINE FINANCES.
HER TREASURY Is IN EXCELLENT
CONDITION.

The State Has Paid on $2N0. 900 in
lated n Balance of $27T, SS5-Re-
duction in Tax Rate WAS Not Due
to the Recent Convict Lease-AII
Money Received From Convict
Leases is PrOratcd Among the
Counties for the Expenses of the
Criminal Courts, With Certain
Small Exceptions.
Tallahassee, Fla, June "a confusion
of ideas and erroneous impressions have
gone out through a portion of the state
press of Florida, regarding the revenue
to be derived from the new lease of con-
victs, which goes into effect in January,
1902. 1t has not only been asserted that
the revenue derived from the hire OF con-
victs goes into the state treasury to meet
the expenses of the state government,
but that the largely increased appropria-
tons for educational institutions. en-
largemeut of Capitol etc, were rendered
possible only by such lease.
In fact, not one dollar of the revenue
goes to pay any of the expenses of the
state government. or to pay any of the
extraneous appropriations for educational
and other purposes.
With the exception of the $1,000
for the juvenile reformatory at
Mariana, and a small sum for supervisor
and chaplain of convicts, every dollar to
be derived from the hire of convicts goes
to the several counties, in proportion to
the number of convicts each furnishes, for
the purpose Of assisting in defraying the
criminal expenses of the counties.
Some ten or twelve years ago the state,
on account of changes in the constitution,
had to borrow $500 900. As this sum, on
account of constitutional restrictions,
could not be taken up, as the bonded debt
can be by issuing other bonds it had 10
be met from the ordinary revenues of the
state 1t has been therefore the policy OF
the financial officers of the former admin
istrations to pay off the $4,000 from the
ordinary tax levy. There was a sufficient
surplus received to pay 100000 in 1899, and
the remaining 800 900 was paid. as shown
by the controllers reports, in 1900
Not only was this sum of 500 600 paid,
but the treasurer's report shows that on
Dec. 81, 1900, there was in the treasury
TO tne account OF general revenue, lhc
large sum of SIT, 1885, 10
Having the $4,000 borrowed in former
years out of the way, with $2T7 SSS10 in
the treasury, and practically all of the
taxes of the year 1900, to come in, rem
dered it possible for the Legislature to
make the large appropriations for edu-
cational institutions, and enlargement of
the Capitol; and also possible for the ad-
ministration to keep the state tax proper,
at ~ minis, Just what 1t was last year.
The hire of the convicts had nothin g
to do with the state finances, and the
states ability to pay UP the incubus of
100000 borrowed money, and make the
large eXtraneous appropriations referred
to without additional taxation, resulted
from careful management for years past
of the states finances and the inherent
solidity Of the states progress and de-
velopment. The number of convicts on
Jan. 1, last. was 7I.
There has been an increase of convicts
sent to the peuitentiary in recent years,
over the discharges, pardons and deaths,
amounting to about s per cent. per an
mum. If floating laborers from other
states are still brought into the state i'm
the same proportion as in the past few
years, this increase of 8 per cent. per an
mum will be kept up.