The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-08-28
STATE TREASURY I'm DEBT.

The Expenses Must be Reduced
or More Taxes Will Have to
be Levied.
The financial condition Of tho State
and the necessity for judicious action to
relieve the embarrassment in paying
current expenses have been comment
ed upon now and then, but the Logis-
lature continues to make approprla-
ton without regard to consequences,
and the treasury finds itself in debt
to the amount of 2300,0O0 this year.
Tho following statement is interest
ing to the people who pay the taxes,
and is made by Mr.. Jesse II. Gannt,
of the Secretary Of States Office, with
which he has been connected for sew
cral years
l am requested by various parties to
give my authority for assertions which
have made as to the financial condi-
ton of the State. AS the time allowed
n candidate for the Secretary Of State,
five minutes, does not permit a refer
ence to authorities, l am forced to
adopt this method in complying with
these requests.
The following letter from State
Treasurer jennings is responsible for
tho assertion which have mado, that
q deficit of $1,000 has been created
within three years
"Mr. J. II. Gantt-Dear Sir l take
for granted there was no money bor-
rowed by the State Treasurer for 1898,
1899 and 1900, as DR., Zimmerman
said at Gaffney that he had not had to
borrow any. For 1901 we. borrowed
$4,000. Up to this time we have
borrowed for 1902 &220,000, and
the present Indications are that we
will have to borrow enough more to
make out the entire 100000 author
lied by the Legislature. Very respect
fully, r.. II. JENNINGS"
August II, 1902.
taxation for State purposes in South
Carolina is already nearly twice the
average rate in the other States of tho
Union, l give below The rate for the
fiscal year 1898 in twenty-nine States
of the Union, in mills upon each dol
lar of assessed valuation
New Jersey, O.; Indiana, o.l0 of a
mill Maine, | 3D. Maryland, 4
Minnesota, $40 {; Michigan, 9-1O ;
Texas, 2; North Carolina, lilo ;
New York, 2 1-5; Arkansas, 2 l2
Missouri, 2 1-2; Montana, 2 1-2
West Virginia, 2 1-2 Wisconsin, 1-2
Ohio, 2 4-5; Washington, 2 9-10
Georgia, 3; Kentucky, B; Oklahoma
3; South Dakota, 3; Virginia, 3
Florida, 1-12 Oregon, 3 - Col
orado, less than North Dakota
Ito; Illinois, 4 Is Tennessee
q 1-2; Utah, 4 1-2; Kansas, 1-2
South Carolina, 5.
The taxpayers of the State arc en-
titled to an explanation of the reason
why. with Tax rate nearly twice the
average IN other States, a deficit of
three hundred thousand dollars has
been accumulated within three years.
Six thousand dollars Will be paid this
year as interest upon money borrowed
by the State Treasurer until mex
years taxes can be collected and ap
piled to this years. expenses.
Unless some means can be found tC
supply the treasury of the State will
resources from other quarters the peo
pie are today face to face with either 6
heavy increase in the levy to meet this
deficit or large reduction in the ap
preparations, and consequently an in
adequate support of the present State
institutions. We cannot reasonably
hope to meet this condition by an in
crease in property values, for this de
ficit has been created in spite of an in
crease of forty million dollars Cor q
per cent? in six years, which has no
been sufficient to reduce the rate.
l have brought out these facts in an
endeavor to show the necessity upon
us of encouraging the provision of in.
direct sources of revenue to aid in
supporting the State. The Secretary
Of States Office in most Of the States
has been made revenue bearing Of
fee, and it should be made so in South
Carolina. Respectfully,
j. II. CAN'T.