The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-08-15
THE STATE TREASURY.
Big Deaeit-Treaxurer Lacy 1sx-
Plains the Reason. for It-state
officials ON Educational Toar..
Messenger Bureau.

ha4elkn, ~ T., August =.
Ere in the suburbs Of Reidsvi.le burn
ed the stable and barn OF r. p. Rich
ardson. valued at 5000 and on which
there is only 5000 insurance. II is al
legged that the fire was OF Incendiary
origin, and today Insurance Commits
sioner Young sent detective there 10
make a full investigation.
State superintendent ]. Y. Jcyner LETT
today for Hickory, 20 participate In tha
great educational rally there. Govern-
or Aycock goes there tomorrow and viii
not return here until early in Septem-
ber.
The local republicans do not appsar
to know what to do. There sac TWO
factions among them-one Pr. lard.
the other anti-Pritchard. They G. line
10 talk at all fully and reveal ,aeir
plans.
State Auditor Dixon returned tosiay
from a tour during which he Isade
speeches In the interest o. the Ereat
public education movement.
Secretary Bruner OF the Agriculture.
department has returned from a trip
10 Stokes county. where he photograp PHI
ed tobacco farms. He says the crop
there is very fine.
The conductors or farmers Institutes
leave here in q day or two to hold the
first ones this year. The list has been
published, but three additions appoint
ments are made. DIR. TAFT Butler and
Professor W. F. Massey will conduct
institutes at Boone and Jefferson and
Sparta.
An amusing incident occurred here
today Attendance of public school
teachers at county teachers institute Is
compulsory. One teacher was so care
less as to forget 10 attend the institute
held here last week. Today he found
he could not get his pay unless he did
attend, so he hurried 10 see the county
and state officials and left on the first
train for Clinton to attend the institute
at Clinton.
The cooler weather which came today
is beneficial TO the crops here, as the
effect of intense heat after the rains
was feared.
This will be a great year for part
ridges. There was never summer
more suited to the growth OF the young
birds.
The weather bureau officials say the
present summer is the most pleasant In
this section in five years. This Is due
to the low percentage of moisture in the
atmosphere, which was on some days
as low as "A per cent.
State Treasurer Lacy says there was
in the state treasury January le, 1901.
when Treasurer Lacy took charge, a
balance OF s37,52S.36. The appropria-
tions for 1901 exceeded those for 1900 by
1924 907.S4. The appropriations FOR lsos
exceeded those for 1901 by Sie4 ,2Os.5s
The total appropriations for 1901 were
| $S67 957 &c; the total for 1902 were Si,-
| 031, ,160.Si; giving a total for the last
general assembly of 1888, ,11S.07. The
| appropriations for 1899 were $63J, $50;
! for 1900 were $673. .0i9.42; giving total
| of s1,306, ,479.4s. The total increase OF
appropriations by the general assembly
| of 1901 is therefore. 1892, ,63S. 50. This Is
| quite leap. To make such an i7crease
was TO invite a deficit, as Senator Nc
Intyre 1--WE think pointed out The
| state is growing; but no state grow 50
| fast as that. The receipts for 1906 -i9el
were 81, 1,602, ,666.4S: the receipts for Sc
1902 were s1.700O00; total s3,3o2.' 49,
| The receipts for 1S9S-1s99 were s45.-
| III 90; for 1S99-1900 were $1.tl., .J3.sl !;
| total s., ,163, ,7116O II from the amount
| of increase of appropriations for 1901
| 1902-$592, ,63S. So you will subtract the
| amount of increase of income-sl3S.Se6.-
] SS-you will find the remainder, $751;
| 671.71, which is the estimated current
| deficit
| While a deficit of any sort is more OF
| less embarrassing, one caused By ap-
| propriations for elementary education
| and for the insane (Which constitute
| $500. 900 OF the deficit. and which were
| necessary, or one caused by pensions 70
| confederate veterans. and such pen
| sions do account for $50. 900 of the de-
| ficit, may not be attacked or criticised
| successfully unless IL can be proveJ
| that the money was not needed and was
| extravagantly used: and we do not
| think there is any ground for suspicion
| in this respect. The fact, however. thas
appropriate have increased from ~. :
| 1S3, ,959 9s for the four years ending 1895
| to So, ,205. .597.55 in the four years ending
| 1s02-an increase of s1,121, s.59-calls
| for grave concern, even II IL does indi-
cate that the state is growing. There
| is but one conclusion: The state must
| order economy wherever possible, and
yet IL must not DO itself harm: and Ii
must not increase any appropriations
unless il is imperative; and even then
| IL must increase the taxes, must get a
| larger. a very much larger revenue.
| This will be the chief task of the gener-
al assembly soon TO be elected.