New-York tribune., 1903-05-23
STATE FTNANCES.

Governor Odell's memorandum accompanying
the annual tax rate bill shows a graurylhg
condition of the States finances The promise
of the Republican party to abolish the olrec'
tax for State purposes so far as the constF
tuition would allow has been kept ana III lne
coming year, for the second time, the people Oh
Ne1-Yorz will pay no general property tax to
the State except the trife of .13 mill enJolneu
tv the constitution for the canal bond interest
and sinking fund. That, too, will PROBABLY pe
abolished as soon as the constitutional amend
nent can be voted upon. This good financing
has not taken the form either Of parsimony
detrimental to the interests of the State or Of
taxation depliving localities of any revenues
yiheraI provision has been made for the
growing need Of State improvements and the
Municipalities will have more money than ever
for local purposes as a result OF the new TAX
laws.
The total appropriations finally approved
nv the Governor amount to S23. .497 .442 40. That
is an increase of 1,500.537 II over the appro-
priations of last year When 1t is noted that
S2.343.973 10 Of increased appropriations Tor
public enterprises of imperative need were
made it becomes clear that in the ordinary
expenses Of the State economies amounting 70
over $780, 900 have been achieved The boys al
the Industrial School at Rochester are to be
mt on 8 farm for which S125.000 Is being PAID.
The improvement Of the State hospitals for the
insane TO secure needed room for patients ana
the provision for their better care in accord
ance with the recommendations OF expert
critics will cost over SI,000,000. tuberculosis
hospital work is being enlarged, grade crossings
are being removed. and roads are being I'M
proved. Every one Of these enterprises is IA
vorably regarded by the taxpayers and money
is wisely spent upon them.
The chief source Of new revenue which has
made possible the abolition of direct taxes
without Gripping the business of government
is the liquor tax That has aroused much
noisy opposition. which appears to be rapidly
subsiding The liquor dealers find themselves
comfortably off The new tax is not so high as
that which they easily endured from the Fed
eral Government in 1898. The decrease In the
number of licenses issued in the first ten days
Of the license year was less than per cent
from the number issued In the same period last
year. That tax will bring the State S5,O0O,OO0
Of new revenue without doing injustice to any
body not even the saloonkeeper, who will pay
no more than his fellows in other States where
the business is no more prosperous than here.
This new incoL ; together with the other in
direct revenues, viii enable Tie State to keep
a surplus of about S6,o0O,0O0 to be handed over
to the next administration in 1905. At the same
time it will Increase the revenues in local
treasures thus disposing of the complaints that
the cities were being robbed to pay the States
expenses
New-York City has been especially fortunate
financially as result of Republican legislation.
The tax bills this gear will for the first time
show the effect of the phenomenally low State
tax levied by the legislature Of 1903 and the
benefit will be continued next year The fran
chise tax levied in 1899 has been upheld in the
courts and will bring in a large amount The
increase in the liquor tax will partly inure to
the city treasury. The change in the sinking
fund law will cut of millions OF unnecessary
taxation Altogether the taxpayers Of the city
have been well treated by the State as they
will doubtless realize when they get their un-
usually low tax bills.