The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-09-18

u FAV0Rs RADICAL CHANGES
He Discusses Intclligently Topic.
Y Which Arc OF Interest. In
crease I'm Levy or Re- ]
8. stluce Expenses. Z. r..

7 ~
res sponse to the request of the
commission to suggest to the. leglsla-
sture remedies for the weakness in the
) tax system, Mr. Jesse r.: CAN'T,
secretary OF state, has made some In
svestigations which have convinced
4 himself Of the necessity for change
lin the laws. Els very full report will
be sent to the commissioners before
their meeting in Columbia next
Thursday. After reviewing the situa-
etion;in this State, he quotes copiously
from the messages of Gov. Nash of
Ohio, Gov. ODE OF New York, Gov.
Van SAINT OF Minnesota, Ex-Gov.
Tyler Of Virginia, Gov Beckham OF
kentucky, Ex- Gov. Voorhees, Of New
Jersey and Gov. Murphy of New Jer-
sey, all of whom approve franchise
tax.
Il In his letter to the commissioners,
Senators Mower and Manning and
I Representatives Moses, Thomas and
Tatum, Mr., CAN'T says in part:
.HThe first inquiry which must ad-
! J
cial condition of the State, compared
with its condition III former years"
He then. submits table compiled
from the official reports for the past
six years, showing the gross amount
realized from the State levy, the cash
on hand available and to the creditor
the general fund ab the close Of each
Of said years, and the outstanding
obligations OF the governor and treas.
urer borrowed to meet current iplebt-
cdness This table shows that no tis-
cal year was ended with an outStand-
ing Indebtedness until 1901, when the
State was in arrears $I45, 600, an
amount which was increased to $685.
S52 by the beginning Of the current
year.
Mr.. CAN'T continues:
1T will thus be seen that until two
years ago the State, while not on Il
cash basis, generally received the new
years taxes in time to meet all re-
quired payments when due, although
on some occasions the treasurer was
compelled to resort to the expedient
OF Overdrawing his account with the
banks. 1t shows that on the lst Of
January last, although more taxes
levied for the new year had been col
lected than ever before, the treasurer
had outstanding notes for money bor-
rowed to meet current expenditures
aggrcgating S296, 6,S52.16 1t can be
said, however, in partial explanation
Of this condition, that for 1898, S92,-
600, and in 1899, 100000, was re-
ceived by the treasurer from the dis
pensary, and that The present condi-
tion Of the treasury is not entirely due
to an increase in the appropriations.
For the present fiscal year, not
withStanding the fact that SSS, 900
was received from the United States
government and used in payment of
the appropriation for pensions, S275,-
\ 600. has already been borrowed by the
Z treasurer, which will doubtless be in
i creased to S375,00O, the full amount
permitted by law to be borrowed, be-
fore the close OF the fiscal year.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES.
The appropriations which it is
usual to make exceed s1,l25, 900 each
year; the receipts Of the State barely
exceed S1,O0O,00O.
1T will thus be seen that not only
Is the States finances in comparably
worse conditions than six years ago,
that each year adds to our difficulties
a floating Indebtedness exceeding
$4,000 In his message to the gen
eral assembly in 1898, Gov. Ellerbc,
who had been comptroller general,
and consequently was qualified to
speak with authority as to the condi-
ti0n Of the State, asserted that fThc
finances OF the States are in a very
unsatisfactory condition.
by refusing to borrow SlOO, 900, as is
often done, though have not saved
the State any great amount in tile
way Of interest charges, have re-
fused to sanction what appears to me
to be bad precedent" In his mes
sage to the general assembly Of 1S99
he said: The finances OF the State
are still in a very unsatisfactory con
dition. The appropriations
must be cut down or the tax lew
raised" Gov. Ellerbc referred to the
necessity Of the State treasurer to
OYerdraW his accounts with the banks
during the summer months until the
collection of the new years taxes III
the fall could reimburse them, or to
borrow money sometimes for that pur-
pose. When he refused to borrow
money, 1T was with no idea that the
note would be outstanding at the close
OF the year, but would be settled from
taxes soon to be collected The State
he deemed to have deficit of SlOO,-
600, because it would have required
practically that amount at that time
to meet the current years apprOpria-
tionS from the taxes assessed for the
expenses Of the current year. On this
basis the deficit was, in round num-
bers, $440,0O0 on Jan. last, and
1t will reach approximately 5000, ,0U0
by the next meeting of the general as
sembly.
The finances Of the State are un-
qncstonably in dcplorable condition,
and that some remedy must bc found
and that at once, is unqucstlonable.
:Four alternate remedies suggest
themselves:
First, Reduction ia appropria-
tions.
Second. An increase in the levy.
Third. An increase in assessments.
Fourth. New sources Of revenue.
REDUCE AUTHORIZATIONS.
rs 1t possible to reduce appropria-
tions to a sufficient amount to come
WITHIN the present available income OF