The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-28

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Rate of Taxes of Property Again he
Decreased From 80 Cents to 80
Cents. Which With 80 Cents For
Special Purposes Would Make the
Rate Here S1.10---The Committee
Makes a Number of Recommends
tions and Suggestions.
At the next meeting of the Board of
Aldermen of Raleigh, which takes
place on Friday night of this week, the
Finance Committees of the Board will
submit it's report for the fiscal year
ending February 20. 1904.
This report is made by the commit
tee, consisting of Messrs. A. B. An
irews, Jr., VIM. Boylan and James I.
Johnson, and though Mr.. Andrews has
resigned his position as member OF
the board he was member for the
time which the report covers ana
hence submits it with the other mem
bers of the board.
The publication is made thus in ad-
vance of the meeting, so that the mat
tiers contained therein may be scruti-
nized and examined by the members
of the board prior to the meeting on
Friday night. In full it is as follows:
Report of Finance Committee.
hpO to
herewith make their report for the
year ending February %. 1904.
Receipts from all sources
for the past year were. s 96,3s6.1S
Excess of disbursements
over receipts ......... o,9z4.1'
Paid into sinking fund. ...$ 20,216.17
Expenses, various depart
ments ..-......... o1'oo4''o
Total ............. Sloz' o1V.4
1t should be stated that, included
i'm the above statement is a city war
rant for $1,66S.T5 held by the sinking
fund which was taken up and then
reissued in several small warrants SO
that it could gradually be taken up
by the city.
The expenses of the different de-
partments vary very little from tnat
of last year, the noticeable increases
being Gin round numbers) in the FOL
lowing departments, viz, Fire, $5.-
200; Park $500; Sewer, $475; Light,
$500; Pumps, $3.50; interest on war
rants, 800; while the only noticeable
decrease being in the sanitary ana
street cleaning department of $2,25o.
IN In rn r
ment can be accounted for by the facl
that it is now on a Semi-pald basis as
we'll as by the purchase of hose alb
Solutely needed to replace Worn-out
hose on hand. The increase in the
light department is due to the city
now having 160 enclosed arc light al
against 70 arc lights and 100 open
flame gas lights as formerly. The in
crease in interest on warrants is due
to two reasons, first, the city during
the past year having disbursei nearly
$4,000 more than was received, and,
second, to the city having paid $525.66
of accumulated interest on the war
rant held by the sinking fund, which
is hereafter explained. The decrease
in the sanitary and street cleaning
department will be explained in part
by the fact that the payment on the
city garbage farm last year was only
$79S as against $2,S23 last year on
this same account. This completes
the payment of the purchase price of
$4,000 for this lot of land.
One item that calls for criticism is
the excess of disbursements over re-
cejpts of $5,S24.29, which brings the
outstanding warrant account up to
SIS, 96S.S4, which means that the city
of Raleigh has a floating warrant ac-
count of one dollar per capita; or If
this and the current expense bond
issue be added together, then the citi-
zens have floating debt of three dol
lars ner capita for each citizen. While
this excess has been due partly to the
continued decrease in the rate of
taxes yet it is nevertheless a fact
that each year there ehas been an in
crease in the expenses of the city, and
we would again urge upon the board
and the heads of the departments the
necessity of the most rigid economy.
Decrease i'm Taxes Suggested.
AS was stated by the members Of
the committee in their report of last
year. that if property valuations were
increased the rate of taxes would be
decreased, and we now have rate
of ninety cents Coco for general
purposes and thirty cents (30c) for
speciaI purposes, total of one dollar
and twenty cents (s1.20), which is
the lowest rate the city has levied Tor
a number of years, and is lower than
lutte a number of the other growing
daces in the State, such as Ashevllle
u.5O). Concord ($1.35), Greensboro
1.3O). Monroe $3.50, and Whining
on $3.50, while among those whose
ates are less than ours are Charlotte
$1,000. Durham ($1.14, Elizabeth
city (90c.). Ctastonia ($1.10), High
Point s1.03 1-3), Kinston ($1.O0),
Roxy Mount ($1.0D, Salem ($1.oo),
Salisbury ($r.01 23), Waynesville
{$1.0O) and Winston (s1.00).
From the tx books of 1903 we find
there was listed in our city $4,S94,S2S
fof taxable re:L estate and S1,9S7.843
of taxable personal property, total
of $6.SS2.671, also 1857 taxable polls
G,O91 white and 446 colored).
To meet the necessary expenses of
the city, your committee are of the
opinion, estimat ting them to be practi-
cally the same as last year, that the
city rate of taxes for general purposes
might be reduced ten cents, which will
bring it down To eighty cents (S0c.),
as against ninety cents COCO for the