The independent., 1904-01-28
STATE TAXES 1904

be paid out OF the state tax levieS or
1908 and 1904, and having enacted
new revenue law in order to permit
the big corporations to escape paying
their fair share Of the taxes, has pre-
sented a situation which Is anything
but encouraging to the "redeemels."
Already the republican organs are
busying themselves with apologies.
The appropriations OF 1903 aggre-
gate nearly million and half great
er than the appropriations made by
the populist legislature of 1897, and
it stands to reason that il this i'm
lnense sum Is to be met without an
enormous increase in the states float
ing debt, state taxes must be in
creased very materially. The state
levy for 1903 averages something like
80 per cent higher than that OF 1903,
and The Independent cannot see how
the levy of 1901 can be much less than
double the amount levied in 1902.
Here are the reasons:
Section 134 of the new revenue law,
which becomes effective this year,
provides that
"The rate of the general state
tax shall be sufficient to realize
the amount necessary to meet ap-
preparations made by the legisla-
ture for the year in which the tax
Is levied, and an additional sum
not exceeding 20 per cent of the
amount of any existing state i'll
debtedness, and not exceeding in
all 5 mills on the dollar valua-
tion."
Now, without making an exhaustive
examination OF the appropriations
made last year, The Independent fig
ures that about $4,000 is against
funds other than the general fund,
leaving the net general fund appro-
priations about S2,923, 900 for the two
years, to be covered by the tax lev
les of 1903 and 1904.
Last year the state board made a
general fund levy of $1,135, 72i.69,
which would leave, in round num-
bers, 81, ,787,O0 to be levied this year
for the general fund simply to cover
the appropriations, and without con-
sidering the 30 per cent of "any ex-
listing state Indebtedness"
We know that the existing state
Indebtedness on November 30, 1868,
aggregated the sum Of $2,263,171.21,
and it is reasonable to suppose that it
will not be any smaller by the time
the levy of 1904 is made. Twenty Per
cent OF that would mean an addi-
tion of $4,000, making the total
general fund levy s2,239,00O, without
considering the levies for state uni
versity and temporary school fund.
1t is reasonable to suppose that the
levies for temporary school and state
university will be about the same as
last year-say, 1887 900. Hence, the
possible-and probabe-tax levy for
the year 1904 will look something like
this:
For general fund. .,.........$2, ,239, 600
For other funds. ........... $4,000
Iotal ...................S2 81, ,626, 600
. This will mean that state taxes
this year will be 72 per cent higher
than in 1902, or nearly two and
half times as great as in 1907, or
more than twice as much as under
the biggest levy ever made by the
Vote 'er straight"
>>S>$Sec%
The independent believes chancel-
lor Andrews misjudgod the temper of
Nebraska people when he solicited
Rockefeller's contributions One can
readily understand the Chanecllor's
foolings IN seelag the University grow
under his magnificent administration.
and how he might swallow bis pride
ana ask for aims Co secure what he
believed to be a much needed build
ms. Hut those Nchraskans who have
the graHshoppcra. druuths
and panlca ala Il hy living In the sad
house until thay could AFFORD 10 build
A bestee one, while their nelghhufa
who wanted "a grow rapidly. and bor-
rowed money lo build nne houses. have
long since goue through the courts
" mortgage foreclosure and are en-
The frontier trying 20 begin over
again. Hence. there IL no enthus.
iasm over the project to hnild M
the University faster than the state
Itself improves, especially when tho