The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-09-28
Tax Is Comparatively Small.

Tax Is Comparatively Small.
I'm addition to this debt-paying we
have provided during this period for the
payment of specific appropriations ag
gregating in round numbers more than a
million and half dollars. We have COM
pleted the soldiers monument, we have
established and built a State home for
disa bled veterans and their wives, in ad
dition to the cost of institutional mainte-
nance amounting to million and quar-
ter annually. The revenues for meeting
these obligations are raised from COM
paratively small tax. The average as
sessment for State and local taxation is
about $3.50; the State shares in this only
which to meet all the expenses of gov
eminent, including the judiciary, SUI
preme, appellate, circuit and superior
judges, special judges, prosecuting
| attorneys, sheriffs' mileage, etc. The
| assessment of eleven cents for COM
mon school purposes is paid into
the State Treasury, but this is sim
ply for the purpose of securing an equit-
able apportionment, all such collections
being returned to the counties in due pro-
| cess. Despite the allegations of the
Democratic State platform I confidently
declare the belief that there is no State
| in the Union where the burdens of taxa
ton rest more lightly upon the people,
| where the public funds are disbursed I'M
der stricter system of accountability,
or where the taxpayers dollar brings so
| large measure Of actual return.
I'm order to understand how we'll off
we are at home it is sometimes necessary
to contemplate the condition of our neigh
bors. l quote a newspaper dispatch
which portrays the situation in State
controlled by leaders of the same party
which has here in Indiana declared it's
ability to bring about an improvement
in fiscal conditions in the Hoosier State:
Jackson. Miss, Sept. s.-(Special)-Th
| State of Mississippi has in it's treasury 81 SO
| and there is no relief in sight Much doubt
| Is expressed in financial circles whether a
firm Of New York and Chicago brokers who
| recently purchased bond issue of $500, 600
| viii pay for it and the banks Of the State
for immediate use. No payments of taxes
| are due for thirty days and proposed spe-
| cial session Of the Legislature could not
| bring relief within that period.
"If our adversaries are really so anx-
ious to engage in a reform movement,
why not 60 to the assistance Of their
colleagues and compatriots in a State
that, by reason of disagreement, has
reached the crisis with which Indiana
was threatened under Democratic aus
pieces fifteen years ago?
Summary of tho Situation.
"And now, to summarize the situation
in few paragraphs:
I'm nine years we have reduced the
State debt $5,61S,OOO, and the interest
charges on the debt $172, 1875 a year.
With an average collection into the gen.
eral fund more than hundred thousand
less annually than under the Democratic
regime, we have saved from that fund
and diverted toward the extinction of the
State debt an average of nearly a hun
dred thousand dollars more annually
than was used from the same fund for
the same purpose during the era of Dem.
ocratic control. During the present
State administration the payment of the
. debt has gone on with rapidity unprece
dented even during the period of Repub
lican control beginning with 1895. And
this the Democratic State platform de-
nounces as the result of Extravaganza
, and waste.
, During the period of Democratic con
, troll Of State legislative and fiscal affair,
from 1891 to 1895, after the new tax law
, had brought about vast increase in the
} aggregate valuation of property the av
erage State revenue levy was II cent.
on the 500. Upon the accession of
Republican Legislature and State financ,
} board in 1895 it was reduced to cent.
} and has so remained. Reducing the ia,
levy IS per cent is what the Democratic
State platform calls Extravaganza"
=, The average tax levy for the main
e tenance of the State penal and benevo
= lent institutions during the Democrati
n period from 1891 to 1895 was So cents
Il during the succeeding Republican perio,
: it has stood at 5 cents, and the State in
: situations have never been so we'll main
y tanned as they are to-day. This reduc
: ton in the tax levy is what the Demo
: cratic State platform calls 'extrava
t Cancel
/ The State school revenue levy re
8 manned at 1872 cents on the 500 durin
I tia nnriod of nnr,,oorn 10