The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-09-01
THE STATE TAX LEVY.

concerning reductions Of the State tax
levy, past and present.
The Comptroller quotes from an Off
cial letter of June 30, 1904, in which ne
had recommended to the Governor (Jen-
nings) a reduction Of the tax levy for
that year from three mills to one mill,
as being justified, in his opinion, by the
then condition and future prospects Of
the public revenues; and recites the
fact that the Governor thereupOn re-
duced the levy, not to one mill, as rec
commended by his financial officer, but TO
one-half Of one mill.
The Comptroller seeks TO justify this
reduction by stating that on January /,
1905, there was balance in the fund
for general revenue purposes Of $685.
4l8.32; but the fact is that there il al
ways a large balance in the State treas
ury on the first day Of each year. Jan
uary /, 1895, the Comptroller's balance
was $25l ,252. SO. January |, 1900, it was
1913, 4l6.40 OF the first named amount,
$l6l ,043 X was credited, and Of the last
named amount $217, 378 u was credited
10 the general revenue fund Another
fact, still more significant, is that on
the lst day OF June, 1905, after pay
ment Of the expenses Of the Legisla-
ture, etc, the balance Of $3.50, 4lS.32,
mentioned by the Comptroller in his
communication, had shrunk to $780,
9l2.l7 This balance Of $289, 4l8 32, on
January /, 1905, was only $43, l1791
greater than the balance Of January /,
1904, when no legislative session was
impending not enough larger by about
$35, 900 10 cover the cost Of the Legis-
lature Of 1905.
Thus it is apparent that the amount
OF balance on hand in the general fund
on the first day Of January in any given
year bears no relation whatever TO the
a gRreRate finances Of the State for that
year; and that the true test Of the abil- .
ity Of the state government to exist .
upon a lower tax levy than that author .
lied by law should be the income for
the year, from the tax levied for gen
cral purposes, upon known or esti- /
mated valuation Of the aggregate tax
able property Of the State
So much for the manifestly unjustif- /
able reduction Of the tax levy of 1904 .
to one-half Of one mill by Governor /.
jennings, for personal political pur-
poses in aid Of his candidacy for the
u S. Senatorship, and the natural and .
lawful disappearance during /
the first six months Of the present year, /
Of $l38, 500 IL, or nearly AZ per cent, Of .
the balance relied upon by the Comp /
trOller to justify Governor Jennings .
reduction.
In his communication TO Governor .
Hroward the Comptroller gives long .
list Of unusual and extraordinary ap-
made by the Legislature I
Of 1905, amounting to 1896, III: but he /
includes therein number of items .
which could not, by any rational and .
citizen. be regarded as
improper or unanticipatcd, such as State .
aid and uniform system for public .
schools, revision Of the statutes. travel .
ing expenses Of circuit Judges. reprint
ing Supreme Court reports, buildings
for the State hospital, soldiers home,
State census, deficiency for salaries Of .
Governor and State attorneys, relief
acts and State cncampmcats The APP
for Governors mansion
need not be- considered, IN il will doubt
less remain unexpCnded until the next
legislature amends the law. The APP
for State colleges under the
buchanan law is small when compared
with over 100000 expended on State
institutions in 1904. The
appropriations for fairs at Tampa and
DeFuniak Springs cannot bc justifi,d
upon any grounds, Those for printing
ron 'titutional amendments Of 1903" and
for "rcfunding liquor licenses" require
explanation.
The Comptroller shows that the /
amount appropriated in the general APP
bill is SA72. 900 in addition To
the appropriations he onumcratcs, and
concludes tIat no reduction of the tax
rate for general revenue is possible;
but suggests reduction Of the pension
levy from four To three mills, although,
IN il we'll known, there was deficit in
the pension fund which the Legislature