The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1908-11-27
Gov Noel 10 Tax Payers and
Tax Collectors.

Tax Collectors.
"Our a,t fiscal ,c.r, beginning Oct.
/, 1907, according to the published re-
port of the state treasurer, opened with
only $2.31s.72, in cash, on hand with
unexpended appropriations OF $967, ,a77.
.O1, constituting deficit of $685., ,057. %.
The auditors report shows 9,65O.O7, of
the the then outstanding warrants.
On Jan. 81, 1908, intervening collections
had settled all outstanding warrants
and left In the treasury 81, $50 .637. A.
On Oct. 1908, the beginning Of the.
current fiscal year, practically ident-
ical financial conditions existed, S4,560-
60, In cash being on hand and out
tanding warrants and unexpended ap-
preparations being about the same as
those Of Oct. /. 1907. Last year my
official predecessor earnestly requested,
as. 1 do now, that all tax payers who
can conveniently do SO, pay such taxes
as are due, without waiting for the last
permissible day; that all tax collectors
make payments to the state, as soon as
practicable, after making collections.
All warrants were paid this year on
presentation until Oct. l. At this time
last year, $50, ,9so.o7 Of the penitentiary
crop had been marketed, up to this
date, as against only $6,5340i, this
year, though much more will be real
ICED very soon. Had the marketing of
this crop been as expeditions as that OF
last year. this month would have cem-
menced with all outstanding warrants
paid and with about $4,000 cash.
However, as collections from now till
Jan. L, will not much more than pay
ordinary expenses, and the ChicasaW
school fund interest, the 100000 OF
confederate pensions, payable this
month, would necessarily created a
deficit until the January collections.
This was .foreseen and called to the
attention of thelegislature. One branch
of the last legislature declined to make
any provision for the emergency which
now confroBts tls. The two preceding
legislatures had each authorized the is
s6ance of $5O0,000. of bonds, and of
borrowing of several hundred thousand
dollars, additional temporarily.
all for current expenditures
It's improved conditions wonld have
ena bled our state successfully to have
dispensed with such bonds and borrow
ing, had it not been for the retiring OF
$500. 900 of 6 per cent bonds last year,
before the sale OF but 1876, 500 dollars of
the 500, 900 dollars, l-2 per cent bonds.
whose proceeds were to be used only for
such retirement, one series of bonds
being intended to be substituted for the
other, but 363, 500 dollars from the gem
eral funds in the treasury were used in
retiring the 100000 dollars of bonds;
and I-2 per cent bonds to that amount
are now on hand and are unstable, b.
cause the act authorizing tn e r
issne specially limits h. use of
their proceeds for contingency
now past, the retirement Of per
cent bonds.
The state treasury. but for this,
would have had ample funds to have
had met every obligation this year and
next on presentation. For the first
time in about five years, the state reye-
nues are suffi cient to meet legislative
appropriations. The appropriations Of
the last Legislature aggregated 6.523,-
7lO.91. The state revenue for the year
ending Sept. 80, 1908, was 3,332.057 dol
lars and 81 cents and for the current
fiscal year, is estimated by the auditor,
at 3,335, ,649 dollars and 90 cents, ag-
gregating 6,674, 700 dollars and 93 cents
which would leave surplus OF AS, 800
dollars and 2 cents for the two fiscal
years, Notwithstanding the, cutting off
of llqaor licenses, which license in the
past fiscal year amounted to 1850
dollars. The states total indebtedness
exclusive of the school funds held In
trust, amounting to 2.336, 1877 dollars
and 5S cents, and on which only inter-
est is ever to be paid, is ,253 ,029 dollars
and I cents. OF this amount million
dollars is for bonds issned for 1904 and
1905 to defray current expenses OF the
government. The state can now pay as
IL goes. except possibly for few
months In the fall, just before the large
collection OF the valorum taxes. r
could have done so then, II the 36a, 500
IN. 70 ~ i,rnx3c al q MT hAAn retirad