The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1909-06-26
Subscription SI.5O Per Year in Advance
Saturday, June rs. 1909.
LOuisiana's Financial Condition.
Mer Rouge Democrat.


will at the close of 1909, have no
excess in it's general fund. 1t is
also a fact that the Legislature OF
1906 and the extra session OF
1907 trespassed largely upon the
general fund of 1908. And be-
cause there was depleted gen.
eral fund, the legislature of 1908
was handicapped from doing any
thing more than to pay the states
constitutional officers, take care
of the states public institutions,
and could go no further. The
question arises, why did this
state of affairs exist? 1t can be
accounted for in more ways than
one. To commence with, we
will call attention to the fact
that Governor Blanchard was
anxious to establish a record for
cutting down state taxation.
The limit fixed in the state con.
stitution in 1879, was six mills on
the dollar of the assessment on
all property in the state. Gov
ernOr Blanchard recommended
to the legislature to lower the
tax for all state purposes, from
six to five mills, and the legiSla-
ture did as the governor wanted
it done. The governor, Blanch-
ard, made an effort to get prop
erty owners to raise the assess
ed value of all property. This
the property owners would not
do, but many property owners
lowered their ssesSme en- is.
Next, the legislature of 1905 was
too liberal in it's appropriations,
and, not only expended all the
revenues of 1907 but trespassed
upon the revenues of 1905
largely. In the mean time
the states general expense &C
count has been growing by con
stitutional amendments to raise
salaries, and by increased appro
priations to provide for the vet
Grams of the civil war, and in
creased appropriations to main
tain the state institutions, unit
the situation called for all thu
money that a five mill tax would
furnish. To those who are &C
quainted with the states need, i
is plain that it was a mistake
when taxation for all state pur
poses was changed from six t,
five mills on the dollar. Tn,
Shattuck license law, to sell in
tOxicants, will pay into the state
general fund about 100000 NOR
cash than was paid under tn
old whiskey license law, but, thi
will not be enough to enable tn
state to remain on a cash basi
and have in it's vaults money t
do anything more than pay tn
states needs and obligations
The real situation is, that ther
will not be any surplus over az
tual expenses, and without som
excess over actual needs, ther
cannot be a sinking fund proviC
= ed to be set aside to meet tn
states bonded debt that is ge
! ting near maturity. 1t is plai
: that the legislature that wi
: meet in 1910 will be again hand
! capped for funds. Just so Ion
: as all actual needs of the stat
Z are provided for, is well enoug
: that there is no large sum to ii
! credit of the general fundin Il
: state treasury. But, to tell IL
: veterans, as is the case now ar
: has been for some months, tn
: there is no money to pay tt
: newly added names to the pc
: sion list, that there are no funC
- to draw warrants against al
that they must wait and contin1
to wait, is a hardship to men wi
are needy, or the wives of m,
who served their state in Il
civil war. The Mer Rouge Del
ocrat would regret the necessi
| to have the next legislature p
| state taxes back to six mills, b
| rather than see the states cree