Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-02
TREASURER BROWNS STATEMENT:


State Treasurer Pope Brown has given out statement based
upon careful investigation of the states finances which he
expresses the confident opinion that if the state charged with
unpaid appropriations for 1909 and credited with cash
still be collected and colecbe the
state will have surplus of two million and hftynne thousand
dollars o January l, 1910
Treasurer Brown the rational and
explanation that the greater part of the taxes are TACT paa
December and January and that the monthly revenue outside
of the ad vorem taxes scarcely sufficient to meet the current
expenses of the state.
At the very beginning of the year. IN the month
Febuarybefore all of the previous years taxes have really
and fifty thousand dollars in penns interest on bonds ana @
annual proportion of the sinking fund will call for four hundred
thousand which will leave but little than six
hundred fifty dollars with which to meet the salaries
teachers the sole amount which be drawn upon or
fall and winter
He points out what sufficiently obvious anyone who
wishes impartial view of the condition of the state
finances onehalf of the PENSIONS amounting to four
seventyve thousand dollars paid at the
beginning of the year. and the other half during the following
December the could meet the demands OF the teachers
without delay inconvenience.
nothing for this of the and in this he confirmed
by Capt Tip Harrison tax clerk in the office of the comptroller
years The treasurer also points
the benefit of those who really to know the truth
that the surplus the treasury increasing every year ana WIN
the legislature will hold its appropriations within bounds
These plain straightforward statements which should
silence who have attempted throw dscred upon the
Nobody has ever connded that there would be million
of cash the state treasury January 1870
simple that technical violation of the law the
of the state who should pay their taxes
Der 90 are INDUCED by the collectors allowed
make their due payments during the first three months
of the year
If the taxpayer letter of the law by paying
his before the end of the and the state met the a6
ties for the year then closing there would be surplus OF two
million fftysx thousand dollars in the treasury.
This is substantially the showing made by the expert
whom Governor Brown set to examine the states
financial affairs but this method of putting things did not suit
the political exigencies of and it suppressed
The expert then submitted another report which different
without being really inconsistent with the previous report
This latter report simply took into consideration the amount
of which would probably be paid before January without
considering overdue and coecbe and yet charged
the treasury with every obligation which would fall due during
the ensuing year.
Whereby an alleged shortage figured out
1t is necessary mpugn the OF the figures
which easily to be correct have we SAID
anything to he conraryn spite of excited charges to the
contrary We have said that the expert detained the
and syllable be reproduced from columns to
show that did.
We did say, and repeat that the who have been
heradng to The world the statement that the great state OF
Georgia the of insolvency detained the State
and repeat it with all the vigor of our nature.
And wish inquire why the preliminary report
of Aonzo Richardson Co., made the basis of that just given
upon place the financial honor Georgia
in a questionable light before the world.
only coneede but insist that there inconsistency
between the preliminary and the final report the expert auditor
His individual figures doubtless accurate and honest But
in certain without being fair
Not only the truth but the whole truth should be stated IN
and the whole truth in this that
the and liabilities of the state balanced on January
l. 1870 the state will have two million and ftysx thousand
dollars the good
Which very different thing from the insolvency about
which the reckless and unparoc reaconae were talking SO
much before they brought to book
clear enough to the great body of the people,
the efforts of partisan politicians to their
much that the
plain facts will be accepted by those politicians whose interest 1t
and incidentally the fair of the state