Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-01-18

Guns 1ot why tHc State Must
Have Greater Revenue and What Is
Needed to Run the State Govern.
ment.
That the present session of the
West Virginia legislature must face
the problem of creating additional
sources of revenue for the mainten-
ance OF the state government, is in
dicated by the biennial report of
state auditor in his estimate of re-
ceipts and disbursements for the IN.
suing biennial period.
These estimated figures of Audi
tor Darst for the year 1913 and
1914 show that only the balance Of
S1,132,000 left in the state treasury
on the close of the last fiscal year.
September 30, last, will prevent a de-
ficit in the treasury at the end of the
next fiscal year, unless the legislature
is enabled to secure new sources of
revenue or the direct state tax is rails
ed from the minimum of one cent to
a figure sufficiently large to enable
the receipts to equal the expenditures.
The biennial report shows that the
receipts exceeded the disbursements
from the state fund in the fiscal year
1911 by $295, SOC, 6S, leaving a balance
at the beginning of the year 1912 of
$1,173,341.40. which was reduced at
the close of the fiscal year 1912 to
-1,132, 1877 through the expenditures
exceeding the receipts for the last
fiscal year by $40, 5 SO.
That the balance in the treasury
win be further impaired III the next
two years unless additional rcvenue
is found is then shown by the auditor
in his estimates. A large hole is torn
in the estimated receipts for the year
1914 when the prohibition amend
ment becomes effective. For the year
1913 the license taxes from the coun
tics are estimated at 100000. but this
source OF revenue is reduced in the
following year to Sl50,000. through
The elimination of saloon licenses.
May Spend 5000 900.
Without computing the cost Of the
Paint Creek strike, which approx
mate $500. 900, Auditor Darst esti-
mates the total disbursements from
the state fund for the present fiscal
year at 81, 960,S15,00 and the receipts
at $1.S45. 2SS.53. For the year 1914,
the estimated receipts are reduced to
$l,123, 5000 and the expenditures for
the same period at $1,SSS, 10000. The
excess of the expenditures over the
receipts in this biennial period would
eat up the present balance and leave
a large deficit in the treasury.
The report contains a group of
tables showing the condition of the
fiscal affairs of the state. one of the
tables shows the enormous increase
in the amount of railroad and other
public service corporation taxes col
lected by the state and refunded to
the counties and districts, from $685.,
S10.S6 in 1896 to 81, 944, 366.14 in 1912.
That the fees accruing to state Of
icers, which formerly went to the of
source OF revenue for the state is por-
trayed in the tables of the report. For
the past fiscal year the fees aecruing
in the Office of the secretary of state
amounted to SIG, 760,9 5; auditors of
flee. $4S,972.73 and statutor attorney
fees amounting to $22, 052.00. The fees
collected in the auditors office We're
the largest in the history of the state.
The taxes on collateral inheritances
Increased from S26,O52l0 in 1906 to
S16S, 233.37 in 1912, while the total
taxes collected on railroad property
increased from $6Ss, 1904 in 1906 to
So 09, 527.4S during the past fiscal
year,
Insurance Department.
In his report Auditor Darst also dis
cusses the work of the insurance de-
partment and the fire marshals de-
partment, which come under his su-
porvision. The former department,
he declares, has not only become an
important feature of the state gov
ernment as a revenue producer, but as
a public benefactor. The policy of the
insurance department, he asserts,
has been 10 place insurance ON a high