The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-09-15
HEAVY TAX LEVY
IN The STATE.
$8,500,000 Will Be Demanded in
December to Meet Expenses

Lansing, Mich, Sept, l5.-Thc hcav-
lest state tax ever levied in Michigan
Is what the people of the state will be
called upon To pay next December.
The total of that tax has been figured
out by Auditor General O. IL. Fuller at
SS,5S9.52O,7S. This is $3,l37, 212.G3
more than the tax for last year and
about two million dollars more than
the highest tax ever levied in this
state
Kent county will he called upon to
pay 100000 more than it was assessed
last year, the figures for this year be-
INK $5t5,53J.26. 1t is a sumner and
Vet every possible item of expense has
been cut down to the bone.
Unless something Unforeseen occurs
Mr.. Fuller estimates the state will
manage To Just about wiggle through
this year without material deficit. The
state treasury now has, I'm round sum-
81 zoe, 600, which is costs the state be-
tween $i00.000 and $500, 900 n month to
meet expenses. a little less than four
months remain of this year and it is
estimated that without any cxtraor-
binary expenses the state will get by
and that will be about all.
Auto Tax Adds to Local Taxes.
Some interesting features are con
nccted with the states finances this
year. For instance the legislature APP
propriatcd $4,000 for the highway
department this year For next year
the total appropriation is fixed at but
10000. The reason for this is that
| the automobile tax on the horse power
| basis as hereafter to be paid into the
state highway fund and taken from
the local assessment rolls. This tax il
Is estimated will bring To the highway
| fund about one million dollars.
Bnt all over the state are coming
protests against taking the motor
Vehicles off the local rolls. Detroit in
particular will be "A heavy loser by the
plan and is preparing To fight. If tho
law is Knocked out the state highway
| department will he left without a cent
! Cor state reward. having for the tota
|
! $4,000 and 100000 which is appro-
priated for the trunk line highways
and can he used for no other purpose
Thus upon the result of legal proceed
| 'nSs depends much so far as the stat,
highway department is concerned.
M. A. c. Fund Tansle.
Another interesting quirk to tn,
states finances is connected will
Michigan Agricultural college. 1t vii
he remembered the legislature for
long time held up the appropriation
for this institution because of iigh
against President Snyder. and final.
in its appropriation bill limited tn
amount of money that could he spcn
by the engineering department Ia S35.
eco a year. Now II costs in rOun,
numbers $4,000 year to run this de
partment, and the state board of agri
culture is figuring some way to gc
into court to show that the Legislature
has no right To limit the amounts To ~
spent for a single department., cSpe
cially as the $5O.0O0 "a year whicl
comes from the federal government i
on the basis that the college shall con
duet an engineering course.
The University of Michigan is II
clover this year AS result of tn
liberal appropriations made and tn
increase i'm the assessed valuation o
the state, upon which the univcrst.
gets mill tax, the institution Wi
this year have a total of about ST.
10000 to spend.
Auditor General Has Kick.
The method Of running the finance
of the state do not in the least NEE
with the approval of the auditor gen
cral. At the present time the lcgisla
turc appropriatcs a certain sum Tor
certain department or institution. Tn
institution uses this, and then som
more. and puts in n deficiency bill 4
the next legislature In addition, a
the time IL Is using from the appro
lpriation, IL is spending more none
from the general fund. SO that it /
next to impossible to estimate wha
the department are spending or whcr
il is coming from until ii has all beef
lspcnt.
the military department. a certain
sum was specifically appropriated 70
the construction of the campstc a
IGraylng. Nothing was said about
4, hay