The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1913-06-29

beer licenses and from locker clubs.
amounted to s4S,73S.O9. or a loss OF
s2S5, 54442.
Since then, taking the report of the
Comptroller General of 1918, as a
measure, the sum received from near
beer licenses, and from locker clubs,
amounted TO S27S,O00.OO per annum,
making deficit of about 100000 pei
annum.
In 1912, the Legislature abolished
the Dog Tax amounting to $130000.00
per year. being the amoant which il
would require the tax on S26 ,000,000.00
of property to produce
For many of the foregoing figures ]
am indebted to the able Chairman of
the House Appropriation COMMITTEES
of 1911-1912.
In 1904 the people adopted an
amendment to the Constitution limit
ing the tax rate to five mills. thus de
claring by their sovereign act in favor
of economy in public expenditure and
recording their Judgment that such
levy would be sufficient for the States
discharge of all public functions. The
tax levy for the support of public
schools for that year was one and sew
enty -hundredths mills.
Yet, am officially informed by the
Comptroller General that in 1912 the
appropriations exceeded the anticipa-
ted revenue 1899, 100000, and the act,
ual revenue $202,000.S0, and as you
will find by the report of that same
officer on your desks, the excess of
expenditures over anticipated income
in 1918 is 1921, $4,000, requiring $46,-
312, 10000 taxable property to produce
it.
Thus you will perceive, that to meet
the deficit of these two years alone,
taking the anticipated revenue as a
basis, al increase of the property of
the State subject to ad valorem taxa
ton must be $114,112, 10000.
You will have observed that the
same Legislature which appropriated
1898, 100000 in excess of it's anticipated
revenue, during the same session cut
Off $126,000.00 thereof
Legislative Conditions.
Having been a member of the Leg
islature for seventeen years l cah
sympathize with the members of the
General Assembly in yielding to the
pressing claims made for appropria-
lions. Every heart is responsive to
the sentiment that our greatest wealth
is in our children, and no one wishes
to bear the responsibility of shutting
the door of opportunity to our boys
and girls by denying them the privil.
eyes of education.
Every patriotic feeling is aroused
by the suggestion that great State
should render comfortable the declin-
ing days of the old Confederate Vet
Grams who had imperiled their all in
her hour of desperate need
And eloquent, irresistible appeals
can be made for all the objects of ex-
penditure which promise a rich har,
vest of return from every dollar
granted by a meagre appropriation.
Your Appropriation Committees,
carefully balancing the receipts and
disbursements, and recognizing the
primal duty of being just before being
generous, report bill appropriating
all that the States revene will permit.
Some gentleman arises in enthusiastic
advocacy of an amendment to increase
quarter of million dollars, or more,
the allowance for some popular pur
10
prosaic suggestion that the State has
not the money, He is stamped in the
Legislature and at home as the enemy
of the people, and he sits down. weak
ened in his influence and miscon-
strued by his constituents, for having
performed his sworn duty.
The System Wrong.
The system Is wrong. 1t is con
trary to the theory of our government,
which everywhere endeavors to pro-
vide method of checks and balances.
1t is not so with the present state OF
our law
Prior to the Constitutional Amend
ment of 1904, limiting the tax rate to
five mills, the Governor and xComptrol-
Ter General met and levied a tax sui
ficient to pay all appropriations. If the
were large, the tax
rate was increased, and the constitu
ents at home being called upon for a
heavier drain from their purses,
taught a wholesome lesson to then
by refusing to re-elect
them The public expenditure was
therefore a matter of constant public
supervision. This acted as a check
and reminded the Legislators tina,
heavy appropriations meant increased
burdens on the people.
Now, the Legislature can appro-
pirate what it pleases, and the tax
rate remains the same. A million,
more or less, does not mean cent
more from the taxpayer. The Legis-
lator has made himself a favorite will,
constituency by voting for every popu-
lar appropriation and nothing suffers
but the States credit When the crisis
no one can put his hand upon
the one who caused it. He has yield
ed to the insistence of those who have
pressed upon him the necessity for
each appropriation, and has escaped
the condemnation and misconstruc
ion Of an mkt