The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-03-26
Census Bureau Issues State.
ment of Finances

4 Washington. p. c., March 1S.-An
interesting special bulletin on county
revenues, expenditures, and public
properties, relating 10 the fiscal year
1913. complied under the supervision
OF Starke NJ. Grogan, chief statisti-
clan In charge OF the inquiry. and
soon to be issued by Director
William J. Harris OF the bureau Of
the census, department or commerce
win show for the United States as
q whole, county receipts OF SS95,66s.-
452, county expenditures OF sSS2.4O5,-
173. and a total value OF county prop
critics amounting to S5S6,O03,4T5. This
bulletin Is one of series OF seven, all
relating TO the general subject of
wealth, debt and taxation.
The greatest county receipts and
expenditures were found in Ohio.
where the receipts aggregated, in
round figures, s99.601 600 and the ex-
penditures s95,3G1.009; Illinois stood
second with receipts and expendi-
lures OF s75,19S.000 and $74,951 900,
respectively and California was third,
with s60.179, 900 and $50, 102,0 900, res.
pectively. The smallest receipts and
expenditures-$33,1SS and $47,s2i.
respectivefy-were for the counties
OF Vermont.
Cost OF County Business.
A better idea of the relative cost
or conducting county business I'm the
various states may be obtained by
comparison OF the revenue receipts"
and governmental cost payments"
Revenue receipts comprise the
amounts received for the use of the
counties: they are derived from taxes,
special assessments for street i'm.
proyements and the like, license
charges, fines and forfeits, interest
and rents, subventions and grants
from the state, fees and charges for
services performed. earnings Of toll
roads and ferries, etc. Governmental
cost payments are made up of ordin-
airy running expenses. toll-road and
ferry expenses, interest, and outlays,
not Offset by receipts, for permanent
improvements. The total revenue
receipts and total governmental cost
payments of counties throughout the
United States i'm 1913 were $780,
0tS,00C and $685., 1882 900. respectively.
Tendency Of Governmental Units.
The general tendency of govern.
mental units to spend n little more
than their income Is indicated by the
difference Of over SIS 900 900 between
the revenue receipts and government
al cost payments, In seventeen states
however-Arizona, Georgia, Illinois.
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine. Massa-
chusetts, Missouri, Nebraska. Nevada.
New Hampshire. New Mexico, North
Dakota, Oklahoma. Washington. and
Wisconsin--the counties showed an
excess on the revenue-receipts side OF
the account
Comparing the states on the basis
OF revenue receipts and government
tai cost payments. California Is found
far In the lead, with county revenue
receipts OF s42,s97.OO in 1913 and gov.
crnmental cost payments of s46.O13,O9e
Ohio was second, with s23,St2,OOe and
$24.99S,0O0, respectively; New YORK
third. with $17,722, 900 aud s1S.445,OO0.
respectively; and Pennsylvania fourth
with $17,64o,Oe0 and s19.s00,O00, res
pectiyely.
Per Capita Receipts and Expendi.
e lures.
The only fair comparison, OF course.
is that made on a per capita basis.
For the country as a whole. I'm 1918
the per capita revenue receipts and
governmental cost payments OF eoun.
ties were $f.32 and $i.49 respectively.
When the states are considered
with reference to per capita receipts
aud expenditures, California again
appears at the head OF the list. with
county revenue receipts and govern
mental cost payments I'm 1913 of 1891
and s20.67 per capita. respectively.
Nevada counties made the seconu
largest showIng-s17.S7 and s17.1S.
respectively-while Montana stood
third. with s14.s3 and 1864, respec-
! lively. In Vermont the county receipts
were only s cents. and the govern
mental cost payments 10 cents, per
capita.
The Property Taxes.
Property taxes constituted the
great bulk of the revenue receipts
1914 per cent, taking the United
states as whole. The remaining 1876
per cent was made up as follows:
Earnings OF general departments, ~
per cent; subventions and grants
from the state and donations and
Sits from all sources, 6.5 per cent:
license charges. 81 per cent; special
assessments and charges for perma-
nent improvements. 2.5 per cent;
poll taxes, 1.6 per cent; highway priv
heges, interest, and rents, 1.5 per
cent; fines forfeits. and .escheats, 1
per cent; and earnings of toll roads
and ferries, o. per cent.
In West Virginia property taxes
formed SO per cent of the total reve.
nue. receipts, In Oregon 92.6 per cent,
and In Washington 80. per cent; but I'm
no other state was the proportion so
great as 80 per cent. In Connecticut
and Mississippi property taxes con-
tituted unusually small proportions
OF the total revenue receipts-3S.S
per cent and 55.S per cent, respec-
tiyely-but In no other state was the
lively small proportions were count.
percentage less than 60. These rela-
erbalanced, in the case OF Connect
cut, principally by large proportions
for license charges, for subventions.
grants. donations, and gifts, and for
earnings OF general departments; and
In the case Of Mississippi by large
proportions for poll taxes and for
subventions, grants, donations, and