Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-08-14

STATE governments exclusive OF the
public service enterprises. These
yielded, during the fiscal year 1915,
s50,222,748 in revenues. Receipts
from interest on current deposits and
on the various state funds amounted
to s22,105,396. Other sources Of reve-
nue-special assessments and special
charges for outlays; fines, forfeits, and
escheats; subventions and grants from
the Federal Government; donations;
pension assessments; highway privi-
leges; rents; and earnings of public
service enterprises-yielded q total of
$50, ,360,656.
For all the states taken as a group,
the per capita receipts from property
taxes were $2.72; from other taxes, SO
cents; from earnings Of general de-
partments, 81 cents; and from all 9th
er sources combined. 43 cents.
The highest per capita property
, taxes, 1928, are shown for Arizona:
and the lowest. 81 cents. for Missouri.
Expenditures.
The expenditures during the wear
Tor governmental costs. which aggre-
gated $4S4,907,OS4, were, in the order
OF their importance: For expenses of
general departments $S7s,OsO,os4: for
outlays. s95,1s2,7ss; for interest, s1s..
545,955: for expenses Of public service
enterprises railroads, toll BRIDGES.
ferries. canals, docks and wharyes.
etc. maintained by nine states only),
s2,13S,2S6. Expenses of general de-
partments comprised payments for
education schools and libraries)
$l47,164.247; for charities, hospitals,
and corrections, sS9.1S9.40O; for gen
eral government" Legislative, execu-
tive, and judicial branches), s44.5o3.- =
A17; for protection to person and
property (police and fire departments:
militia and armories; regulation Of
corporations, professional occupations,
labor, liquor traffic. sale Of certain
commodities, and weights and meas
ures; protection Of fish and game.
etc), $26,294.es1; for highways, s22, :
767,766; for general and miscellaneous
items, including pensions and gratui-
ties, $22,214.569; for development and
conservation Of natural resources.
$16,55S,6s5; for conservation of health.
and sanitation, $9.453,s73; and for ed
ucat1onal and general recreation
parks and reservations, and monu-
Hments, $s7s,64e.
Ihe average per capita expenditures
ior all governmental costs. including
interest and outlays, in the AZ states
were $5.03. The highest figure shown
| under this head for any one state
sl2'1'' is that for California; and the
lowest, $1.S7. for South Carolina. The
average per capita expenditures for
all governmental costs, including in
terest but excluding outlays, were
S4.oS. The highest figure appearing
| under this head for any state is that
Tor Nevada. 5000; and the lowest IS
SHOWN for South Carolina, $1s1.
| That the cost Of maintaining the
state governments imposes a relative
~ light burden on the shoulders Of
the tax payers is brought out clearly
oy comparison Of state and NUM-
cipal taxation and governmental costs
for the 204 American cities of over
$4,000 population the average per
capita expenditures for all govern
mental costs, including interest and
outiays. during the fiscal year 1915,
amounted to 1886; the correspond
Ing figure for the states is but s5.0s.
For the cities the average per capita
expenditures for all governmental
costs. including interest but exclud-
ing outlays, were $24.0S: for the
states. $4.06. For the cities the aver
age per capita receipts from property
taxes were $1s.72: for the states,
s2.73.
For the 48 states taken together,
the payments for governmental costs.
including interest and outlays. ex-
eeeded the revenues by $36.e74.ls7;
but the revenues exceeded the current
expenses and interest by $5S,51s.312, an
amount more than three -fifths as
great as that Of the total outlays
which aggregated $s5.1s2.7ss. In 9TH
er words. the states, taken as a group.
are paying, from their revenues, all
their current expenses and interest
and moro than three-flfths Of their
outlays.
States In Which Revenues Exessd
Expenses.
In al but seven Of tho states the
revenue receipts exceeded the pay.
ments for current governmental e8-